Water Purification: General Information

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Readymom
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Treat your water in two steps!

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The following post is from AvianFluTalk preparedness forum:

Treat your water in two steps!
https://www.avianflutalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=963&PID=20904&title=water#20904

The following is an explanation of why you should filter your water FIRST, using one of the filters noted in other posts, and THEN use your chlorine to complete the purification process of your water:

Note: THis guideline will be cross-posted in the appropriate Chlorine threads. -Admin

It may be a good idea, if you are planning on using chlorine or other chemical disinfectants, to use an activated carbon filter prior to use to filter out the resultant chlorine and carcinogenic THM's.

Please see below:

Disinfection

Disinfection with aggressive chemicals like chlorine or ozone is normally the last step in purifying drinking water. Water is disinfected to destroy any pathogens which passed through the filters. Possible pathogens include viruses, bacteria including Escherichia coli and Shigella, and protozoans including Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium. Many water systems intentionally leave residual disinfection agents in the water after exiting the plant so it travels throughout the distribution system. The most common disinfection method is some form of chlorine such as chlorine gas, sodium hypochlorite, chloramine or chlorine dioxide. The water and chemical mix are allowed to sit in a large tank, called a clear well. The water must sit in the clear well to ensure that the water is in contact with the disinfectant for a minimum amount of time because it takes time to inactivate the harmful microbes. Chlorine is a strong oxidant that kills many microorganisms and remains in the water to provide continuing disinfection. Other disinfection methods include using ozone which acts very rapidly or Ultra Violet light that is almost instantaneous also inactivate pathogens.

Chlorine gas and sodium hypochlorite are the most commonly used disinfectants, because they are inexpensive and easy to manage. They are effective in killing bacteria, but have limited effectiveness against protozoans that form cysts in water (Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium, both of which are pathogenic). Chlorine gas and sodium hypochlorite both have strong residuals in the water once it enters the distribution system.

The main drawback in using chlorine gas or sodium hypochlorite is that these react with organic compounds in the water to form potentially harmful levels of the chemical by-products trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids, both of which are carcinogenic and regulated by the U.S. EPA. The formation of THMs and haloacetic acids is minimized by effective removal of as many organics from the water as possible before disinfection and/or by adding ammonia immediately after chemical disinfection is completed. Formerly, it was common practice to chlorinate the water at the beginning of the purification process, but this practice has mostly been abandoned to minimize the production of THMs.

Chloramines are not as effective disinfectants compared to chlorine gas or sodium hypochlorite, but do not form THMs or haloacetic acids. They are typically used only in stored and distributed treated water. An example of this sort is proceeses using ozone for primary disinfection which is very quickly accomplished then using monochloramine to create a residual level of disinfectant in the water. Chlorine dioxide is another rapid acting disinfectant against bacteria but unlike ozone it leaves a long lasting residual in the water. Despite these beneficial characteristics, it is rarely used because it may creates excessive amounts of chlorate and chlorite, both of which are regulated to low allowable levels.
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Water Purification: General Information

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From Homeland Security

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Do I Need to Treat Water?
http://www.nationalterroralert.com/safewater/

Once you properly clean containers, fill them with potable, or safe, drinking water. All public water supplies are already treated and should be free of harmful bacteria. However, as an additional precaution, it is recommended that you add 5-7 drops, about 1/8 teaspoon, of chlorine bleach per gallon of water stored. This precaution protects you against any lingering organisms in storage containers that may have been inadvertently missed during the cleaning process.
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From Princeton

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Princeton University

OA Guide to Water Purification part of The Backpacker's Field Manual
http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/water.shtml

by Rick Curtis

Water Purification

Dipping your head into a cold mountain stream and taking a long refreshing drink is an experience that has basically vanished from the wilderness areas of America. With the increased use of the wilderness there has also been an increase in the amount of bacteriological contamination of backcountry water supplies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that 90 percent of the world's water is contaminated in some way. There are a variety of microscopic organisms that can contaminate water supplies and cause potentially serious, even fatal, illnesses among wilderness travelers. The major danger in the backcountry from these infections is fluid loss due to diarrhea and vomiting, which can lead to hypovolemic shock and possibly death (see Diarrhea or Vomiting, page 315; Fluid Electrolyte Replacement, page 286; Shock, page 238).

In order to drink the water, you should be prepared to treat it. ---CONTINUED---
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What Makes Water Unsafe to Drink?

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(Scroll down to this topic) Copyright © 1998, 2006 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.

How to Find Water and Make It Safe to Drink
https://grandpappy.org/hwater.htm

Topics from the above site include:

What Makes Water Unsafe to Drink?
Protozoa:
Bacteria:
Viruses:
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Re: Water Purification: General Information

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Water Purification
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UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
Field Medical Training Battalion
Camp Lejeune

Perform Water Purification for Individual Use
http://www.operationalmedicine.org/TextbookFiles/FMST_20008/FMST_1602.htm

TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Given a source of water in a combat environment, and necessary field equipment, perform water purification for individual use, to provide potable water. (FMST-FP-1602)

ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVES


1. Without the aid of references, given a description or list, identify sources of water in a field environment, per the student handout. (FMST-FP-1602a)

2. Without the aid of references, given a description or list, identify factors affecting sources of water, per the student handout. (FMST-FP-1602b)

3. Without the aid of references, given a description or title, identify the preferred methods of water purification for individual use, per the student handout. (FMST-FP-1602c)

4. Without the aid of references, given a list, sequence the steps to disinfect a canteen of water, per the student handout. (FMST-FP-1602d) --- continued at link, above ----
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Re: Water Purification: General Information

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Making Water Safe to Drink: A Tutorial
http://thesurvivalmom.com/2010/03/23/making-water-safe-to-drink-a-tutorial/

The primary reason to treat drinking water is to prevent gastrointestinal illness from fecal pollution. Gastrointestinal illness (especially diarrhea) can make life miserable for anyone trying to hunt sheep in Asia, kudu in Africa or even closer to home, elk in the Rocky Mountains.

To be safe, water must be disinfected, which is defined as 'the removal or destruction of harmful microorganisms.' To do this, water must be boiled, treated with chemicals or filtered.'Disinfection' of water should not be confused with 'purification' of water.

Some of the methods used to purify water may not remove or kill enough of the pathogens to ensure a person's safety so, to be certain that the water you drink is free from illness causing agents, it must be disinfected.

The first step in disinfecting water is to .... --- continued at link, above ----
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Re: Water Purification: General Information

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The Need to Purify Water

LDS Preparedness Manual

Pages 111-

Water Purification--Heavy Metals
https://survivalcache.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/LDS-Preparedness-Manual.pdf

Heavy metals are only a problem is certain areas of the country. The best way to identify their presence is by a lab
test of the water or by speaking with your county health department. Unless you are down stream of mining trailings
or a factory, the problem will probably affect the whole county or region. Heavy metals are unlikely to be present in sufficient levels to cause problems with short-term use. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Water Purification: General Information

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Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water

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Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water

USE ONLY WATER THAT HAS BEEN PROPERLY DISINFECTED FOR DRINKING, COOKING, MAKING ANY PREPARED DRINK, OR FOR BRUSHING TEETH

1. Use bottled water that has not been exposed to flood waters if it is available.
2. If you don't have bottled water, you should ...
3. If you can't boil water, you can ...
4. If you have a well that has been flooded, ...

U.S. federal agencies and the Red Cross recommend these same four steps to disinfect drinking water in an emergency. Please, read the text below for important details about disinfection. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Water Purification: General Information

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Water-General Information-The Need to Purify

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What You Should Know About Water Purification And Storage
http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/what-you-should-know-about-water/

A death by contaminated water
A few years ago my grandfather told me a story that illustrates how deadly contaminated water can be. It happened in the summer of 1934 when he was only 9 years old. He was out in the fields gathering corn, with his dad, brothers and sister. He said it had to be at least 100 degrees because the sun was bright in the sky and the sweat burned his eyes.

His eleven year old sister got thirsty and instead of going to the house to get water, she drank from a nearby stream. She died a few days later. Upon further investigation it was discovered that a cow, from a nearby farm had died upstream from where she drank, contaminating the water.

They had used the water --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---
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Re: Water Purification: General Information

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World Health Organization (WHO) PDF fact sheet on storage & treatment:

Household Water Treatment and Storage - Fact Sheet 2.34
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/emergencies/fs2_34.pdf

Intro:

Almost all water sources are open to contamination and many unprotected sources are very highly contaminated. Some water sources, especially surface water sources such as rivers or streams, may also have mu or silt in them making the water cloudy. To have clear water with no pathogens in it, a household must treat or purify the water. This does not require expensive chemicals or equipment: household treatment systems can often be made with local materials to keep costs low. --- CONTINUED at LINK, above ---

Includes:
  • Boiling
  • Simple Household Filters
  • Coagulation
  • Disinfection
  • Disinfecting Household Drinking Water
  • Chlorine Demand and Residual
  • Storage
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Re: Water Purification: General Information

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How to Purify Water – Making Water Safe to Drink
https://alphasurvivalist.net/how-to-purify-water/

(BIG SNIP) ... You may start to think yourself lucky because you have what seems like a nice clear stream, river, or a lake nearby, but nowadays, as clean as they may seem, without proper filtration and purification none of those sources could be deemed ideal for drinking water.

If you know how to purify water, then even the dirtiest of ponds can provide you with a lifeline of potable (drinking) water, ensuring your survival and those you are responsible for. ---CONTINUED---
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Re: Water Purification: General Information

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15 Ways To Purify Water In A Survival Scenario
https://urbansurvivalsite.com/purify-water/

(SNIP) ... If you know how to purify water, you can continue drinking from your tap even after the facilities in charge of purifying the water have ceased operations. You’ll also be able to purify water you collect from streams, ponds, rainfall, and more.

Below, we’ll take a look at some of the top water purification methods that you can use to ensure that you always have access to clean drinking water. ---CONTINUED---
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