Safe Drinking Water at the Gathering

If you're new to gatherings, the most important thing you need to know about drinking water at the gathering is to avoid live water. Before folks who drink live water all the time pooh pooh the idea of only drinking boiled or filtered water, let me say this. If you drink well water where you live, then your body is adjusted to the micro-organisms in your well. The micro-organisms in the spring water at the gathering will undoubtedly be different - and different can lead to an upset stomach.

Giardia is an ever present danger and you sure don't want that. Then of course, there's the potential for contamination by gatherers, and the picture can get really runny really fast.

So what's a health conscious gatherer to do? Bring a water filter that goes down to .2 micron and make sure you filter all your drinking water, teeth brushing water, etc. Or boil your water for 20 minutes at a rolling boil. Donate to the filter fund to help support large scale water filtration projects and make sure that we have an ample supply of safe drinking water. New Mexico is dry country and you'll want to be drinking a minimum of half a gallon of water per day - I'll probably be doing closer to a gallon. Between the elevation and the dryness, the best way to stay happy and healthy is drink water, drink water, drink water.

NOTE: If you want to donate now, use the water filters system PayPal account. The water line one on the website is trapped in PayPal hell. DO NOT USE!

If you're thinking of donating to the collective filters, if you could donate to the filters fund in the next day or two, the money will be well spent. I know the people involved in this project personally and they will spend whatever $$s you share on water related purchases for the gathering.

Remember, if the person camped next to you gets sick, you're probably next in line.