Thanks Joe. That speaks to the practice I've applied all along about keeping water out in the first place rather than counting on filtration to manage it. I always felt filtration was the last line of defense, not the entire defense.
My fill plate O-ring is replaced bi-annually as regular maintenance, my fuel is carried via jerry jug to the boat from a high volume gas station, (a practice in clear violation of marina rules). In fact, I'm topping off a tank tonight under cover of darkness. Getting caught risks eviction but it's a risk I choose to take to avoid fuel dock swill.
I read nothing in your posts or the link you provided that positively connects this particular experimental aircraft's engine failure to ethanol or said another way, that ethanol caused the failure. However, digging deeper by researching an FAA SAIB referenced in the link I did find the treatment by the FAA prohibiting ethanol blends in piston powered aircraft:
https://www.daec.de/fileadmin/user_u...k/CE-07-06.pdf