Purifying water is a neccessary skill that everyone should know. Unfortunately, there has been an increase in bacteriological contamination of water and knowing how to purify water could possibly save your life. We have come up with a comprehensive list of ways that you can purify and filter water for yourself.
First, it is important to know the difference between biologically contaminated water and toxic water. Biologically contaminated water is water that contains microorganisms, that if not killed, could lead to infection. Toxic water contains chemical contaminations, such as pesticides. Toxic substances are difficult to remove, and most of these methods with not work if toxic chemicals are in your water.
Methods
Boiling
Boiling is the most certain way of killing all microorganisms. To do this, place water over heat and bring the water to about 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Once water is brought to a boil, all pathogens will be killed. For extra precaution, boil the water for one minute. Extra precaution should be taken at higher altitudes, since water boils at a lower temperature.
Chemical Purification
You can purify water chemically either using iodine or chlorine. Chemical purification is a great option, however many tablets do have expiration dates, and sometimes the temperature of the water can make them less effective. There are a variety of products made for this purpose, and you simply follow the instructions on the packaging.
General Tips:
1. Effectiveness of all chemical treatment of water is related to pH lever, clarity of the water and temperature. If the water is cloudy it will require higher concentrations of chemical.
2. It is important to remove large particles before treating. Chemical treatment will not be able to purify the center of large objects.
3. Be sure to swish the water around to ensure the chemical treats all of the water
4. The water should sit at least 30 minutes after it has been chemically treated
5. The colder the water, the less effective chemical purification will be. If it is cold, place the water in the sun before treating.
6. Iodine is light sensitive, so water will have to be stored in a dark bottle.
Filtration
First thing to know is that filtration does NOT purify water.
There are multiple products that you can find that will filter out microorganisms. A water filter pumps water through a microscopic filter that is rated for a certain-size organism.
The two types of basic filters include Membrane Filters and Depth filters. Membrane filters use thin sheets with precisely sized pore that prevent objects larger than pore size from passing through. These are useful because they are relatively easy to clean, however they clog more quickly then depth filters. Depth filters use thick porous materials such as carbon or ceramic to trap particles as water flows through th material.
Click here to see all of our water treatment options.