4 ways to purify water - wikihow

24.3.2014 4 Ways to Purify Water - wikiHow

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How to Purify WaterBoiling Water Using Purification Tablets Using a Water Purifier Creating a Purifying System in

the Wilderness

When the water you're hoping to drink might be riddled with parasites or bacteria

particles, you can't afford to skimp on water purification. In the very

circumstances that put you in contact with questionable water (being in the

wilderness, surviving or recovering from a disaster, or living in a part of the world

where water isn't purified for you) the last thing you want to do is to get sick.

Read the following instructions carefully to learn how to purify your own water.

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Place the water you wish to purify into a pot. Place the pot on the stove and turn

the stove on to high. When water boils, any bacteria that may have been living in it will

be killed, thus ensuring that you do not get sick when you drink the water.[1]

If you are in the wilderness when you need to purify your water, build a fire to boil

your pot on. If you do not have pot, you can use any container that is fire-proof.

Watch for rolling bubbles. When bubbles begin to appear, it means that the water

is boiling. Let the bubbles continue for a solid five minutes for the heat to have the

most effect upon any bacteria that may have been living in the water.[2]

Boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes will kill off 99.9% of any organisms living in the

water. It also removes most chemicals by vaporizing them. However, be aware that

boiling the water will not remove solids, metals, or minerals.

Remove the pot from the heat. Use caution when handling the pot and water as

they are, as you may have guessed, very hot.

Let the water sit and settle. You do not need to do this if you are boiling water that

came from a tap and you feel sure that there are no solid items, minerals, or metals in

the water. If you let the water settle, any items in the water will sink to the bottom naturally,

allowing you to drink the pure water from the top.[3]

Use purification tablets or drops. You can purchase these drops or tablets at sporting

Method 1 of 4: Boiling Water

Method 2 of 4: Using Purification Tablets



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goods and adventure stores. Keep in mind that this is not the best tasting method, but

protection from bacteria is worth a bitter taste in your mouth.[4]

Iodine tablets are the most commonly sold purifying tablets, but you can also use

chlorine tablets with the same result. These tablets are most effective when the

water you are purifying is 68 degrees F (21 degrees C) or higher. These chemical

tablets will kill bacteria living in your water. These tablets are most often used by

campers in the wilderness.

Pregnant women, women over 50, and people with thyroid problems or taking

Lithium should consult with a doctor before using iodine tablets.

Strain the water if it has large particles floating around in it. You can do this by

pouring the water through a cloth and into the bottle or container that you will be

purifying your water in. The cloth acts as a strainer that removes the particles floating in the

water.[5]

Place the tablets in the water. If your tablets or drops came with instructions, follow

these now. In general, you will want to use one tablet for each quart or litre of water

you wish to purify. Be aware that these tablets generally have an expiration date. If you use

them after this date, they are much less likely to be effective. Always check the bottle before

using these tablets.

Mix the tablets into the water until they dissolve. They must be completely

dissolved so that they can mix most effectively with the water you are purifying. Wait

30 minutes before drinking the water, as the tablets need that time to effectively kill any

bacteria in the water.[6]

You should also be aware that tablets are generally less effective in water that is

very cold. If the water is 40 degrees F (4 degrees C), you should wait at least an

hour after the tablets have dissolved before drinking the water. You can place the

water in the sun to warm it up before using the tablets if you have the time to do so.[7]

To lessen the strange taste the tablets give the water, add flavoring to the water (if

it is available to you.) Powdered lemonade mixes or a pinch of salt will mask the

tablet flavor.

1 Use a pump purifier. You can use these types of purifiers in conjunction with acanteen or water bottle when out in the wilderness. These pumps are generally handheld and made out of a synthetic or ceramic cartridge. Most filters have two separate

hoses, one for clean water, the other for dirty water. On the hose that pumps the dirty creek

or lake water, you may find a foam flotation device that keeps the hose from sinking to the

bottom and sucking up the silty bottom water. The pump will have a plunger or lever that can

be pulled and pushed so that water is sucked up, run through a series of filters within the

plunge, and then pumped out and into your water bottle.[8]

Method 3 of 4: Using a Water Purifier



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4

There are also pump purifiers that attach to the sink in your kitchen. These pumps

can be bought at any home improvement store and are based on the same

concept as the hand pump (though attaching it to your sink saves you the time of

actually having to pump the water.)

Buy a water bottle with a built in purifier. You can now buy water bottles that have

their own filters already built in. These work much like the pumps in that they run the

water through a filter before dispensing the water into the bottle.

Use an ultraviolet purifier. These purifiers are very easy to use-- you simply stick

the pen of the lamp into the water, wait for the light on the side of the pen to turn green,

and then stir the pen around in the water until the light turns off. The UV rays kill any bacteria

living in the water so that your water becomes safe to drink.[9]

Keep in mind that this purifier doesnt filter out the now deceased bacteria, but

despite their continued presence in your water, they are not dangerous anymore.

Try out a gravity fed purifier. These are filters like the ones used by Brita and PUR.

As the name suggests, these filters use gravity to pull the dirty water through a filter

and into the reservoir that contains clean water. To use this purifier, all you have to do is

pour unpurified water into the dirty water section, and wait until all of the water has run

through the filter. Often, these filters will have two sections--one for dirty water, and the other

for clean.[10]

These filters are best used at home or at a campsite as they are generally pretty

large and would be a pain to tote around in the wilderness.

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Form a cone out of a strip of bark. Birch bark, or a bark similar to it, is best for

creating this filtering system because it is flexible but will keep its shape. Keep in

mind that this method will not fully purify the water, but it will reduce the amount of microbes

in the water. This method should only be used in extreme emergencies.[11]

If you are having a hard time keeping your bark in the shape of a cone, you could

try tying a piece of rope or a durable type of grass around it to keep its shape.

Layer the cone. Wildwood Survival suggests layering the cone with sand, charcoal,

grass, and gravel (or small rocks.) Charcoal is especially good for removing bacteria.

If you had fire, crush up some of the burnt pieces of wood.[12]

Pour the water through the cone and into a container. Do this several times to

Method 4 of 4: Creating a Purifying System in the Wilderness



3increase the amount of purification that occurs. Again, this method does not

guarantee purification, but it will remove a good deal of the contaminants in the water.

Save

Add your own methodName your method

Add your steps using an ordered list. For example:1. Step one2. Step two3. Step three

Water that's collected through condensation (such as from plants or soil)

needs to be purified. The process of evaporation leaves some

sediments behind, but unless boiling temperature is reached, parasites

and other harmful substances may still be in the water.

Commercial filters made for tap water may only remove basic minerals

to make it taste better, depending on the quality of the particular filter.

They may not remove parasites or other threats that are removed in

water treatment facilities. Check the label to be sure of what you're

getting.

Both bleach and iodine work much better in warm water.[13]

Chlorine and iodine can be toxic. Do not use more of either chemical

than indicated, and use only in emergency situations.

All the methods indicated above are designed to remove biological

threats only, such as bacteria. They generally do not remove chemical

(for example, industrial waste such as aluminum sludge) or radioactive

contamination. If it is suspected that the water contains such

contaminants, rely on distillation, or weigh consumption against the risk

of being dehydrated.

Tips

Warnings

Things You'll Need



Suitable water container

Clean cloth

Iodine or chlorine tablets

One of the filters listed above

A pot

A stove or fire

Bark, charcoal, sand, grass, and gravel

1. http://news.discovery.com/adventure/survival/top-ways-to-purify-water-

in-the-wilderness.htm

2. http://www.enviroalternatives.com/watermethods.html

3. http://www.enviroalternatives.com/watermethods.html

4. http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/water.shtml


6. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/remote-wilderness-water-filter-tips-

18317.html


8. http://www.backcountryedge.com/video-how-water-filters-and-purifiers-

work.aspx

9. http://www.friendsofwater.com/Handheld_Water_Purifiers.html

10. http://preparedchristian.net/types-of-water-purifiers-and-their-

applications/#.UlRAJFMjaKo


18317.html


18317.html

13. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg.html

Categories: Water Ice and Sports Drinks

Recent edits by: Daniel Bauwens, Uraretard5, Lugia2453

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