“Almost universally (and I can’t think of even one exception), camps rely on groundwater wells (as opposed to surface waters like lakes or streams) to provide water for camp. That’s because soil itself provides a spectacular treatment mechanism before the percolating rainwater reaches a local aquifer. It acts both as a strainer and a medium for microbes of all kinds to consume or convert contaminants that would otherwise make people sick. Given sufficient percolation depth (which equates to time for the water to travel through it), microbes in the soil consume toxins and unwanted nutrients…”

Excerpt taken from “Building Principles: Water, Water Everywhere, Nor Any Drop to Drink” by Rick Stryker, PE. March/April 2014. ACA Camping Magazine. http://www.acacamps.org/campmag/1403/building-principles