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Water. We can’t live without it. Not for long – only a few days. In fact, water is the one thing that we need the most, to survive.
Far too often, survival minded preppers think of and concentrate on storing extra food, with lesser regard for storing water. For some reason, there is an underlying assumption that obtaining water during an emergency or disaster will not be a problem. For some, this may be true, especially if they live right next to a plentiful source of water. But for those that rely on a steady supply of water from their faucet, think again. Without electricity, most homes will quickly lose their water pressure as municipal pumps will be unable to supply.
The general rule for storing water for an emergency or disaster is 1 gallon per person per day.
There are variations to this generality, ranging from a half gallon to as much as 3 gallons per person per day because there are other uses for water besides just drinking.
A problem that you will encounter during an emergency or disaster is not only obtaining water to drink, but treating it to make the water safe to drink.
A best way to treat water for drinking is to boil it first. Well, almost boiling… you don’t actually have to heat water all the way to boiling to rid it of microorganisms. According to the Wilderness Medical Society, water temperatures above 160° F (70° C) kill all pathogens within 30 minutes and above 185° F (85° C) within a few minutes. So in the time it takes for the water to reach the boiling point (212° F or 100° C) from 160° F (70° C), all pathogens will be killed, even at high altitude. To be extra safe, let the water boil rapidly for one minute, especially at higher altitudes since water boils at a lower temperature.
If boiling is not possible, or to add a layer of added precaution after boiling (after cool down), another very effective way to make water safe to drink is to add a specific amount of household bleach. Bleach contains about 5 to 6 percent chlorine, which will disinfect the water if added at the right amount.
First things first. If the water is cloudy and contains sediment, it should be strained through a filter by using a cloth or coffee filter (use your common sense here with whatever is available). Of course if you have a “real” water filter with you, you’re safe to begin with.
How to purify water with Bleach
According to the American Red Cross,
Use regular liquid bleach (any brand). The only active ingredient should be sodium hypochlorite (concentration 5.25 – 6 percent). If you also see sodium hydroxide on the ingredient list, it is apparently safe. Do not use bleach that contain soaps, perfumes, or dyes. Be sure to read the label.
Add 16 drops (1/4 teaspoon) of regular liquid bleach per one gallon of water. Use 8 drops (1/8 teaspoon) if using a 2-liter bottle.
Mix thoroughly and let stand for 30 minutes.
Then, smell the water. If the water has a faint smell of chlorine, then it is OK to use. If you cannot detect any chlorine odor, add another 16 drops (1/4 teaspoon) of regular liquid bleach (8 drops, or 1/8 teaspoon for 2-liter bottle). Let stand, and smell it again. If you still cannot smell chlorine, discard it and find another water source.
Note that bleach definitely has a shelf life, although you will probably not see a date on the bottle. Bleach loses about half its effectiveness within a year, so be sure to date your bottle upon purchase. Double the dosage if one year old. I would replace bleach that has been stored much beyond a year, just to be sure of full strength effectiveness.
For those that have researched this topic, you may note that the American Red Cross instruction for bleach dosage is slightly higher than some other sources of information out there, but I have no doubt of the safety and effectiveness of their instruction.
If you enjoyed this post, or topics of preparedness, consider subscribing to our survival blog RSS feed or Email notification of new posts on the Modern Survival Blog
Modern Survival Blog
How to Purify Water with Sunlight
Water Sources for Remote Property
Safe Plastics For Food and Drink
A Survival Prep Must Have For H2O
Survival Preparedness With Limited Resources
8.8 Quake Preparedness Wake Up Call
Posted on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:36:56 +0000 at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ModernSurvivalBlog/~3/UPwQUHHzGjw/
Comments: http://modernsurvivalblog.com/health/make-drinking-water-safe-with-bleach/#comments
Water. We can’t live without it. Not for long – only a few days. In fact, water is the one thing that we need the most, to survive.
Far too often, survival minded preppers think of and concentrate on storing extra food, with lesser regard for storing water. For some reason, there is an underlying assumption that obtaining water during an emergency or disaster will not be a problem. For some, this may be true, especially if they live right next to a plentiful source of water. But for those that rely on a steady supply of water from their faucet, think again. Without electricity, most homes will quickly lose their water pressure as municipal pumps will be unable to supply.
The general rule for storing water for an emergency or disaster is 1 gallon per person per day.
There are variations to this generality, ranging from a half gallon to as much as 3 gallons per person per day because there are other uses for water besides just drinking.
A problem that you will encounter during an emergency or disaster is not only obtaining water to drink, but treating it to make the water safe to drink.
A best way to treat water for drinking is to boil it first. Well, almost boiling… you don’t actually have to heat water all the way to boiling to rid it of microorganisms. According to the Wilderness Medical Society, water temperatures above 160° F (70° C) kill all pathogens within 30 minutes and above 185° F (85° C) within a few minutes. So in the time it takes for the water to reach the boiling point (212° F or 100° C) from 160° F (70° C), all pathogens will be killed, even at high altitude. To be extra safe, let the water boil rapidly for one minute, especially at higher altitudes since water boils at a lower temperature.
If boiling is not possible, or to add a layer of added precaution after boiling (after cool down), another very effective way to make water safe to drink is to add a specific amount of household bleach. Bleach contains about 5 to 6 percent chlorine, which will disinfect the water if added at the right amount.
First things first. If the water is cloudy and contains sediment, it should be strained through a filter by using a cloth or coffee filter (use your common sense here with whatever is available). Of course if you have a “real” water filter with you, you’re safe to begin with.
How to purify water with Bleach
According to the American Red Cross,
Use regular liquid bleach (any brand). The only active ingredient should be sodium hypochlorite (concentration 5.25 – 6 percent). If you also see sodium hydroxide on the ingredient list, it is apparently safe. Do not use bleach that contain soaps, perfumes, or dyes. Be sure to read the label.
Add 16 drops (1/4 teaspoon) of regular liquid bleach per one gallon of water. Use 8 drops (1/8 teaspoon) if using a 2-liter bottle.
Mix thoroughly and let stand for 30 minutes.
Then, smell the water. If the water has a faint smell of chlorine, then it is OK to use. If you cannot detect any chlorine odor, add another 16 drops (1/4 teaspoon) of regular liquid bleach (8 drops, or 1/8 teaspoon for 2-liter bottle). Let stand, and smell it again. If you still cannot smell chlorine, discard it and find another water source.
Note that bleach definitely has a shelf life, although you will probably not see a date on the bottle. Bleach loses about half its effectiveness within a year, so be sure to date your bottle upon purchase. Double the dosage if one year old. I would replace bleach that has been stored much beyond a year, just to be sure of full strength effectiveness.
For those that have researched this topic, you may note that the American Red Cross instruction for bleach dosage is slightly higher than some other sources of information out there, but I have no doubt of the safety and effectiveness of their instruction.
If you enjoyed this post, or topics of preparedness, consider subscribing to our survival blog RSS feed or Email notification of new posts on the Modern Survival Blog
Modern Survival Blog
How to Purify Water with Sunlight
Water Sources for Remote Property
Safe Plastics For Food and Drink
A Survival Prep Must Have For H2O
Survival Preparedness With Limited Resources
8.8 Quake Preparedness Wake Up Call
Posted on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:36:56 +0000 at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ModernSurvivalBlog/~3/UPwQUHHzGjw/
Comments: http://modernsurvivalblog.com/health/make-drinking-water-safe-with-bleach/#comments