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Water Purification
for Emergencies
By Dr. Vilma Ruddock
Learn about the most effective
methods of water purification for emergencies so you are prepared ahead if the
need arises.
Purification methods rid water
of harmful bacteria and other microorganisms that can make you sick.
Depending on the appearance of
the polluted water, you may need to pre-treat it to remove particles and debris
before disinfection.
Purifying Water
Water purification methods are easy to use to
provide a quick supply of clean water in an emergency.
They decrease the risk of waterborne diseases
by organisms such as E. coli, Salmonella, Giardia lambda, and Cryptosporidium.
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes boiling is the most
effective method to purify polluted water, but other methods are not as
effective in removing all contaminants.
If you can't boil your water, consider
combining two methods, such as filtration and chemical disinfection, for better
results.
Pre-Disinfection
Treatment
Before purifying your water, if you need to
clean it by removing sediment and particles, use one of these methods:
· Pour
your water through a clean handkerchief, other clean cloth, T-shirt, coffee
filter, or paper towel into a clean container until you are ready to disinfect.
· Run the
polluted water through a store-bought or homemade filter to trap contaminants.
· Let the
water sit for 30 minutes or more to settle particles to the bottom of the
container. Pour off the clearer water from the top into a clean container and
cover.
Boiling Is the Most
Effective
According to the CDC, boiling
is the most effective method for purifying water. Other methods are not as
effective in removing 100% of contaminants.
Boiling destroys a range of organisms,
including viruses, bacteria, and the cysts, spores, and eggs of parasites.
It also gives you a quick supply of cleaner
water. Assuming you have electricity or another method to heat water after an
emergency:
1.
Bring
the water to a rolling boil.
2.
Continue
boiling for at least one minute.
3.
Let it
cool and store the water in a closed clean container.
Refresh the Taste
The World Health
Organization (WHO) notes water might taste unpleasant after
boiling because of the release of air during the boil.
You can improve the taste by re-aerating the
water in one of three ways:
· Rapidly
stir the water for a few minutes after you boil it.
· After
the water cools, shake it vigorously in a closed container.
· Pour it
back and forth from one container to another.
· Store
the boiled water at least half an hour before drinking.
Purification by Sunlight
If you don't have a source to boil water,
sunlight might be your next best friend.
Sunlight destroys microorganisms in water
through is UV radiation and heating, according to WHO.
To do this, expose a see-through plastic
bottle filled with water to direct sunlight for five hours.
If the temperature is high, you can disinfect
a bottle of water in one hour.
If it is a completely cloudy day, your water
needs about two days of exposure to purify.
Chemical Disinfection
Iodine and chlorine-based chemicals are
effective in killing viruses and bacteria, but not all parasites, according to
the CDC.
Chemical disinfection inactivates
microorganisms by penetrating their cell walls to clean contaminated water in
about 30 minutes.
You will notice the treated water has a
chemical taste to it.
Note that WHO recommends you drink chemically
treated water only during emergencies and not for regular use.
Water Purification
Tablets
Water purification tablets are a convenient,
low cost way to treat polluted water with chemicals.
You can disinfect a quart or gallon of water
for personal use, or treat a big container to serve your family.
The tablets are low-cost, and they are easy to
store and use during emergencies, travel, camping, boating, and short-term
need.
Water disinfection tablets are used globally
by major emergency aid groups and the military of several countries.
For household use, they are easy to get in
stores or online. Consider these two highly rated water treatment tablets:
1.
Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets sell
on Amazon for $7 for 50 tablets per bottle. It takes two tablets to purify a
quart of water. The active ingredient, Tetraglycine Hydroperiodide, generates
iodine as the purifying agent once the tablet dissolves. An unopened bottle of
tablets is good for four years, and an open bottle lasts one year. The tablets
kill Giardia but not Cryptosporidium.
2. Aquatabs effervescent
tablets are available for $14 for 100 tablets per box on Amazon. The active ingredient is sodium
dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC), which releases chlorine as the purifying
chemical. One tablet treats two quarts of water. They have a shelf life of five
years if the packet is unopened, or one year if it's opened.
To Treat Polluted Water
To disinfect your water with tablets:
1.
Pre-treat
the water to remove particles and other debris.
2.
Add the
recommended number of tablets for the quantity of water.
3.
Stir
for a few minutes until the tablets dissolve and cover the container.
4.
Let the
water sit for the required time (usually 30 minutes), and it's ready to drink.
Household Bleach
Disinfection
Household bleach disinfects water through
chlorine and is an easy, inexpensive water purification method.
Bleach will kill viruses and bacteria but not
parasites, such as Giardia lambda or Cryptosporidium, according to the WHO and
EPA.
To disinfect water use a plain, unscented,
uncolored, liquid household bleach containing five to six percent sodium
hypochlorite, which will generate chlorine in the water.
The Red Cross advises adding eight drops
of bleach per two-liter bottle of water, or sixteen drops per gallon.
Water Filtration Systems
Water filtration methods remove particles and
microorganisms by forcing water through layers of filter material, which trap
the contaminants.
They are effective in removing parasites and
some bacteria but not viruses.
According to the CDC, some types of filters do
not remove cryptosporidium, but those labeled "reverse osmosis" with
a small filter pore size of a micron or less will do so.
Filtration systems use ceramic, activated
carbon or charcoal, or other materials or technology to filter water.
Ceramic filtration removes particles, and the
addition of silver purifies the water.
For further purification, treat the filtered
water with chemical tablets. Alternatively, you can boil the water or let it
sit for 48 hours.
Check out these filtration products:
1. The
gravity flow Katadyn TRK Drip Gravidyn Water Filter sells on Amazon for $184.
The 10 liter drum holds three combined ceramic and activated carbon filters
impregnated with silver and can purify enough water for six people. To use the
filter, follow the directions that come with the product.
2. The Outback Mini 4-Stage Gravity Powered Water Filtration
System is a two-bucket configuration that works using gravity.
The system costs $125 at ESP Water Products. It removes particles, bacteria,
viruses, and some chemicals from contaminated water. It can filter enough water
daily for a family of four.
3. The Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System sells
for about $20 at Walmart. This small, portable system uses filtration
technology found in kidney dialysis. The two-ounce kit filters 100,000 gallons
of water with a small filter, a water pouch, and a straw. The filter fits the
neck of a standard water bottle.
4. The Do it Yourself Emergency Water Filter Kit contains
all you need build your own water filtration system. The kits sell for $27 on
SHTFandGO.com and comes with complete instructions.
Be Prepared
Be prepared during an emergency to purify your
water if your supply is contaminated.
Make sure you organize your water treatment
supplies at home as part of your emergency preparations.
Vilma Ruddock, M.D. is Harvard-trained in Obstetrics, Gynecology,
Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, and has a passion for writing and
teaching. She is an expert on women's health and diseases, including:
Pregnancy, Infertility, Contraception,
Hormonal disorders, Menopause.
In her practice of
comprehensive women's health, she also has expertise on disease prevention,
wellness and fitness, nutrition, weight and stress management, and hair and
skin care.
Pregnancy and Women's Health
Expert
Dr. Ruddock has spent over 20
years in the practice of comprehensive adult and adolescent women's health care
and gynecologic surgery. Her practice includes areas specific to the health of
women of all ages as well as general health and prevention issues. She is
trained in managing:
Pregnancy, Pre-pregnancy
health, Infertility,Family planning.
Dr. Ruddock spent many years
teaching and training medical students, physicians, nurses, physician
assistants, and other allied health professionals in taking care of the health
of pregnant and non-pregnant women. She also wrote an unpublished pregnancy
manual to guide women through the weeks of pregnancy and preparation for labor
and delivery.
Nutrition, Wellness, and
Fitness Expertise
Dr. Ruddock has written
several patient education materials on maintaining a healthier lifestyle
through healthy eating, weight management, exercise and avoiding risky
behaviors. She has a lifelong love of health promotion, wellness and fitness of
mind and body, as well as public health.
As a gymnast throughout her
teens, healthy food choices, food preparation, and regular exercise became
second nature. Dr. Ruddock does a lot of reading and research in these areas to
supplement her courses at the Harvard
School of Public Health during medical school.
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