6 Ways to Treat Water
A person can only live a short time without water. In an emergency situation having water will be crucial for survival, but you will also need to know how to treat that water to make it safe for drinking. Here are six ways to treat water to make it safe for drinking. Please note that none of these methods removes chemical contamination or heavy metals. Also, this information is for educational purposes only. Please do your own research.
Boiling – Bring the water to a rolling boil for at least three minutes. Filtration may be needed if the water has large particles floating in it. This can be done with a t-shirt or some other type of clean cloth.
Bleach – Unscented household bleach can be used to treat water, as well. Make sure that there are no added chemicals or cleaners and it's not color safe. The only ingredient should be 8.25% sodium hypochlorite.
You may want to double the bleach if the water is cloudy or really cold. Stir and let stand 30 minutes. There should be a slight chorine smell, if not, then repeat dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. If the smell is really strong then pour into a clean container and let it stand for a few hours.
Iodine – This is the same iodine your mother used on you as a kid. Just add 2 drops per quart for clear water and 10 drops for cloudy water. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Note that people with thyroid issues or people who have adverse reactions to iodine should not use this method.
Solar Disinfection (SoDis) – Take clear glass or plastic bottles and fill them with water. The bottle should not be colored, scratched, or dirty. Lay the bottles on a surface like a rock or metal in the sunlight. Let it sit for the day. If the skies are cloudy then two days will be required to treat the water. This method should not be used if it's raining. Collecting rain water would be ideal.
Water Purification Tablets – There are many water purification tablets on the market. They are inexpensive and take up little room. The common ingredients in these are chlorine, chlorine dioxide, and iodine. Follow the instructions on the packaging.
Water Treatment Straw – These are small personal water treatment devices. Some models will fit directly onto a water bottle, while others are used to drink directly from the water source. A popular one is called the LifeStraw. It uses hollow fibers that allow the clean water to flow through while catching the pathogens. When you are done drinking just blow out the filter and it will be ready for the next use.
Boiling – Bring the water to a rolling boil for at least three minutes. Filtration may be needed if the water has large particles floating in it. This can be done with a t-shirt or some other type of clean cloth.
Bleach – Unscented household bleach can be used to treat water, as well. Make sure that there are no added chemicals or cleaners and it's not color safe. The only ingredient should be 8.25% sodium hypochlorite.
You may want to double the bleach if the water is cloudy or really cold. Stir and let stand 30 minutes. There should be a slight chorine smell, if not, then repeat dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. If the smell is really strong then pour into a clean container and let it stand for a few hours.
Iodine – This is the same iodine your mother used on you as a kid. Just add 2 drops per quart for clear water and 10 drops for cloudy water. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Note that people with thyroid issues or people who have adverse reactions to iodine should not use this method.
Solar Disinfection (SoDis) – Take clear glass or plastic bottles and fill them with water. The bottle should not be colored, scratched, or dirty. Lay the bottles on a surface like a rock or metal in the sunlight. Let it sit for the day. If the skies are cloudy then two days will be required to treat the water. This method should not be used if it's raining. Collecting rain water would be ideal.
Water Purification Tablets – There are many water purification tablets on the market. They are inexpensive and take up little room. The common ingredients in these are chlorine, chlorine dioxide, and iodine. Follow the instructions on the packaging.
Water Treatment Straw – These are small personal water treatment devices. Some models will fit directly onto a water bottle, while others are used to drink directly from the water source. A popular one is called the LifeStraw. It uses hollow fibers that allow the clean water to flow through while catching the pathogens. When you are done drinking just blow out the filter and it will be ready for the next use.
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