does water ever go bad?

[findingZzero]

When water goes bad.

 

[NYFelon]

I would recommend this. Ultraviolet (UV-C) light rays safely sterilize clear water by destroying 99.99% of viruses, bacteria and protozoa, including Giardia and Cryptosporidium

This. And several other methods should be used to treat water if it has been still and stored for long periods of time. It's highly unlikely, but should stored water have, or become contaminated with botulinum spores, boiling will not destroy them. Botulinum can and has lived after exposures up to ≈125C (≈255F). Chemical purifiers and UV exposure are the sure ways to go.

 

[Sailor]

I would recommend this. Ultraviolet (UV-C) light rays safely sterilize clear water by destroying 99.99% of viruses, bacteria and protozoa, including Giardia and Cryptosporidium

Yes, but always have a backup to these. They have a habit of not working at when you need the.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Yes, but always have a backup to these. They have a habit of not working at when you need the.

This is true of any method of making water safe to drink.

When I'm hiking, and in my go-bags and vehicles, I have my usual Katadyn Hiker Pro which is my primary method, but I also carry a small bottle of iodine tabs, AND a square of clear plastic, so I have three methods of making water safe to drink. Note I don't use "purify" because I don't really care if it is pure or not as long as it is safe chemically and biologically. I can also boil water if need be but that's fuel and time intensive and while not 100% assured, is good enough for what I do most of the time.