Filter and Treat Your Water

If the National Park Service (NPS) told us that a certain trail was dangerous and was closed--most of us would heed the warning and stay off of that trail--even if we had hiked that same trail safely many times before.

If the NPS said there was a severe fire danger and campfires were not allowed on Isle Royale--most people would not build a fire---even if they had safely built many previous fires on Isle Royale.

If the NPS told us that a certain water source had dried up--most of us would either carry more water or avoid that area--even if we had successfully obtained water from that same water source on many previous occasions.

THE NPS NOW OFFICIALLY RECOMMENDS THAT PEOPLE BOTH FILTER AND CHEMICALLY TREAT ALL DRINKING WATER FROM LAKES, PONDS, AND STREAMS WHEN ON ISLE ROYALE.

When the subject of BOTH filtering and chemically treating water comes up, many people second-guess the official NPS recommendation and say that there is no need to BOTH filter and chemically treat the water. (Well, the NPS apparently disagrees and says that there IS a need to do both--and that is the NPS official recommendation).

What you did regarding drinking water last year, or in 2012 or in the 1980s isn't really pertinent. The official NPS recommendation --FOR 2020--is to BOTH filter and treat all drinking water.

FYI: Roughly a decade ago--the official recommendation from Park Rangers (and in the Greenstone newspaper) was to BOTH filter and treat your drinking water. So, this is really nothing new.