How many times can you use the same water?

Because I've actually been in a situation at one time in my life where I carried my water - non potable for a mile uphill, and potable for a mile and a half on a level road I have some experience with this!

Drinking and cooking water obviously can be used only once, however:

Dish washing water can be used to wash heavily soiled items like throw rugs, or work gloves, jeans, jackets etc. It can also be used to wash floors. I used to add a teaspoon of bleach to a gallon of water being reused. After it has been reused it can be used to flush toilets (direct flush method, not tank method) or water hardy plants.

Dish rinse water can be used to wash lighter soiled clothing, rinse washed clothing, clean tables and other household items, wash hands in, wash your hair or with a teaspoon of bleach added it can be used to clean children's toys - then be used for the same purposes as dish wash water.

Bathing (body and hair) water gets used the same as dish washing water.

Rain water can be harvested and purified for potable water or boiled to be used for dishes and bathing - then used as above.

Let's hear all of your ideas.

You know I have never really understood the idea that we could one day run out of water. I mean water is water, whether it is dirty or clean it is still 2 parts hydrogen and 1 Part oxygen. I would argue that as long as you have the means to purify it, you can use water an unlimited amount of time. We are never going to "run out" of water. The earth will pretty much always have the same amount of water. We just need economical and efficient ways to de-salt and purify it.

reply to post by wisintel


The biggest problem with water? Humans. 55%-78% pure water. IMO that's a big part of what's tying it up along with modern sewer systems with long contained runs between point A and treatment.

In the event of a shortage I would:
The only water I won't reuse is water that is lost through use. Bathe with a wash basin, use it to flush the morning toilet. All the rest, gets poured back into a sand based filtration system then boiled. Rain water would also be collected through this sand filtration system.

reply to post by wisintel

Hypothetically, if you live 300 miles from the ocean in a grid loss situation - how do you plan to get desalinized water to your house?

reply to post by SeenMyShare


Well if it was a post apocalyptic scenario and I couldn't just run a 300 mile pipe... I guess I would just move closer to the Ocean or another source of water. You understand tho, my original premise still stands. As long as we have the ability to purify and transport water, we will never "run out". Until someone shows me logically why its possible I find all this predictions of "water wars" in the future laughable.

We are breathing the same oxygen that neanderthals breathed, so why wouldn't we be reusing the same water that exists in the cycles of the planet?

SOLAR STILL

A solar still is easy to make: dig a hole about 3 X 3 feet to a similar depth. Place a water container in the middle of the hole and put a clear plastic sheet across the top of the hole. Weight the edges of the plastic but allow it to droop in the middle over the water container (a small rock in the middle will do the trick).
Whatever waste water you have can be put in the hole (don't get it in your container mind you - this is where your purified water will end up). You can also put non-poisonous vegetation into the pit.
What happens is the sun will heat up the water in the hole and the water will then condense on the plastic sheet, where it will run down and drip into your container.

You need:
A piece of ground with continuous sunlight
shovel
4x4' clear plastic sheet
container suitable for drinking water

A piece of flexible tubing will allow you to drink water from the container without removing the plastic sheet.

IF the SHTF then a water filter should be in everyone's emergency supplies.
Make it a priority!
Ideally, you should have one that fits easily in your backpack and another for your home.
Nothing is more important than water when it comes to survival with the possible exception of firearms.
Great topic btw, S&F

reply to post by SeenMyShare


Cooking water can be saved and used in soup or stews. It is full of vitamins.

I don't know any way to get soap out of water so you could drink it. If you rinse your dishes with plain water you can use the water to feed your animals (I was thinking pigs.)

To make river water drinkable-
Take a plastic trash can and put a few dozen nail holes in the bottom. Layer sand, crushed charcoal, sand, charcoal, and sand. Place the trash can over another container that will collect the filtered water. Pour water into the trash can full of sand/charcoal layers. Use a teeshirt or cheesecloth to strain out any sand and boil the water. Make sure you bring it to a full boil. The water will be safe to drink.

reply to post by NotThat

Yes, I assumed that cooking water would be consumed either for its nutrient content or for its liquid value, hence no second use .

The water stills are a phenomenal idea and I'm looking at all of the various stills online for purifying water. Thanks.

Originally posted by SeenMyShare
reply to post by wisintel

 

Hypothetically, if you live 300 miles from the ocean in a grid loss situation - how do you plan to get desalinized water to your house?

I would assume dig down, 300 miles horizontal to an ocean is probably only 20 feet below you at most. Of course this depends on the landscape and how much rock is in between. Altitude is a pain, but where there is altitude there is run off as well. My land is 70 miles from the ocean, we hit water at 3-4 feet.

Also, dig a hole deeper than the water table, line it with something, plastic works, so it cannot erode back into your hole. put some holes in it and let it back fill from saturation. Bucket it out and then refer to the post above for solar stil. This can be done with any translucent/transparent plastic. Even two bottles works. put the dirty water in one, a straw to the other empty and clean bottle, let the sun bake on it and the evaporation will collect and fall into your clean bottle. Can drink straight from the bottle after that. (think big on this as small bottles take forever)

Faster means to collect? make a fire of bad water, collection tarp above the pot and let it run down to another clean container. This is being sold as "smart water" it is just evaporated water without the additional reverse osmoses. Save $2.50 and evaporate yuor own water.


Need water? dont look up, dig down.

A good documentary to watch is the "Garbage Warrior"
In the homes he builds they recycle the water, it basically works like this.
The collect rain water from the roof in the tanks - this is use for drinking showering, washing dishes etc.
The waste water from this (brown water) then goes through a natural indoor filtration system consisting of certain plants and rocks and this is used for toilets, cleaning floor etc.
The waste from the toilet (black water) goes outside to another type of natural filtration system and is used for watering outdoor plants.

I recommend you to watch im sure a lot of people will get some great ideas from this doco'

The best way, if you do not have an effective filtration system is as follows:

Take two clear plastic bottles of equal size, the bigger the better. place the dirty water in one so that it is just below the neck of the bottle when horizontal.
Place the two bottles neck to neck (horizontally) and tape them together.
The empty bottle should then be covered with sand or soil as much as possible, the full bottle exposed to the sun.
Leave until enough water has condensed in the empty bottle for you personal use.
Clearfully seperate the two bottles.
The condensed water should be clean enough to drink.

Point of note: This can be used to recycle urine too.

Originally posted by TheLoneArcher
The best way, if you do not have an effective filtration system is as follows:

Take two clear plastic bottles of equal size, the bigger the better. place the dirty water in one so that it is just below the neck of the bottle when horizontal.
Place the two bottles neck to neck (horizontally) and tape them together.
The empty bottle should then be covered with sand or soil as much as possible, the full bottle exposed to the sun.
Leave until enough water has condensed in the empty bottle for you personal use.
Clearfully seperate the two bottles.
The condensed water should be clean enough to drink.

Point of note: This can be used to recycle urine too.[]

This is great!! I have never heard of this method. Cheap, simple, and with stuff everybody has. You could have a whole yard full of bottles!!

I am pretty sure you wouldn't even have to boil it for the water to be safe to drink.

I wonder if it would be safe from radioactive tinged water.

Thank you so much for this!!

reply to post by NotThat


Hi Not That.

The pleasure is mine. I Have a shad load of book regarding this kind of subject (pdf) and years of experience. If I can paas any on to you, just drop me a U2U. I will be happy to help out in any way. You would be surprised how easy it is to recycle and produce water.