Has anyone found a chart of the relative advantages of the different types of water treatment (ease, cost, effectiveness, etc) A link would be helpful

T

Not exactly a chart nor costs mentioned, but plenty of info here.

Overland Journal had what I thought was a very good and thorough review of several different types of water treatment in their Fall 2009 issue. Sadly, I don't think it is available online. I think posting the whole article would be a forum no-no but I can find some way of getting it to you if others don't provide enough good info. Send me a PM if you're interested.
Doug Ritter of course has very good info elsewhere on this site.

In short, the Overland Journal tested 6 personal systems and 6 groups systems with E. Coli at 3 concentration levels as well as Enterocci:
Personal Systems
MSR Sweetwater (O.J.'s value award)
General Ecology First Need XL (O.J.'s Editor's Choice)
Steripen (A surprise disappointment but it may have been a testing issue)
MSR Miox
Lifesaver 4000
Katydyn Pocket Microfilter
Group Systems:
Cascade Designs Platypus Cleanstream Gravity Filter System
Katydyn Base Camp Microfilter
Katydyn Expedition (O.J.'s Editor's Choice)
General Ecology Seagull IV (also failed to remove some contaminants)
3M Filtrete (also failed to remove some contaminants)
Doulton Supercarb IP100SC
Also, the Katydyn Micropur Water Purifier Tablets are reviewed in a sidebar.

TeacherRO, hardly as scientific as the Overland Journal tests, but I really like the Katadyn Pocket, even more than MSR and Katadyn Hiker Pro filters I have used in the past. The Pocket retails for $250-275, but is an all metal construction, direct in-line pump action, and has the usual features (easy to clean etc) and has an enormous capacity compared to standard hiking filters (1 qt/min for 13,000 gallons). The Katadyn Expedition was even better, 1 gal/min for 26,000 gallons, but retails for about $1000-1200: definitely an expedition grade filter. In the field (hikes) people really like pumping with the Pocket compared to a Hiker Pro, which tends to feel a little cheap (all plastic) in construction, and its just plain easier to pump the Pocket. That said, most are happy with a Hiker Pro for their water needs, and why not, it only costs about $50 and a single filter tends to outlive the pumping mechanism.

I really like the Katadyn models, and the Pocket has all the tradeoffs I have made for personal water protection. If I had a bunch of people to pump for regularly though, I would consider a filter with a greater capacity, but right now I tend to pump for my own family or a bunch of Scouts.

Standard disclaimer: no interest in Katadyn or any vendor, just a happy owner and camper.

<Doug Ritter of course has very good info elsewhere on this site.

That's on the site home page under sections 'gear and equipment'.
Just thought I'd say where it was in case you didn't know. People keep asking questions of us amateurs on this forum, when the expert has given the facts already.
But it's fun kicking this stuff around isn't it?

http://www.equipped.org/watrfood.htm#WaterPurification

The Sock

I have a Hiker Pro filter, which has worked very well, but the basic procedure that I use the most is boiling. It is thorough, simple, and uses equipment that I almost always have with me. The only disadvantage is that sometimes I must carry additional fuel.

Believe me, I have sanitized some truly awful water by boiling. For some reason, boiling does not seem to be discussed in the section cited above. This is a very surprising omission.

i like my steripen - i can live with the battery limitations and the fact that the device doesn't work well, if at all, in cold weather.