Water @ Springs

I can't comment on the AT. In the Sierra there has been an extensive multi-year study of water contamination by a doctor from UC Davis Medical Center. He basically found no Giardia with few exceptions- Minor contamination in a few spots such as Yosemite's Merced River.

The one place with a high concentration of Giardia? A piped spring at Atwell Mill Campground.

Just because it comes out of a pipe isn't a guarantee that it's pure. A spring box could be contaminated, or contaminated runoff could be mixing at the spring box.

I don't usually treat water from springs on the AT. I wouldn't drink from every spring untreated, but a lot of them are OK. I asked a water quality scientist of some sort that I met while hiking in the Roan and he said to be concerned about pretty much what you are concerned about. Just use good judgment.

On the AT, there is plenty of farm runoff, chemicals, animal waste, and of course human waste to contaminate springs. You'll be hardpressed to find a spring in GSMNP that doesn't have a few salamanders, for example.

I've drank untreated water from springs, creeks, rivers, lakes, mudholes, and beaver ponds all along the AT from GA to ME and never had giardia, cryto, etc. Of course I can not recomend this approach, but I think that springs are probably fine.

John,
Springs on the AT can be contaminated. They usually draw from shallow aquifers and there is likely to be some source of contamination uphill. A shallow aquifer can produce clear, cold water without filtering bacteria, cysts or parasites.

That said, I drank untreated water from springs that had nothing uphill but country – no trail, no residences, no farms AND which came from deeper aquifers. When I couldn't tell the difference, I treated the water with plain household bleach.

Piped springs usually have a catch basin at the top of the pipe. The basin can be contaminated – even if it is enclosed.

Especially with kids, remember that the most likely source of GI distress is the kids themselves. Good hygene and plenty of alcohol hand cleaner is a must. This is true of adults as well.

Someone is likely to respond that surveys of AT thruhikers tend to show that folks who do not treat water have a lower incidence of GI problems followed closely by folks who use chemical treatments. Filters come in last. Maybe so.

Those who are carriers of Giardia are least likely to experience symptoms.

I met a guy last summer who told me about coming down with clinically identified Giardia after a backpack trip. They filtered all of their water- and three of the four party members got sick. The remaining one had no symptoms. Wonder if he was a carrier and didn't practice good hygiene?

I'm not convinced by stories of people doing multiple through-hikes and never getting Giardia symptoms.