Cave water quality

[LiteHedded]

There are a lot of windows into these systems. Something to keep in mind

 

[2 Big 2 Fail]

Well, there's a "sip" and a "big 'ol drink," and the difference may well make the difference between illness and no effect at all. While, in theory, it only takes one organism, in practice, the likelihood of contracting something requires some larger number.

In outdoor settings, we are mostly talking about giardia. Some truths: It's everywhere, most especially where humans have been. But it's not too often found in concentration. Unless you're almost intentionally drinking from a clearly dangerous place, in a lot if not most lakes, you'd have to drink gallons to have a good chance of one giardia bug if you weren't near a heavily used camp site. And most people who acquire an infection are asymptomatic. (But can pass it on to others if they don't hand wash well.) In fact, before properly treated water was the norm in cities and towns, everyone ingested plenty of giardia all the time, as did many thousands of folks drinking well water on farms with stock and privies contributing pathogens. A deep artesian spring is unlikely to be heavily infested. But any number of springs that were mistakenly thought to be deep artesian produced regular cases of giardia infections for years and were later found to actually have a surface river as their main source. Bottom line is that giardia is not quite the inevitable hazard that you might expect from some warnings, is unlikely to be a problem if you know the body of water isn't being polluted, but is always a possibility outdoors.

A cave system with a lot of water should not harbor a high concentration of organisms, unless it is getting dosed by sewage/pet feces/camp run-off nearby. I personally have never hesitated to drink from springs when I knew they aren't subject to highly contaminated infection sources. (I don't count normal populations of animals defecating in the area, considering that likely to produce rather small concentrations in underground water.) And I once rather foolishly managed to get stuck for water on the way out of way back in Bandolier in New Mexico and had to drink what amounted to thin yellow mud from the Rio Grande, and since it's below Santa Fe, if it wasn't wall-to-wall giardia, it was only because the giardia had to compete with a dozen other nasty bugs. No bad effects, then or ever, from judicious use of outdoor water sources. And I dislike dry mouth enough that I will rinse with and no doubt ingest a bit of water from time to time while diving.

Obviously, anyone with any immune system compromise shouldn't try this. But proximity of human populations is definitely a factor, which is why most of urban humanity stayed drunk through most of history to avoid drinking the water. (Well, that's what they said, anyway.)

 

[jgoodstein]

stay away from drinking the warm spots or yellow spots

 

[LiteHedded]

Well, there's a "sip" and a "big 'ol drink," and the difference may well make the difference between illness and no effect at all. While, in theory, it only takes one organism, in practice, the likelihood of contracting something requires some larger number.

In outdoor settings, we are mostly talking about giardia. Some truths: It's everywhere, most especially where humans have been. But it's not too often found in concentration. Unless you're almost intentionally drinking from a clearly dangerous place, in a lot if not most lakes, you'd have to drink gallons to have a good chance of one giardia bug if you weren't near a heavily used camp site. And most people who acquire an infection are asymptomatic. (But can pass it on to others if they don't hand wash well.) In fact, before properly treated water was the norm in cities and towns, everyone ingested plenty of giardia all the time, as did many thousands of folks drinking well water on farms with stock and privies contributing pathogens. A deep artesian spring is unlikely to be heavily infested. But any number of springs that were mistakenly thought to be deep artesian produced regular cases of giardia infections for years and were later found to actually have a surface river as their main source. Bottom line is that giardia is not quite the inevitable hazard that you might expect from some warnings, is unlikely to be a problem if you know the body of water isn't being polluted, but is always a possibility outdoors.

A cave system with a lot of water should not harbor a high concentration of organisms, unless it is getting dosed by sewage/pet feces/camp run-off nearby. I personally have never hesitated to drink from springs when I knew they aren't subject to highly contaminated infection sources. (I don't count normal populations of animals defecating in the area, considering that likely to produce rather small concentrations in underground water.) And I once rather foolishly managed to get stuck for water on the way out of way back in Bandolier in New Mexico and had to drink what amounted to thin yellow mud from the Rio Grande, and since it's below Santa Fe, if it wasn't wall-to-wall giardia, it was only because the giardia had to compete with a dozen other nasty bugs. No bad effects, then or ever, from judicious use of outdoor water sources. And I dislike dry mouth enough that I will rinse with and no doubt ingest a bit of water from time to time while diving.

Obviously, anyone with any immune system compromise shouldn't try this. But proximity of human populations is definitely a factor, which is why most of urban humanity stayed drunk through most of history to avoid drinking the water. (Well, that's what they said, anyway.)

a lot of them are.
but like I said I still end up drinking from most of them and am still alive. take that for what it's worth. there is one in particular I wont drink from. it has known septic intrusion

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

No empirical data here, sorry, byt I've drank the water in Mexican and Floridian caves. Tasted fine, did the job, and best of all, I'm still here! That said, I think i remember reading a blog entry or article by Steve Gerrard remarking on the crummy quality - bad viz, weird smell, or something like that - in one of the Mexican caves he visited. He subsequently found out that a hog farm wasn't disposing of the hogs' byproducts (for want of a better phrase) properly. Upshot was, a bunch of rotten, stinky stuff made its way into the cave's water, and consequently, the locals' drinking water. I think the farm changed its practices (for the better, I hope) after they got the scoop from Mr. Gerrard. I don't remember the piece very well, unfortunately.

 

[Subcooled]

Just make sure your dive buddys pee valve is closed

 

[ktomlinson]

Which cave has known septic intrusion? I'll keep it off my list (it wouldn't be on there if it doesn't have a cavern anyhow).

 

[ROMO DIVER]

Talking about giardia reminds me of a funny occurance when I was in high school. I was attending an adventure camp in northern California on the Oregon border and they kept telling us not to drink the water because of giardia. The staff were constantly reminding us of this and I guess one girl really took it to heart. We were rafting on the Klamath river from Oregon back into California for a couple of days and we hit some white-water and lost this particular girl over the side. She stayed under for a couple of seconds because we were in the middle of the rapids and was spitting out water and hacking when she came up.

The best part though were her first words, " OMG I've got Gonnorhea!!!!"

 

[w ripley]

Drinking the cave water has never hurt me. Of course, I did have a full head of hair before I started, or was it that I had a good memory? I can't remember which, but I don't think it's hurt me.

BTW: That earlier advice about your buddy's pee-valve being closed is almost too funny!

 

[LiteHedded]

Which cave has known septic intrusion? I'll keep it off my list (it wouldn't be on there if it doesn't have a cavern anyhow).

dont keep it off your list. but dont drink the water either