Is a water purification system needed on this route?

[Pray'nwalk]

In less than a month I leave the U.S. for my walk in Spain. It is time to eliminate everything unnecessary from my packing list. Originally I planned to take a Steripen along to purify the water (it uses ultraviolet light), but I know that I cannot carry a twenty pound pack from Avila to Santiago. Is the Steripen one of the things that should stay home?

 

[Melensdad]

Yes leave it home, it is not needed. Spain is a civilized western nation with safe drinking water.

Unless you plan to drink out of streams or rain puddles.

 

[Robo]

Not needed. I carried a couple of puri tabs for emergency use. Never used them.

 

[Anniesantiago]

The only time I ever do NOT drink from the fountains is if it has been raining HARD and the streams are running brown.
On those days, I buy water or take it from the municipal supply at the albergue.
Otherwise, water is just fine from the fountains as long as you don't see a sign saying "non-potable."

If you DO make a mistake, head to the nearest bar and have a few shots of whiskey!
Joe did that one year, and he was fine.

 

[nalod]

Not needed.

 

[KinkyOne]

In less than a month I leave the U.S. for my walk in Spain. It is time to eliminate everything unnecessary from my packing list. Originally I planned to take a Steripen along to purify the water (it uses ultraviolet light), but I know that I cannot carry a twenty pound pack from Avila to Santiago. Is the Steripen one of the things that should stay home?

Hola, Teresa!
After Avila I haven't seen "no potable" even once. Only today after leaving Castronuño at San Juan dam there was a notice that water from a fuente wasn't analysed.
Leave it at home!

 

[Oztrekker]

Use chlorine tablets all the time. 1 TAB to 1 liter of water.

 

[Tincatinker]

I simply do not understand this obsession with the potability and availability of water. Spain is a highly civilised country with a wide range of beers and wines easily available. A rub down with a flannel soaked in vodka should cover most hygiene needs and if teeth cleaning is necessary after a particularly chewy piece of "buen carne" a quick gargle with some orujo should dissolve most organic substances.
No, you do not need to carry water purifying systems, steripens or dose your drinking water with chlorine (more likely to give you the screaming liquorice than anything swimming in your tooth- glass). Just take reasonable precautions, drink from public fonts rather than random streams and treat "agua non- potable" signs with the respect they deserve.

 

[KinkyOne]

Use chlorine tablets all the time. 1 TAB to 1 liter of water.

Tap water on Camino de Levante cities already has so much chlorine that sometimes I've had feeling that I'm drinking directly from the municipal swimming pool...

@Tincatinker's remark is spot on as (almost ) always!!!

 

[WldWil]

I understand the obsession. I am from the USA and have my own private drilled well system. I do not care to drink any municipal water if possible anywhere including in the USA. I bring a charcoal filter system that does not purify the water but to take out the chemicals used in the purification process. It is basically a super light attachment right on your drinking bottle itself.

I also think it's a very reasonable question to ask since many people do not see non potable water signs where they live and is fair to confirm its frequency when traveling to unknown places anywhere.

This is not to pick on Spain water, but the generalization of asking questions about unknown things when traveling to a foreign place. To say otherwise means its a stupid question and there are very few of those,

 

[Pray'nwalk]

Hola, Amigos! Thank you all for your very thoughtful, and humorous replies. You have confirmed my gut instinct, that the Steripen can stay home. Charcoal does have a certain appeal, for the reasons WldWil stated, and I might look into that.
Buen camino!