Purifying your water is a must if you expect to remain healthy.
Even water that looks clean can have bacteria, parasites and viruses that can make you sick or in the worst case scenario, kill you; here are some ways to avoid both.
BOILING WATER
This is one of the most common water purification methods in a survival situation. Place the water you wish to purify into a pot. Try to strain the water through a cloth or an unused coffee filter. 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.
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. 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.
PURIFICATION TABLETS
Using purification tablets or drops is the easiest water purification methods. You can purchase these drops or tablets at sporting 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.
Iodine tablets, often used by campers, 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. We recommend the Potable Aqua Water Purification 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.
Place the tablets in the water. Wait 30 minutes before drinking the water, as the tablets need that time to effectively kill any bacteria in the water.
You should also be aware that tablets are generally less effective in water that is very cold. If the water is 40 degrees F, you should wait at least an hour after the tablets have dissolved before drinking the water.
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.
SURVIVAL SKILLS: MAKING A SOLAR STILL
A solar water still is a simple of way to create distilled water using the heat of the sun. As illustrated below, and in the step by step instructions, you create a barrier using a plastic sheet to trap moisture in the form of evaporation from humid soil. The impure water outside the container is evaporated by sunlight shining through the clear plastic. The purified water collects on the underside of the plastic sheet and then drips into the container. Wallah, pure distilled water!
1: Dig a hole in the sand or dirt that is deep and wide enough to hold your water tight container.
2: Place this container in the center of the hole.
3: Fill the gaps surrounding the container with anything wet, such as vegetation or even urine.
4: Place your plastic sheet over the hole.
5: Anchor the sheet in place with larger rocks around the edges of the hole.
6: Place a small rock in the center of the plastic, just over the container.
7: Condensation will occur on the underside of the plastic and run down to the center. It will drip into the container filling it with distilled drinking water
Finding water is critical to making it through a survival situation.
Once you find water, however, you must filter it and more importantly, purify it; not doing so, can kill you!
To learn more about purifying water, please visit American Preppers' Network.