Good Grief... Will Nico ever shut up? LOL

The "clearer" the water is before you filter it, the longer your filter will last simply because your not clogging it up with sediment. This of course does not mean you should exceed the filters recommended capacity, just that you can probably make it to that rating rather than having to switch the filter out early.

I also carry coffee filters to prescreen water for sediment when neccessary.