It’s a good practice to process water from any raw source you come across-no matter how clean it looks. With the efficiency and capacity of most modern filters, it’s worth the time and expense to protect yourself from waterborne illnesses.
Preppers have been told repeatedly that they need to have on hand 1 gallon of water per day for every person in their group. This rule-of-thumb is a mainstay of the prepper community, and there’s nothing wrong with it. The more water you store for an emergency, the better prepared you’ll be and the longer you’ll be safely hydrated, whatever calamity befalls you.
However, rarely is the subject of survival hydration brought up, because it’s a controversial topic that’s full of variables, what-ifs and mixed perceptions. Drinking a gallon of water a day is a great plan, but the takeaway here is that you can stay alive on a lot less if you have to. Whatever the outcome, you’ll need to ration what scant fluids you might have left.