I don't find the referenced article very convincing. I have been hiking in back country and wilderness for more than sixty years, and drinking untreated water for much of that time, less now than then. The woods are more crowded now, and the variety of means for rendering water safe to drink has increased considerably. The most reliable and simplest is usually boiling, often done anyway - what is the point of drinking, if not tea or coffee (maybe beer?).

I have a filter, which I use occasionally. It wasn't that expensive, not that heavy. I have never contracted a water borne illness and I want to keep that record intact. I will still drink from a pristine source, but they are harder and harder to find.

I also rope up on exposed terrain, and wear seat belts....