Lesson 7: DON'T DRINK THE WATER
HOW TO TAME WILD WATER
There are three methods with which you can disinfect natural water, and make it safe to drink. We’ll discuss these methods below, as well as the pros and cons of each method.
BOILING
Boiling is the easiest and most inexpensive method of disinfecting water. By the time water reaches its boiling point, it’s safe to drink. All you need for this method is a heat source, a pan, and the water. It’s the most time-consuming method, but that’s really the only downfall of the boiling method. It should be noted, however, that boiling will not remove any chemicals in the water.
HALOGENATION, OR CHEMICAL DISINFECTION
The two primary chemicals used to disinfect water are chlorine and iodine. This method works faster than boiling, as you just add the chemicals and the water is ready. However, there is the cost of the chemicals to consider, and the fact that chemical disinfection isn’t as foolproof as other methods. The other downside to chemical disinfection is that the water tastes terrible after disinfection. There are products you can buy to neutralize the taste of the chemicals, but there is another added cost. You can also add powdered drink mixes to the water to help mask the taste of the chemicals, but who wants to brush their teeth with Gatorade? If you choose to use a chemical disinfecting product, be sure to follow EXACTLY the directions on the label. You can use household bleach to disinfect water using the follow guidelines: make sure the water is as clear as possible. Filter cloudy water through a coffee filter, or even a clean T-shirt. If you can’t get the water to clear, use double the recommended amount of bleach. If your bleach is 1% strength, use 10 drops per quart of water. Use two drops per quart of water if your bleach is 4-6% strength, and one drop if the bleach is 7-10% strength.
FILTRATION
There are several different filtration systems available to disinfect natural water. Some only filter out large particles (such as Giardia spores), and others filter out just about everything but the water itself. Viruses are too small to be filtered, but some filters contain an iodine residue on the filter that will kill viruses and the water passes through the filter. Filtration systems range from relatively inexpensive to VERY expensive, and come in different types and sizes. The best bet, if you’re going to invest in a filtration system of some sort, is to research the different systems available and decide which is best for you. I’ve included some links in the References section of this lesson to various filtration systems so you can get an idea of what’s available.
