Survival water purification systems

Originally posted by DrumsRfun
Since this is the survival forum I feel the need to point out that sustaining and surviving are different.
When the water filters are no longer working and the bleach is gone...what would you do??
(extreme cases of course but still,think about)

Fire and Charcoal. And the charcoal can be obtained by using the black chunks from your fire pit.

reply to post by Skewed


Thank you sir.
Thats step one in making a filter without needing store bought items.
I felt the need to talk about surviving,not sustaining.

Originally posted by tinkytink1207
reply to post by Skewed

 

So in the long run my bleach and tablets may be just as good as the other gadgets advertised? So if I keep a lot of those on hand I do not really need the other things? Just wanting opinions...

You still need to filter out particulate matter that might be harmful if ingested. One of the filters listed above maybe.

Originally posted by mydarkpassenger

Originally posted by tinkytink1207
reply to post by Skewed

 

So in the long run my bleach and tablets may be just as good as the other gadgets advertised? So if I keep a lot of those on hand I do not really need the other things? Just wanting opinions...

You still need to filter out particulate matter that might be harmful if ingested. One of the filters listed above maybe.

In that case, I would use coffee filters, or some other clean cloth. Still, no need to spend an excess amount of money. You can literally go broke listening to some these so called "pros" out there, they only want your money. On the other hand, particulate matter is not really anything to worry about other than being a nuisance, its the things you cant see that is the problem.

Regular charcoal will not work. You need activated charcoal in order to filter out any impurities. Regular charcoal will turn your water grey and make it stink. A rolling boil for 10 minutes kills ANYTHING in the water however it does not remove fine particulates that will still affect taste and quality.

I recommend mechanical/chemical filtration first then biological filtration as a final step. There are many, many sites and videos available through a simple google search to aid you in constructing a simple mechanical/chemical filter. Always follow up by boiling to eliminate any biologicial contamination. Use chlorine bleach in a 10 to 1 ratio for storage. Make certain your storage container is rated for "potable" water to avoid any toxic leaching of chemicals from the container into your water.

I have a Katadyne with several replacement filters. At 13K gallons each I can provide drinking and cooking water for about 3 years for my entire family. I also have 5 50 pound bags of activated charcoal stored in the event I ever need to build a filter.

Good luck and be prepared!

Chlorine tablets IS bleach.
so just get a good bleach.
you can put the bleach in a container.
put is some where dry.
and after two month you will have crystals.
when it fully drys out put it in plastic bags.
this is very strong.
so only use a very small amount.

as for boiling water.
you need 11 minuets to sterilise it.
you can put things in the water and boil the same way.
if you need a sterilised knife to cut out a bullet or some thing.

and not 3 hours.
you will have No water left

Lots of information here!!!! I am still reading the sites etc. Thank you all for your help!!!!

reply to post by kozmo


You say you have katadyn. I am on their website and which one do you have? I just see all this and not really sure what I am looking at? I see one for $219. and it is a drip filter no hookup required? I see other portable ones like for campers etc. I just wondered what you have?

reply to post by iLoGiCViZiOnS


Lots of people say you need to for 2-3 mins but, it is free and clear of harmful bacteria as soon as it gets to a boil.

Edit: It DOES depend on the turbidity of the water...but assuming you are getting it from rainwater or from a reservoir than the above does apply.

So if you boil the water you do not need to add the bleach right? You would use the bleach if lets say you had no way to boil water?

reply to post by tinkytink1207


Katadtn Pocket Water Microfilter from their Endurance Series. Weighs about a pound and half, about 20 inches tall, about a quart a minute and has a filter life of 13,000 gallons. Plus you can clean the filter. Got mine last year and paid about $250 (US) for it. Bought replacement cartridges for about $125. But if you think about it, if you filtered 10 gallons a day for cooking and drinking a cartridge lasts for more than 3 years!

I had a cheaper filter before that and it broke so I figured I good filter is better than 5 broken ones and it would cost the same money. BTW, 20 year warranty. Good stuff... I highly recommend.

Oh, and I am in no way affiliated with Katadyne!

Originally posted by tinkytink1207
So if you boil the water you do not need to add the bleach right? You would use the bleach if lets say you had no way to boil water?

My approach is this... ALWAYS boil your drinking water if you question the source. Even the best filters only capture bacteria and micro-organisms, but they DON'T filter viruses. Since I'm not big on chemicals, I prefer to filter and then boil and then cool to drink. If I am stocking up on a quantity of water for storage then I will filter and put in a cleaned container adding chlorine at a rate of about 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons and then sealing the container. This will prevent microorganisms from gaining a foothold in stored water but may not kill all the virus. I would still boil before drinking. Just my thoughts. I may be over-doing it, but ya know... water and all! It's the one thing that make you perish fastest if you lacked it.

I found this table to help in purifying water through the use of chlorine bleach...

Treating Water with a 5-6 Percent Liquid Chlorine Bleach Solution:

Volume of Water Clear/Cloudy Water: Very Cold/Very Cloudy Water:
1 quart/1 liter 3 drops 5 drops
1/2 gallon/2 quarts/2 liters 5 drops 10 drops
1 gallon 1/8 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon
5 gallons 1/2 teaspoon 1 teaspoon
10 gallons 1 teaspoon 2 teaspoons

Also edited to correct earlier statement: !0 minutes of boiling to STERALIZE equipment, not the water. Water is sterilized after a rolling boil is achieved. I'd boil for a few minutes just to be sure. And 10 to 1 water to bleach ratio for steralizing equipment, NOT potable water. That would be TOXIC!!!

One thing to keep in mind when going with the bleach option is that at least where liquid bleach is concerned it does in fact have a shelf life. If you are going to stockpile bleach for water purification its important to label its purchase and expected expiration date so that you can properly rotate your stock, because trying to purify water in a SHTF situation could leave you in a very unpleasant condition to say the least.

If you are making arrangements for a SHTF scenario, then make sure to remember to also be prepared to carry everything you will need on your back. Never know, you may have to relocate, especially if you live in a city.

reply to post by Skewed


That is exactly why I chose the Katadyn. At less than 2 Lbs and having a filter life of 13,000 gallons - if I was alone and only needed 1 gallon a day - that filter would last me 31 years! And I can clean it to increase flow-rate without diminishing the filtration capabilities. To me, that is the lightest weight, highest performing, greatest yield and most durable water purification system I have ever found!

reply to post by kozmo


It will last 31 years depending on how clean the water is to begin with, it will be your beginning product that will determine the longevity of it. It is conceivable the water could get pretty dirty for awhile.

The distillation method, in an emergency, still works well. Take two clear plastic containers of equal size. Half fill one with your water. Tape the necks together, ensuring that the contaminated water remains in its allocated conrainer. place the set up on the ground, in direct sunlight, at a slight angle, the contaminated container lowermost. Cover the empty container with something to shield it from the sun and wait.
Come back after a day of so. Seperate the two containers, ensuring that there is not cross contamination. The once empty container will now cotain fresh drinking water.

This method also works to recycle urine. Trust me. It works.

Originally posted by kwakakev
Boiling water makes no difference if there is heavy metal or other chemical contamination. Depending on your immune system, some bacteria is manageable but if the numbers get to high it can make you sick for a while. A distillation process is a better way to get pure water and remover other containments.

That's true.

Boiling is only good for bacteria in water. If it contaminated by chemicals, all you will achieve is some of the water evaporating, leaving your contaminated water more concentrated.

My advice is to build yourself a distiller. That way you won't be dependant on commercial products to purify your water. Here are two examples.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d388a3547e8d.jpg[/atsimg]

This is one I built years ago. The steam from the boiling water comes out the copper pipe which coils inside a cooling pot also filled with water, condensing the steam back to water.

The advantage of this is it will certainly kill most bacteria and chemicals or contaminants that can't evaporate will be left behind.

The problems I had with it were that when you get it really cranking, the cooling pot would end up boiling, resulting in more steam coming out and less water. Another possible problem was that the water had a coppery taste, but any distilled water will attract odours very easily, as it is pure water and has no other substances in it to mask the odours of substances it is exposed to. I had some distilled water in my fridge once and after a day, I could taste strawberries in it, because we also had strawberries in the fridge. But there is a chance that this particular model may have levels of copper coming out with it, so I intend on pulling it out the shed and having the water tested. It produced about 1.5 litres per hour.

This is a solar distiller I built also:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f73db5eb59f4.jpg[/atsimg]

Basically, a galvanised box with a perspex lid on an angle. The gutter you see on the outside is for collecting rainwater too, but it has the same type of gutter on the inside also. The water inside it evaporates and condenses on the perspex and runs down into the gutter and to the container.

When making one such as this, the greater the angle of the perspex, the better the water will run. Also, it's important to have a good seal on the perspex (or glass) lid.

Bear in mind that this type is not as good for bacteria (but will work to some degree) as the water doesn't reach high enough temperatures. Also, drain it every 24 hours and air it out to dry. Don't leave it running for days on end, as the humidity inside it will eventually breed it's own bacteria. Depending on it's design and amount of sun, it should produce a few litres per day. But the advantage of this is you can put anything in it. Mud, green vegetation, anything containing moisture basically.

reply to post by NuclearPaul


On your condensing tube, have you tried making it longer and putting more loops in it? That may allow it cool more before going into the storage container.

Originally posted by Skewed
reply to post by kozmo

 

It will last 31 years depending on how clean the water is to begin with, it will be your beginning product that will determine the longevity of it. It is conceivable the water could get pretty dirty for awhile.

Not accurate... it will last 31 years as long as I keep it clean! You have to appreciate the fact that filter is washable. Now, I concur if you are using toxic water with heavy metals, that will certainly wear the chemical filter out faster. But if following recommendations on how to gather and from the types of sources, there is no concern. Trust me, I have pumped directly out of stagnant puddles and was able to drink the water directly.