I spent a wonderful month in China in 1993 with eleven other Americans, in some fairly out of the way places (our "job" was cave exploration). We routinely drank boiled water. In at least one instance, I am fairly sure the water came either directly from an irrigation ditch or a very shallow well.

Twelve gringos, one month, all water was boiled. Not a single case of upset stomachs, diarrhea, or Montezuma's revenge. Tended to make me a fan of boiling water