Can’t even begin to post about water with paying tribute to one of the greatest thirst songs ever. If you have ever been VERY thirsty you know your judgement goes out the window and you will plunge your head into whatever looks like blue liquid. This is A VERY BAD IDEA. Water CANNOT be stressed enough as the #1 source of your survival WTSHTF, if you don’t have it, it’s over. With it, you can survive. There are so many possible infections you can get from infected water it is worth taking some time to review them at least to scare you into buying a filter or making a plan for your fresh water at TEOTWAWKI. First, the easiest thing to review is viral diseases because there really isn’t much to treat them with, they are usually self-limiting. All are possibly spread through improperly treated water and include: adenovirus, astrovirus, caliciviris, parvovirus, coronavirus, hepatitis A, poliovirus, polyomavirus. Symptoms of these various viral infections vary, but you get the idea. Bacterial infections caused by bad water, usually contaminated with stool from a person that already has the disease include: Legionella, Shigella, Salmonella, Botulism, Campylobacterosis, Cholera, E. coli, M. marinum, Leptosprosis, Typhoid, Vibrio. Some of these infections will torment those that are immunosuppressed, which there will be a post about in the next couple weeks. All of us are at risk for immunosuppressed status WTSHTF. Planning for your immunity is planning for your survival. Parasitic infections from drinking water that is contaminated in the US that are possible and/or likely include: Cyclospora, Amoebiasis, Cryptosporidiosis, Giardiasis, Microsporidiosis, Taeniasis, Hymenolepiasis, Echinococcus, Ascariciasis, Enterobiasis, Trichuriasis. Makes you scared to go outside now, don’t it? There will be posts soon about the specifics of water born illnesses, but this is a good place to start…no one should ever order food or medication for TEOTWAWKI planning without having a water plan in place FIRST. Unfortunately, this issue is dead serious.