Drank water from a waterfall - guess who’s now sick

[Mynewparasitefriend]

Me. It’s me obviously

Was hiking with enough water - got around half way through and realised my backpack was dripping.

Stopped and opened it and most of my water had leaked out. I was miles from anywhere and in stupid heat. Decided to finish my hike and then take a detour on the way back to a village. By the time I got 3/4 of the way round I was so thirsty and hot and still miles out from the village.

Came across the waterfall and I know (I know) not to drink from outside water but in my defence it was really fast flowing and completely clear.

Probably drank 400-500 mls

5 hrs later and my stomach is like a washing machine. Exactly how sick am I going to be?

Water for drinking outdoors - having assisted a university with water testing in the high hills and seen the results, I went out and bought a water filter. Even on high 'empty' Scottish Munro's we were finding a few not very nice things - related to sheep, deer etc.

As for swimming etc - the UK varies massively so you cannot lump it together as one place.
Those of you with water companies in England driven by profit and not caring, plus an overcrowded population and a less caring government, no I would not swim in most places now. However, less populated areas of Scotland, with a water company owned by the Government and generally better water quality across beaches and inland - yeah, I swim regularly.

Glad you are feeling better OP. Possibly you did ingest something nasty enough to cause some sickness, but nothing terrible. Same with fruit growing in the wild, covered in flies at this time of year (blackberries and raspberries etc) - better not to take the risk until it's washed.

@AInightingaleI’m a horror for scoffing blackberries off the hedge as I walk the dog. They’re particularly early and sweet this year. I do a visual check but of course that’s not really good enough!
I never eat them past 30 Sept tho because my mum used to tell me October blackberries had the devil’s spit on them!
I guess the reality is they might be a bit rotten and manky by then. But I prefer the devil story!

I'm glad you're better.

I was once told by a doctor that it is better to drink any water if you are severely dehydrated because water born diseases can be treated but dying of dehydration can’t be. I hope you feel better soon!

Glad you are okay OP. I used to live and hike a lot in a hot country. Always split water between multiple smaller bottles. Also worth chucking one or two in the freezer if you can to have a cold drink. Also a small bottle of fruit juice and something salty. Hydrate like crazy the night before. It makes a big difference.

@Needtofeelbetteri do the frozen water thing too. It’s bliss on a hot day and helps keep your packed lunch cool too!

Is there not some sort of mini purifying tablet you can buy in emergencies ?

I have drunk water out of a stream in Norway in the middle of nowhere.It was fast flowing and there was a high volume of water going through (meltwater from the glaciers I guess). The stream was very rocky and clear.

I wouldn't touch any water in the Uk unless I was near death.

Why is our water so dirty?

Genuine question - some of you seem very well informed.

this covers it pretty well, basically water companies, farming run offs and transport run offs.
https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2024/09/22/world-rivers-day-what-are-the-biggest-causes-of-river-pollution-and-whats-being-done-about-them/

Our Family only ever drank water from streams and burns for 30 years. Was great…no water rates 🤣 …and yes, once or twice we’d find a dead sheep, further up the hill, or sometimes frogspawn would come out the tap. Yet when tested, it was cleaner than tap water. Sorry you had a bad experience. Round here, people go climbing the hill with water bottles that are empty, specifically to get drinking water from the springs

Have you tried freezing a hot water bottle when it is too warm to sleep? Bliss.

Omg @Needtofeelbetter genius!

We used to drink from rivers and streams all the time as kids. Always told about what if there was a dead sheep etc but never had an issue. Think how much many sewage water you probably end up with trying to swim or do water sports off any uk coast. Most people are fine. You’re either quite unlucky or it’s unrelated to the water

We always eat the fruit but ensure it’s above the level a tall dog could pee on. No problem to dd who has snack rides on her pony and gets all the high ones (and shares them with him)

Maybe a daft question, but doesn't the rubbery hot water bottle crack in the freezer?
Apologies if I'm being decidedly silly...

It might be because you’re not used to drinking that kind of water. Take dioralyte and you should be fine. Obviously get checked out as well just incase

Should we reverse the question.. .why would we expect them to be "clean"? and what is "clean" anyway?

There are technically bathing water standards (thresholds for 'safety') and NONE of the legal standards for bathing waters mean that water is safe to drink.

Animals have always toileted where they are. If people weren't so dominant there would be abundant wildlife defecating in or near the rivers. The rivers still wouldn't have "clean" water. Natural or no people doesn't mean clean or safe water either.

In poorer countries there are no mainline sewers. Instead there are cesspits and latrines... that flood the streets when there is heavy rain. The British sewer system may not be great but I don't know what wastewater management system is so great at preventing pollution of environment. Maybe whatever they do in Iceland?

Glad you're feeling better, OP.

The classic, although I must have ingested litres of lake water swimming in the Lakes as a kid, plus we always used to drink from streams. Must have been lucky!

There is still wildlife peeing and defecating near water, and farm life too. There have always been animals , birds and fish in on or near water and humans always shared that water. If it was that bad , we would have died out aeons ago. We swim in the sea, and there are fish, shellfish, and mammals living in and around the sea, peeing, crapping, giving birth , dying , just as in the rivers. The biggest threat to our water is us. Our sewerage was dumped in the seas off the coast line for many years . Still is . Water companies spilled raw sewage into England's rivers and seas for a record 3.6 million hours in 2024, according to Environment Agency.

Like one of the rubbery ice cube trays??

I always get a dicky tummy when it's extremely hot. Hope you're ok OP.

I read about this recently. Can’t remember where the fountain was but somewhere abroad and many people got cholera.

It was the Ethiopia's Bermel Giorgis pilgrimage site.

I think you did the most sensible thing, given the circumstances. The last thing you'd want to do is to become disorientated or pass out.
A bit of puking and maybe a slight temp possibly the runs, will all your body needs to do to clear anything out of your system.

Don't worry, you'll be fine. Our bodies have a way of protecting us against these things. X