Water Water Everywhere.....

[Mistwalker]

The fact that 75% of our chemical make-up is H2O is a strong motivator for me to study water filtration and purification. It is something that I experiment with quite a bit.

In a perfect modern world we have this....which we assume is safe to drink.

In a not so perfect modern world we have this...

And even though the sign does not state this, I would think it a safe bet the water should not be drank in its current state, it should at least be boiled.

In many cases other things also make the water around us less than appealing.

Today's experiment was taking something I was taught as applied to a wilderness environment and applying it to a modern urban environment. I am working on collecting samples to have tested by a senior biology major, so I am starting to collect them at various stages of processing and from various locations. This little experiment had some interesting results.

I was taught how to make a water filter using bamboo, gravel, and sand in situations where large particulates and insect larvae needed to be removed when I had no way to actually purify the water to at least minimize the risks, and also even as a precursor to boiling in some cases. While drinking unpurified water is never appealing...neither is dying of dehydration. This is one reason why a sharp point is an important feature to have somewhere in my "tool kit" in the field, to make the small holes for the filter.

End part 1 of 3
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[Mistwalker]

**NOTE**

This is just a filter experiment, and thread for discussion on this subject. I am in no way, shape, or form representing this water as safe to drink at any point in this thread.


I got the idea today to play with this using a plastic bottle.

I was on a sand bar in the bend of a creek so I used small gravels and sand from the immediate area.

I just used a broken cup I found in the area as a dipper.

End part 2 of 3
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[Mistwalker]

The first run through was cloudy with sediment like I expected. However there was a film and a foam ring that developed that I think was from something in the sand.

But even though the ring remained on the bottle, the water did get clearer after a few runs.

.

 

[Moosez45]

Very interesting. So how much clearer would you estimate it got? That filter should have removed a large portion of the "heavy" items. Do you think a boil after a filter process like that would work? Moose

 

[p moore]

Great work on the write-up and pics. Looking forward to more.

Paul

 

[Mistwalker]

Very interesting. So how much clearer would you estimate it got? That filter should have removed a large portion of the "heavy" items. Do you think a boil after a filter process like that would work? Moose

To clarify here, there are actually two different creeks in this set of pics. First pics with warning sign taken at Stringers Branch second pics and filtration done on Mountain Creek. There are no warming signs on Mountain Creek but probably should be with all of the residential areas around it at this end.

Ok..there is no industry on Mountain Creek and all of the old farms have been apartment complexes for more than 30 years now so a boil may well have taken care of anything. However if I had been preparing this to drink and had the means to build a fire and the time to do so I would have also burned enough wood to make a layer of charcoal in the filter too just as a precautionary measure. I would have also cleaned the dipper better or looked for another one

Great work on the write-up and pics. Looking forward to more.

Paul

Thanks Paul, glad you enjoyed the post.

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[tknife]

Wow I guess I'd rather have no water around than that water. That's some pretty scary stuff.

 

[KuRUpTD]

Nice write up Mist :thumbup: I read somewhere that you can also incorporate layers of grass and charcoal with the sand to enhance the filtration process.

 

[Kenon Rain]

very cool, I only wonder what sort of stuff has already more or less bonded with those sand banks if the river comes up in the winter

 

[CoyotePhysics]

It's amazing how often I miss the obvious. I've seen diagrams of filters made out of hollow logs and thought, "Great, if I forget my purifier but remember to bring a hollow log I'll be set." I would wager that there are far more man-made tubes sitting around the woods than we would expect (bottles, beer cans, rusty jeep tailpipes) that could be converted into survival gear in a desperate situation.

 

[Shotgun]

So why do you think boiling it wouldn't make it safe to drink? It should kill all the bacteria or are you thinking chemical contaminants? Which is what I'm most worried about in water near civilized areas.

 

[TheGame]

I remember watching a youtube video about a pseudo water filter. Last time I went to southern Ohio I made one and boiled afterward. Didn't get sick of anything either. Great post :thumbup:

 

[KuRUpTD]

I've seen diagrams of filters made out of hollow logs and thought, "Great, if I forget my purifier but remember to bring a hollow log I'll be set."

You can also use birch bark to make an impromptu filter.

http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/water/lswbirchbarkfilter.html

 

[Mistwalker]

Wow I guess I'd rather have no water around than that water. That's some pretty scary stuff.

Easy to think that isn't it? Interesting looking at something we are made mostly of and yet fear it.

Nice write up Mist :thumbup: I read somewhere that you can also incorporate layers of grass and charcoal with the sand to enhance the filtration process.

Yes I was taught to use long thin leaves and grasses as an extra filter layer and to stop the sand from coming out in the water. Charcoal is a great filter element. Good for improved flavor and useful for removal of chemicals.

very cool, I only wonder what sort of stuff has already more or less bonded with those sand banks if the river comes up in the winter

Oh...I'm quite certain there are things bonded to it and the water would definitely need to be boiled or treated to even get close to being safe. But this phase will still remove larger particles and insect larvae.

It's amazing how often I miss the obvious. I've seen diagrams of filters made out of hollow logs and thought, "Great, if I forget my purifier but remember to bring a hollow log I'll be set." I would wager that there are far more man-made tubes sitting around the woods than we would expect (bottles, beer cans, rusty jeep tailpipes) that could be converted into survival gear in a desperate situation.

Under normal circumstances it is just litter and eye sores, but in a bad enough situation in an area where there is no bamboo or hollow logs some could come in handy for several different things. World-wide it is amazing how many survive off of other's refuse.

So why do you think boiling it wouldn't make it safe to drink? It should kill all the bacteria or are you thinking chemical contaminants? Which is what I'm most worried about in water near civilized areas.

Yes it would be possible chemical contamination that would concern me. In residential areas people use herbicides, pesticides, dump used oil and paints...lots of possible hazards.

I remember watching a youtube video about a pseudo water filter. Last time I went to southern Ohio I made one and boiled afterward. Didn't get sick of anything either. Great post :thumbup:

For the most part away from residential and industrial areas a filter and boil will usually suffice, many times a boil will be all that is needed, but it's good to practice skills.

You can also use birch bark to make an impromptu filter.

http://www.wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/water/lswbirchbarkfilter.html

Birch bark is good for a lot of things, wish we had it down here

 

[tknife]

Will boiling alone kill that type of waste? I think the filter then boil method would probably make it okay. But my mind would have me thinking I'm sprouting cooties in my gut though, but in an emergency I'd rather deal with the consequences later and drinking it rather than dying of dehydration.

 

[KJlost]

Boiling wouldn't do anything to heavy metals or inorganic chemicals like pesticide. It probably wouldn't do much to you in the short term though.

 

[JCavSD]

So why do you think boiling it wouldn't make it safe to drink? It should kill all the bacteria or are you thinking chemical contaminants? Which is what I'm most worried about in water near civilized areas.

Chemical contaminants are a concern, but I'd be more worried about biological contaminants. The answer to the age old question "Does a bear $%!# in the woods" is yes...and so does everything else...and eventually it all works its way down into the creek you're about to drink out of. Blah!

 

[ROCK6]

I know charcoal from a fireplace isn't "activated", but I've used it in a class where we built an improvised filter stand. We layered grass, charcoal and sand in a tripod with a canvas bag...worked pretty well (we still used iodine after filtering). If anything, I think the ground up charcoal can help with removing tannic or other less appealing water taste (depending on the source). I do keep a bag of replacement activated charcoal in my "bug out bag", but it doesn't have long life what's used.

I still think initial filtering is good to extend the life of your filter or even keep less sediment/particles out when boiling.

ROCK6

 

[Havokk]

but in an emergency I'd rather deal with the consequences later and drinking it rather than dying of dehydration.

On a survival course, we were told by the instructor
"Giargia and Crypto won't kill you in 3 days. Dehydration will".
Here in New Zealand both giardia and cryptosporidium are an issue. Both, however, have onset times measured in days. People who catch guiardia in the wild don't show the symptoms untill they are back in town and therefore close to aid.
On the other hamnd, I have a mate who caught giardiasis (during a trial of water filters run by the NZ Army - his filter didn't make the grade, shall we say). He said it was three weeks where you planned your entire life around not being more than five minutes from a toilet. He found where every public toilet in town was and planned his driving route to always be close to one.
B

 

[Jeff H]

Just the other day, with great envy, I watched our cat lap water from my wife's fish pond. I have to clean that out that pond and I KNOW what's in there.:barf: Wish I could do that, but I wouldn't want to be a cat. I should save up for a filter.

Nice post. Thaks for sharing.:thumbup::thumbup: