Out here in my neck of the woods lots of folks still use a cistern with run off water from the barns and house roofs. If you run out of water you have to truck some in. I really never gave that a thought before I moved here. I grew up with well water and have had city water ever since.
One of me neighbors does not even filter her water before she uses it. She is in her mid eighties I asked her about it and she told me if she was going to die from that she would have long ago. She has lived in that house for over 60 years.