Small consolation for those of us living in high fire danger areas. And in the summer? Hot water? Yuck. Boiling is the best method of course, but it like all forms of treatment has it's drawbacks. It was wonderful hiking in the 60's and 70's as a kid. We never worried about water quality, just hook your sierra cup on your belt and drink as you go. Now, to stop and filter (or boil or chemically treat or whatever) just to refill is a pain. People instead wind up lugging more water along, even in areas where water is readily available.

Wouldn't it be nice if there were something along the lines of a litmus test for giardia? Peel off a test strip, dip it in the water, if it turns green, drink away, but if it turns red, don't drink. Well, I can dream, can't I?