View source for Talk:Water (Unsafe)/@comment-91.228.100.109-20170602090049/@comment-70.78.105.25-20171123183159

Bacteria exist everywhere, on every surface in the world, even in the most hostile environments; from vulcanic vents in the deepest trenches of the ocean to the fronzen wastes of the high arctic; and, yes, even in a part of the world as clean as Canada. :P

In particular, bacteria love to grow on surfaces that are 1.) moist and, 2.) have a high surface area to volume ratio. Snow qualifies for both.

It should come as no surprise that boiling water whenever possible is therefore a highly recommended survival strategy.