Urban myths are fascinating and people refuse to let go of them despite scientific evidence to the contrary. For example, does the Loch Ness monster exist? It is almost certain that it doesn’t because multiple passes over the bottom of the lake using sophisticated scientific instrumentation has found no evidence of large animals.

The water may not be drinkable without purifying it first, but one thing seems certain—it is not due to Loch Ness monster waste. Rumors about finding safe urban water during a disaster abound. It is important to know what is true and what is false or at least questionable.

When in survival mode, the goal is to…well…survive. You don’t want to make false assumptions that can harm your health and threaten your survival. Following are some of the common assumptions about water that fall into the myth category .