Drink or Die?
We all know
that three days without water and we are incapacitated and nearing
death. We all know that water from streams, lakes, ponds and rivers
if consumed “raw” can lead to parasitic infection. We
also know that those same sources may be polluted with pesticides,
insecticides, heavy metals, and a host of other contaminants. These
can lead to sickness and to death.
If you find
yourself in a situation where it is drink or die, then drink of
course and hope for the best, right? In a worst case scenario that
might be the only choice you have, and you might very well get lucky.
A better alternative is to know how to treat the water so that it
is safe. The following techniques require at least a fire-safe container,
or plastic sheeting, or PET bottles, bleach or iodine.
The simplest
technique of removing parasites is to boil the water. Pasteurization
will take place at just 160 degrees F after 6 minutes. Bringing
water to a boil and letting it cool off will also do it [but it
is overkill. You donÂ’t need to actually boil the water [, but
if you don’t have a dairy of candy thermometer, it is one way to
make sure that the microorganisms in the water are sterile or dead.]
This does not remove chemical or metal content.
Treatment with
common household bleach works quite well. Use regular bleach, not
bleach with scents in them. The chlorine in the bleach is the same
chlorine used in water treatment plants. If the water is cloudy,
let it stand until the particulate matter settles, then decant the
clear water – or filter the water through coffee filters or
clean cloth or whole chunk charcoal. Do not use briquettes, they
contain chemical binders that can leach into the water. When the
water is clear add 8 drops of bleach per gallon. Stir or shake well
and let it set for at least 30 minutes before drinking.
If you use
tincture of iodine (2%) mix in 20 drops per gallon of clear water,
shake or stir well and let set for 30 minutes. In both cases, Iodine
or chlorine, use more if you cannot filter the water. How much more?
There are too many variables to give a single answer. Use your best
judgment. Also let it stand longer so that the disinfecting chemicals
have more time to work their magic.
If heating
water to 160 F isnÂ’t possible and you donÂ’t have bleach
or iodine then there are still other methods that you can use.
Solar distillation
is an effective way to remove contaminants. This is a simple process,
but a slow one. It will not produce a large volume in a short time.
It can keep you alive though. The materials required are plastic
sheeting, clear is best, and a clean bowl or small pot. Begin by
digging a large diameter hole shaped like a shallow dish bowl. The
size of the hole depends on the size of the plastic sheeting you
have. A manageable size would be three feet in diameter. The depth
should be twice the depth of the bowl or pot you will be using.
The hole should slope up on the sides to the top to maximize the
amount of water surface exposed to the sun. A thin large sheet of
water will evaporate faster than a deep small hole of water will.
Collect enough
rocks to make a complete circle around the circumference of the
hole. Lay one sheet of plastic in the hole to line the bottom. Cover
the edges of this plastic with enough dirt to keep it in place.
Fill this hole with water to the edges. Place the bowl or pot in
the middle of the hole of water. This will be the collection container.
The inside of the collection container must be clean. You may need
to place a rock or piece of metal inside the collection container
to keep it from floating out of position, if so make sure it too
is clean.
Lay a second
sheet of plastic over the top of the hole, weighing it down with
the rocks you collected. Leave a little slack in this sheet. When
it is secure around the edges place a small amount of dirt on the
edges of the plastic. You want a fairly good seal, or youÂ’ll
lose some of the water you would otherwise be able to drink. Place
a small rock on top of the top sheet directly above the collection
container. This will slope the plastic down to a point above the
collector. As the sun hits the plastic it will evaporate the standing
water. That evaporated water will be trapped against the underside
of the upper plastic and condense, then run down the plastic to
the point above the collector and drip into it. When enough water
has accumulated remove it and set the apparatus back up.
If you have
clean flexible plastic tubing you can run the tubing to the collector,
coming out the edge of the hole and suck the water out periodically,
saving the work of restoring the solar still each time you collect
water. If you donÂ’t have the tubing itÂ’s no big deal.
Obviously you should choose a sunny location for the solar still,
and you can make more than one to increase production. The hotter
the ambient temperature, the more direct the sunlight, the faster
it will work.
Another system
for biological disinfection is to use the sunÂ’s ultra-violet
rays. This is a simple and easy method. It can also produce as much
water as you can find containers to disinfect in. Clean, clear PET
bottles of two liter or smaller size are the container of choice.
Clear glass works, but not as fast.
Put clear filtered
water inside a PET bottle, set it where it will be in direct sunlight,
and wait four hours. The suns UV rays will kill the biologicals
in the water. The bottle should be horizontal, not standing up.
Angling the bottles to perpendicular to the sun is best, roof tops
work well for this. Of course remove any labels that would block
the sun. ThatÂ’s the short explanation.
July
24, 2012
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© 2012 Survival
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