I have traveled a lot in the past, and was once warned not to drink water in the Rockies, due to many years of intensive mining and contamination with heavy metals.

I also understand that the heavy metals (like arsenic) used in mining are accumulative in the body.

Does anyone have any opinions on this? Does the rule of drink-or-die apply in these areas, or is it drink-AND-die? Is the amount of toxins you would assimilate in two weeks or so be deadly or treatable?

I would try to collect dew or rainwater in this area, but you know how Murphy's Law works.

I'm just interested in the heavy metals issue, not other contaminants.

Sue

The problem can be complicated by the fact, that many toxins cannot be detected by taste or smell. Unless you know the water is uncontaminated, that clear looking water might contain a variety of nasties.

Ingestion of toxins via contaminated water, which results in profuse diarrhea or vomiting, is counterproductive to preventing dehydrating. Ingestion of water contaminated with toxins with chronic health effect, but delays or prevents acute dehydration, is likely worth the risk, as there are treatments for certain toxins.

Pete

I've lived in the Mountain West all my life and have never heard this warning, particularly put in such a dire way. The mountains around here are filled with abandoned mineshafts. All our drinking water comes cascading out of these same mountains and is stored in reservoirs. Except for chlorine, it gets very little treatment. I'm not saying there can't be such contamination, but it would surprise me if it applied to any more than a few sparse locations.

Ecoli and Giardia are another matter..... <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> I would not drink untreated water except in the designated "primitive" areas.

Regards, Vince

The USGS have a huge site devoted to water contamination, including water contaminated by mining/heavy metals. Heres one page related to Arsenic - however there is doubtless lots more info to be had if you follow the links...

http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/trace/pubs/arsenic_fig1.html

Home page:
http://toxics.usgs.gov/index.html

I won't drink routinely from certain streams in central Colorado (tributaries of the upper Arkansas River) because I know some of the water is from abandoned mines full of heavy metals - I've seen the portals/sources. Also one hard rock mining place in Alaska that I frequent. But it wouldn't stop me in an emergency or even just when I'm really thirsty and out of water away from base camp.

OTOH, I would have to be in really dire straits to drink surface water running from ag lands here in the MidWest. It's not just the biologics; it's the ag chemicals. Don't see that need arising, but I have thought through how I would deal with the situation.

Tom

It is good to know that--at least according to those maps--the level of arsenic in the Rocky Mountain region seems to be relatively low, due no doubt to the supply being from a runoff/reservoir system rather than wells.

Regards, Vince