[tdada]

I would like an informed opinion. I am camping out at Havasu canyon this April. I was wondering
about the water quality at the campground, would a water purification system be advisable?
Also, what could I expect the temperatures to be at night time? Thanks in advance! Tim from MA

[montezumawell]

The Havasupai people have had to endure a lot of adversity. Getting and keeping a reliable water supply has been a challenge for a long time.

In most cases, their "public" water is quite safe to drink. In some cases, it's not. If you believe in "odds," you'd needn't treat your water. "Odds" are you will be safe.

However, if you believe in covering all your bases, whether they need to be covered or not, we'd recommend filtering AND treating your water. Just a word to the wise.

J&S

[desertgirl]

I have been there a few times & water seems to be fine ( I did not get sick or feel weird etc..). Lets just says "the odds favored me" but being safe ( filter & treat) never hurts

[cactuscat]

I don't know about the drinking water, but can anybody confirm the nasty tidbit I read about the Havasu Creek water? According to John Annerino's Sierra Club guidebook, the Havasupai dump their partially treated sewage into the creek above all the major falls - yuck! I haven't been there yet, but I heard that you won't see the Havasupais swimming in the pools for that reason - can anyone confirm or deny? Could definately put a damper on a trip down there for me! :yuk:

[pfredricks]

Not to say that I am a pessimist, but, I find it less likely that someone might report a bad experience that they may have had. (eg. a terrible bout of diarrea, etc) I think that the wisest thing that one can do is listen to the knowledge and mistakes of others and draw your own lessons. That saves you alot of time. I hope this does not come across as a flagrant disregard for others opinions (it is not), but, in a survival book that I once read, the author spent a whole chapter on the importance of drinking only water that you would "bet your life on," because it could potentially mean just that. That was his lifetime lesson learned, not mine. I thought it to be a valuable assertion. Maybe it will mean something to you, maybe it won't. IMHO Filtration and purification are cheap insurance.

[Sredfield]

I've seen several discussions on this, to filter or not. Many people do not, and have not had problems. I feel a purifier is cheap insurance, and worth the weight, I purify just about all the water I drink when in the back country. Getting seriously stomach sick can ruin a whole trip.

Whenever I hear of the Havasupai trip, this little aspect of it comes up, the cleanliness, dogs, now a water issue. I have no first hand experience having never been there, but everyone I talk to who has, has something to say about this little aspect of it.

[Larry Bolton]

OK – this is too late to affect your April trip but I have to set the record straight. I hiked there in March and found that they had a chlorinating system at Fern Springs right in the middle of the campground. Water tasted like bleach but it appears to have been safe. No ill effects 1 ½ months later.

[glenntm]

I just returned from Havasupai 2 1/2 weeks ago. In the campground there is chlorinated water that tastes like pool water. Some people were drinking that. Also, Fern Springs had a pipe coming out of the canyon wall. I had a filter, but after talking with other campers my son and I drank the water from Fern Springs without filtering. No problems yet!!:D