Emergency Water Purification
Emergency water purification can keep your emergency water supply fresh and safe. While emergency water treatment is not difficult, and it only takes a few minutes, it is definitely worth the effort to make sure your family's water is safe!
There are two practical methods for treating drinking water.
Boil Emergency Water
You may need to boil water if, for some reason the public water is contaminated or if the utilities shut down for awhile and the water coming into your home is not treated properly.
Photo courtesy of Scott, SeRVe61.
If you live in the country, and there is an extended power outage, you may have to get water from a nearby spring or stream. If you do this, there may be sediment (dirt, sand and other debris) in the water. Before you do anything else with this water, use an emergency water filter or, use a coffee filter and a funnel to remove the dirt. If you have a source of power for cooking, bring the water to a rolling boil and boil it for 10 minutes. Boiled water has kind of an odd taste. However, you can reintroduce oxygen into the water (and improve its taste) by pouring the boiled water from one container to another, several times, after it has cooled.
Emergency Water Purification
Using Emergency Water Purifiers
If you are preparing water for
long term water storage
, just use tap water from your faucets. Adding a water purifier to the water will keep your emergency water supply fresh and free from bacterial or fungal growth. Water that has been treated can be stored for an extended time, safely. The last thing you want to happen is to open a bottle of stored water—to find green slimy growth in it! If you lose your source of water due to an electrical power outage or utilities failure, and you will be forced to drink from a nearby stream or spring, you can disinfect the water to make sure it is safe. Water disinfection will prevent the growth of microorganisms. To disinfect your emergency water, you can use commercial emergency water purification tablets like Halazone or Globaline, available in camping or boating stores, or just use ordinary household liquid bleach. Either of these methods can be used to store or to purify water for drinking. If you use bleach, read the label to make sure that it contains 5.25% sodium hypo chlorite (no soap). Don't use bleach products that have added perfumes or deodorizers. The added chemicals may be harmful if ingested. Add 1/8 teaspoon of bleach to each gallon of water. Stir or shake the container to make sure that the bleach is distributed throughout the water. I have read that ½ teaspoon of swimming pool chlorine can be substituted for bleach in 100 gallons of water (equivalent to 7 oz of bleach). However, be careful if you are doing this. The chemicals used in swimming pools are not exactly the same as bleach. And they may not be safe for drinking water.
As you can see, emergency water purification is not difficult. It only takes a few minutes of your time. But, you need to have basic
survival skills
and the right products available to you if you need them. Plan ahead, and you will have a safe water supply on hand—if you need it! And, don't forget
water conservation!
More on Survival During a Pandemic
Survival Cooking
Simple Cooking
Sprouting Seeds
Cooking Substitutions
Emergency Water Supplies
No Refrigeration
Flu Pandemic Preparedness
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