When traveling or camping, one of the most important considerations is having clean water to drink. This is also true for individuals who are concerned with emergency preparedness, in the event that municipal water supplies become contaminated or otherwise unsafe. Water can become contaminated in two ways, biological contamination or toxic contamination. Biological contamination means that the water contains microorganisms which may be harmful if ingested. Toxic contamination refers to chemical runoff such as sewage or pesticides. Biologically contaminated water can be purified but water that is toxic cannot. Fortunately, there are several practical methods available for individuals to purify their own water.
While not as practical as boiling or chemical purification, water filters may also be used. The filters consists of a chamber containing a material that is designed to remove microorganisms over a certain size. The water is pumped through the chamber and any microorganisms large enough to be captured are retained in the filter. The most common water filters capture all organisms larger than 5 microns in diameter. This will remove most common microorganisms but will be ineffective against extremely small contaminates such as viruses. Water filters can also become damaged and allow unfiltered water to leak past the filtration device.
Heating water to it's boiling point of 212 degrees Fahrenheit will kill all biological microorganisms. Water that is heated to at least 185 degrees Fahrenheit will kill all microorganisms within a few minutes time. Even though the water is pure once it reaches the boiling point, it is still advisable to allow the water to boil for a few minutes to ensure that all microorganisms have been killed.
One of the most readily available chemical treatments for purifying water is iodine. The most popular formulation is iodine drops. Five drops of iodine should be added to each liter of water. After the iodine has been added, the water should be allowed to stand for 15 minutes before drinking. If the water is cloudy or in extreme cold temperatures this should be increased to 30 minutes. A potentially less messy method is to use iodine tablets. After the tablet has been added to the water, it should be allowed to stand for 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes if the water is especially cloudy and/or cold. In general, iodine works best if the water temperature is above 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Iodine will add a slightly unpleasant taste to the water. While not harmful some may find the taste this chemical imparts to be offensive. The aftertaste from chemical purification can be removed by adding vitamin C to the water. Once the water has purified, add 50 mg of vitamin C to neutralize any negative tastes. Vitamin C can be purchased in liquid form for this purpose.
Chlorine can be substituted for persons who have iodine allergies. Chlorine is generally added to the water in tablet form. Like iodine, chlorine is temperature sensitive and if the water is especially cold, it should be allowed to stand for up to 30 minutes before drinking.
