Mission2go > Find safe drinking water
"Don't drink the water" seems to be the one piece of travel advice known by everyone including non-travelers. The problem is, if you don't drink... you die! Knowing how to find enough safe drinking water to stay hydrated is a key heath concern for all adventurers.
Water Sources
Safe drinking water can be produced or found just about anywhere with a little bit of planning. Listed below are some potential water sources, generally listed from the safest to the riskiest sources:
- Water that you have personally filtered and chemically treated for viruses
- Commercially bottled water
- Tap water that you have treated with purification tablets or boiled
- Well water that you have treated with purification tablets or boiled
- Municipal water in large cities
- Surface water that you have treated with purification tablets or boiled
- Tap water in remote areas
- Well water
- Surface water from a large or moving water source (lakes, rivers, streams, etc)
- Stagnant surface water (ponds, puddles, holes, etc)
Bottled Water
Commercially bottled water is the most common water source for international travelers. Bottled water is available in most cities around the world at reasonable prices. One precaution to take when using bottled water is to insist on opening the bottle yourself to confirm that the seal is intact. It is not uncommon for a restaurant operator to fill used bottles from the tap, then bring them out and offer to pour the expensive "bottled water" for the unsuspecting patron.
Treating Water
When your itinerary involves traveling to more remote areas, include a water filter and chemical water treatments in your packing list. When used properly, water purification tablets are very effective at making most water safe to drink though they will not remove any sediment (which is why it is still nice to have a filter). Make sure you read the label carefully and pay close attention to waiting times and instructions on sanitizing the rim and cap of the drinking container.
Two common complaints about chemical treatments are the bad taste and the potential for long term health problems. The taste problem is usually associated with iodine and can be overcome by using powdered drink mixes available at most travel destinations. As for health concerns, most problems come from the long term use of iodine products. This is usually not a concern on trips of only a couple weeks. If you have a special case, such as pregnancy or thyroid problems, ask your doctor about the issue before you go.
While inexpensive and rather fast acting, iodine is becoming a less popular way to treat water. There are much better chemical treatments available like the MSR MIOX treatment system or Katadyn Micropur tablets that don't have the problems associated with iodine and they kill viruses as well as bacteria.
Hot and Cold Drinks
Hot drinks such as tea and coffee are generally safe to drink, as well as bottled drinks such as soda and juices. The biggest risk with these drinks is not the drink itself, but rather the serving glass. The mug may have only been washed in cold, soap-less, dirty, water since the last time it was used. The glass itself, not the drink, will carry the micro-organisms.
As for ice, the safest practice is to refuse to use any ice since you don't know the source of the water used to make the ice. Freezing will not kill many of the bacteria, parasites, and viruses that can make water unsafe to drink. However... you might sometimes decide a cold drink now is worth the risk of a potential problem later. As a general indication, ice with uniform geometric shapes has the best chance of coming from an ice supplier using safe water. Ice chunks or shavings are much more likely to have come from untreated water sources and are seldom worth the risk.
Contaminated drinking water can enter your system by other means as well. Use only safe drinking water for brushing teeth, cleaning contact lenses, etc as they all provide entry ways into your system. Finally, don't forget to keep your mouth shut as you bathe and shower. That little habit of opening your mouth under the shower head and spitting the water out like you are a fountain is probably a bad idea, even though it is fun.
Staying Hydrated
The most important health issue relating to water is to get enough fluids to stay adequately hydrated. Putting yourself at risk of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or dehydration just because you don't want to risk a little upset stomach is foolish. Use the methods above to find safe water but more importantly, drink plenty of whatever is available.
There are a couple of easy ways to help determine your hydration level. The first is your thirst, if you are more than a little bit thirsty you are at risk and need to quickly find something to drink. The second is to check the color of your urine. When you are well hydrated your urine should be clear. If your urine becomes a much darker yellow color then you need to find something to drink.
Overcome fear of Strange "Bathrooms"
Don't let the fear of using an unsanitary toilet facility keep you from drinking plenty of fluids. This is a common problem for first time travelers (especially women) to remote and under developed areas. While using a pit toilet or other field options may be smelly, awkward, or just plain gross, the risk of disease from the 'bathroom' is a lot less than the health risks from the dirty IV needle the local 'doctor' will use should you succumb to dehydration or heat exhaustion.
Dehydration from Diarrhea
The biggest risk to your health from traveler's diarrhea is that it can cause you to quickly become dehydrated. Unfortunately, many travelers are hesitant to replace the fluids for fear of having to use the bathroom more often. This will only compound your problems, you need to replace the fluids and take other measures such as medication to control the diarrhea.
When dealing with diarrhea or profuse sweating, it is helpful to add something to your drink to replace lost electrolytes. A dry sports drink mix such as Gatorade works well or even better are commercial oral dehydration solutions (ORS).
Water Containers
Bring at least one wide mouth Nalgene water bottle with you. A Nalgene bottle is useful when you need to treat water and when you want to add a powdered drink mix to your water. The size is not overly important, but one quart is usually more than enough. In addition, consider a collapsible water container such as a Platypus bottle just in case you need to stock up on clean and safe water.
Attempt to Use Common Sense
The problem with all rules is that there are always hundreds of exceptions. Use the guidelines above as a starting point but not as absolute rules. Let your surroundings and common sense help determine your actions. If for example, you are in a tour group that only stops at first class international accommodations, there is a decent chance that the lemon water served with your broiled fillet of fresh caught fish is safe to drink. Or, if you are in refugee village and offered a glass of warm tea, you might decide that graciousness towards the host's only way of serving you is worth the risk of a later illness.
Overall, the number one rule is not "don't drink the water" but rather, drink plenty of water!