[dkfick]

..or if someone living along the same stream has cousin Eddie over and he dumps his waste tank into it.

Black Tank IPA?

Hey, I boiled it!  It's good to go!

[klickitat jim]

..or if someone living along the same stream has cousin Eddie over and he dumps his waste tank into it.

Black Tank IPA?

Hey, I boiled it!  It's good to go!

Use two wirlfloc tablets and it will be fine

[69franx]

Yep that will get all the solids to drop out

[dkfick]

Heh saw this new article this morning and it made me think of this...  http://www.katu.com/news/local/State-approves-project-to-homebrew-beer-using-recycled-waste-water-300553411.html

[pete b]

For now I think I'll just say screw it.  I guess I could walk up the creek as far as I could to see if anything looks suspicous.  Would Ward labs be able to tell me if there were pollutants?  From a practicality standpoint, taking water from my creek makes no sense.  From a novelty standpoint, it seems worthwhile. Kinda like how breweries/distilleries bragg about their own water source.  I could, in essence, makes a faulty boast that my beer was sourced from the crystal NC mountain streams, therefore it must taste delicous, etc.

You could trace it back using google earth. If you live in a hilly/ mountainous area chances are the stream source is very local. Water can't run up hill. My guess is its fine. You still want to get it tested to make good beer.

[Philbrew]

Unless there is some mining activity upstream, I wouldn't worry about your creek's water being polluted.  Definitely get it tested, though, for common ions. 

If there is farming activity upstream, it could have pesticide and herbicide runoff contaminants.  Not good. 
I've read that a flowing stream will cleanse itself of poop and other organic contaminants in a few hundred yards.  Don't know if I buy that.

[majorvices]

I live in the actual mountain with actual mountain creeks fed by actual mountain springs. No farm land, no one living above me, barely anyone ventures into the land outside of hunting season. I will drink from the actual source of the stream without a thought to pollutants or contaminants. If your situation is live mine you should be fine. If you expect pollutants I still think you can filter the water and still be fine.