Minimalist Water Purification

[Vivi]

I'm trying to find some of the best minimalistmethods of water purification. Minimalist meaning using the least amount of things possible, things that you have to bringwith you or find in civilization rather than out in the bush. Is there anything aside from boiling it for 10-15 minutes that is good to do that doesn't rely on mechanical devices, pills and other chemicals, etc?

 

[longbow50]

If you know what is in the water and boiling will take care of it, then all you need is a fire and a pot.

However, because we don't always know what's upstream from where we get the water and we need to take into consideration what's around us. Are livestock in the area? Paved roads? Do they salt those roads? Agriculture? Population center? Manufacturing plants? Automobiles, chemical plants, nuke plants, terrorists?

These are all contributing in one way or another, to the waters need to be cleaned before it can be consumed. Sometimes, because of the surrounding contaminating sources, water can't be cleaned sufficiently to make it drinkable.

If you don't like mechanical pumps, there are filter bottles with zero moving parts and survival straws that will remove impurities from water. But they won't remove everything. Some chemical contaminates require a certain type of filtering system, if the contaminate can be filtered at all. Many filters will not filter out viruses. So a combination of filtering and boiling may be needed.

Because the accepted methods of chemical treatment become less effective when there is particulate matter in the water, we need to prefilter with coffee filters, bandanas or an actual filter system. Then we can treat with a chemical like bleach or Iodine. Sometimes it's going to take all three methods and you may still be getting some contaminate that can't be killed, or filtered.

 

[Codger_64]

Just with what you might have or can find: Filter through cloth first. drip through a layer of charcoal (hardwood is best), then clean sand. Further filtering can be done (though it is time consuming) through plant material like a grape vine. A large diameter section of vine can act as a siphon from your container of pre-filtered water. Pure silver coins can be used as an anti-microbal too. Or silver wire. Settlers on wagon trains kept silver coins in their water barrels for this reason. It is also the basis of the old superstition of dropping coins in a well for good luck. Boiling is always best if you think giardia (sp) might be in the water, but the charcoal will tale out a lot of metals and chemicals.

 

[Thomas Linton]

I'm trying to find some of the best minimalistmethods of water purification. Minimalist meaning using the least amount of things possible, things that you have to bringwith you or find in civilization rather than out in the bush. Is there anything aside from boiling it for 10-15 minutes that is good to do that doesn't rely on mechanical devices, pills and other chemicals, etc?

The CDC says that a roiling boil for one (1) minutes (three minutes above 2000 meters) is sufficient and is the preferred method of purifying water.

Well-heated rocks dropped into a smallish hole in rock or a bark container can get water boiling, but have plenty of rocks and avoid sandstone and other porous ricks as they might "explode" in the fire.

 

[Codger_64]

Yes, boiling will kill living organisms, but does not affect chemical and heavy metal contaminents.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Davenport notes the same low times in his book however also notes he has seen problems after drinking water with such short times and advocates longer. I wonder if the times advocated by the CDC are lab tests vs field purification.

-Cliff

 

[Codger_64]

According to the CDC guns are a disease, so maybe you would want a more reliable source.

 

[beefangusbeef]

Get one of those handy little extreme water bottles, they are actually purifiers, not filters and are quite handy. Not for long term use but a few days is fine with them.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Yes, boiling will kill living organisms, but does not affect chemical and heavy metal contaminents.

Surely true. Then we go to Longbow's second paragraph. Few field expedients will deal with severe chemical contamination, although lots and lots of the charcoal that you recommended would help some. Some commercial apparatus is claimed to able to deal with chemical contamination, but that's not very "minimalist."


The CDC info was supposely directed to "survival situations." Other sources give the same times. I was taught five minutes years ago. If longer seems safer, boil longer. It's your life/health/safety.


As for disregarding medical advice because the source is anti-gun, Karl Marx was opposed to malaria (Should we support it?). My neighbor (at one time) was an excellent coronary "cutter" and voted for McGovern (Did that make his hand shake?). The best shooting coach I had liked purple cars (Not blue - PURPLE!). Not relevant IMO.

 

[Codger_64]

Surely true. Then we go to Longbow's second paragraph. Few field expedients will deal with severe chemical contamination, although lots and lots of the charcoal that you recommended would help some. Some commercial apparatus is claimed to able to deal with chemical contamination, but that's not very "minimalist."

Carbon absorbs a plethera of nasties, including heavy metals, some minerals, and a lot of chemicals. Severe chemicals? Find an alternate source or learn how to distill water.

The CDC info was supposely directed to "survival situations." Other sources give the same times. I was taught five minutes years ago. If longer seems safer, boil longer. It's your life/health/safety.

Increasing boil times is a good idea if the water is turbid or the source is suspect. Better to find a more pristine source.

As for disregarding medical advice because the source is anti-gun, Karl Marx was opposed to malaria (Should we support it?). .

I don't support the right to bear arms because CDC is against it. I don't support the CDC or give their information much credence.

My neighbor (at one time) was an excellent coronary "cutter" and voted for McGovern (Did that make his hand shake?)..

I had a hound dog who lied on the trail of a rabbit, and couldn't keep his lies straight. I found a better dog that I could trust.

The best shooting coach I had liked purple cars (Not blue - PURPLE!). Not relevant IMO.

I don't care what color socks a guy presenting himself as an authority on science wears, but when he promotes junk science, it is quite relevant to me. When i see a source is suspect because it promotes spurious information as truth, or science, then every thing that proceeds from them is suspect.

Codger

 

[ghost squire]

Addressing your original question, I think codger listed about the only way to do it within your parameters.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

The CDC info was supposely directed to "survival situations." Other sources give the same times.

There is often repetition without validation, you can find this even in published work. My main concern would be particulates in the water which could hold disease and would require longer time before everything in the water was elevated enough to reach boiling temperature. Then there are concerns like the water on the sides of the container. If you use a low conductive pot it would seem reasonable that you could purify the bulk of the water without the sides. Of course it could also just be random chance on another infection for those that have had issues with lower times. It doesn't seem to me to be much of a point of contention anyway because the boiling time is so short compared to the time it takes to gather the water, actually bring it to a boil, and then let it cool.

-Cliff

 

[DGG]

Easiest way is 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water.

Put the bleach in something like an eye dropper bottle. It will disinfect hundreds of gallons of water.

If sediment is an issue strain the water through cloth first.

A gallon of bleach will disinfect several thousands of water and you can get it at the grocery store for $1 or so.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Codger, let me put it this way. I see no NECESSARY connection between an "authority's" medical advice and a political position that they take. (Medical asociations also cals "gun violence" an "epidemic." That's a political statement pretending to be medical advice.) Otherwise, I come out about where Cliff does; namely, why not boil longer since you already invested so much to get it to a boil? As I said, I was taught five minutes, use that standard, and have come out vertical thus far.

Your comments on stuff suspended in the water are very valuable. That's why I carry coffee filters to back up a bandanna. When speaking of germs, clearer water purifies faster/purifies with less chemicals/takes longer to jam up your filter. Ever used a hollow aluminum tent pole for a sand filter?

Cliff, while consensus of scientific authorities does not absolutely prove accuracy, in human experience it does have weight.

DGG, chlorine (assuming it is "minimalist") does not kill Crypto, as they found out in Milwaukee. People died. (And it would not help with chemical contamination as Codger's charcoal would.)

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Most will view filtering as a necessary first step, even if you could kill all biological dangers you might not want to be eating a high amount of macroscopic debris.

Cliff, while consensus of scientific authorities does not absolutely prove accuracy, in human experience it does have weight.

Indeed, until it is revoked anyway which can be induced by just one source of more careful/critical study. My point here is just that every repetition without verification has no value. You need to look at the number of independent studies, often the number of references which reduce down to one paper/study can be very surprising.

Speaking of purification and expert opinion, on the last Survivor, one of the individuals was a survival instructor who purified water by straining it through several shirts. When questioned about bacteria and such he noted that it doesn't remove all of them but does enough and that he has done it lots of times and after all he isn't dead.

He did later have to be removed from the show due to severe digestion problems.

-Cliff

 

[the possum]

Pure silver coins can be used as an anti-microbal too. Or silver wire. Settlers on wagon trains kept silver coins in their water barrels for this reason. It is also the basis of the old superstition of dropping coins in a well for good luck.

Huh. I had never heard this before. I know we use copper in the ag industry for controlling plants and algea in water, and fungus on vegetable crops, but I did not know silver did anything.

How well does it actually work? Does it have to be pure, or will sterling & coin silver work too? (I'm guessing it would since you mentioned the coins.) If I'm gonna carry stuff in my gear for water purification, I think I'd pack something else. But, I occasionally wear a ring or two made of fine or sterling silver anyway. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to slip one on "just in case"?

 

[Thomas Linton]

. . .My point here is just that every repetition without verification has no value.

Cliff, accurate communication of experience has value. Hence the value, at least to many here, of the tests that you report. I take it that you mean that repitition, like "official" endorsement, adds nothing to the validity of the study behind the advice/opinion.

You need to look at the number of independent studies, often the number of references which reduce down to one paper/study can be very surprising.

Now this I understand. I can only find five studies that reportedly support the one minute (at sea level) boil practice: USEPA; USCDC; Wilderness Medical Society; Telier and Keystone; Becker. Only the Tidier & Keystone study was published in a professinoal journal (Infectious Disease Clinics of North America, June, 1992 at 333-354). I find none that refute it, BUT the Internet is full of "government" advice ranging from that one minute, to three, to three-five, to ten, to fifteen. I guess you pays your money and you takes your choice. (I still like five - for no rational reason.)

Misc. things I saw while looking:

> boiling reduces the levels of volatile organic compounds (e.g. benzene)
> to the extent that it reduces volume, boiling concentrates chemical contaminants that remain.
> filtering through eight or more layers of tightly-woven cloth is reported to remove siome larger biologicals (e,g, copepods that csue cholera) (Jalan, Somanathan & Chaudhuri).


What about using the questionable water to "feed" a solar still (where it's sunny/warm enough for solar stills)? That's pretty minimalist in that it only takes a piece of opaque plastic and a container - although a plastic tube makes it easier. My solar still kit fits in a container the size of a pack of cigarettes.

-Cliff[/QUOTE]

 

[kr1]

Colloidal silver which is silver in suspension was used in the old days to treat diseases. Unfortunately, Colloidal silver has been shown to cure nothing and can cause illness that can neither be treated or reversed by not taking it anymore. I can specify web pages on medical quackary or other pages like the FDA that lists the quackery associated with Colloidal silver. Now a silver coin in the water probably has no benefit or harm so if it floats your boat, do it. And as with all free medical advice it is worth what you've paid for it. If you really want the straight information, talk to your doctor.

KR

 

[kr1]

On the boiling thing. In MOST areas of North America one minute is usually enough at sea level. Because boiling temperature drops as altitude increases more contact time is usually required to be safe. That may be why you see differences in the times listed. One of the most common bugs (Giardia) in North America is actually killed before the water starts to boil. Others are nastier. Now if your going to drink out of standing water in Calcutta on the side of the streets I have a whole new list of things to tell you.

KR

 

[Cliff Stamp]

But, I occasionally wear a ring or two made of fine or sterling silver anyway.

Solid silver doesn't dissove well in water, how long would you have to boil the ring before it would dissolve? If you do some searches on this topic, as with many medical issues of a similar nature, it is highly debated. Some argue for extreme benefits for silver ions usally from silver salts (silver nitrate is a common solution) and as of late nanoparticles however others will quickly point out that there are little actual in vivo studies (meaning on live people/animals) to support that at times wild claims (it cures AIDS among other things).

-Cliff