Do you need to know How to Purify Water in an Emergency? If an emergency were ever to arise, the most important essential that you would need to worry about is your drinking water supply. Your body can go for a couple of weeks without food, but only a few days without any water. If a hurricane, flood, or a pipe breakage were to happen, the purity of your water may become compromised.
Ways to Purify Water in an Emergency
If you have no other method for getting clean water, this could become a serious issue for you and your family. Here are a number of ways that you could purify your water supply if you were ever put in an emergency situation.
Boil Your Water
Purifying water by boiling it is about as popular as it comes. Boiled water kills bacteria and any viruses that may be lurking in your drinking supply. This method does not clean dirt and other particles so you’ll need to filter your water through a coffee filter beforehand.
Go ahead and bring the water to a rolling boil for just over 1 minute. If you are at an altitude that is above 5,000 feet, make it 3 minutes at a rolling boil. Allow the water to cool and then add a pinch of salt for every quart of water you’re planning on storing.
Bleach Your Water Supply
Another popular water purifying method is to use bleach. Make sure that you are not using a bleach that contains scents, added cleaners, or ones that mention “color-safe.” The bleach product should consist of 8.25% of sodium hypochlorite as mentioned on the label.
If you notice that the water is cloudy, first-run, and filter it through a coffee filter. Next, add 6 drops of bleach with a dropper to every gallon of water that you are purifying. Go ahead and double that amount if the water is really cloudy, colored, or very cold.
Then you’ll need to stir it and allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes. You should be able to notice a slight chlorine scent to it. If the water does not, go ahead and repeat these steps and allow the water to sit for 15 minutes.
Add Chlorine Tablets
It’s not a bad idea to head into an outdoor store that carries chlorine tablets for your water supply. In order to disinfect your water, go ahead and add one part of the chlorine solution to 100 parts of water. This is equivalent to adding 1 pint of chlorine solution to 12.5 gallons of water. If you are noticing a strong chlorine smell, switch the water from one clean container to another and allow it to sit for about an hour.
Use Iodine Tablets
Some people prefer to use iodine tablets to reduce bacteria levels in their water. This method is not recommended for people with thyroid issues or women that may be pregnant. It’s also better to use the iodine tablets and not necessarily the iodine that sometimes comes in first aid kits.
You’ll need to add 5 drops of 2% tincture iodine to every quart of water you’re looking to purify. If the water is noticeably cloudy, go ahead and make it 10 drops of iodine. Be sure to stir it and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes.
Have you ever been in a situation where your drinking water had been tampered with and you needed a way to purify it? Which method did you use? Do you know of any other methods for purifying water that was not mentioned above?
More Tips for Being Prepared
Melissa is a soccer mom who has been married to her best friend for 21 years. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
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