Drinking Water Research

Drinking Water Research

When the water you're hoping to drink might be riddled with parasites or bacteria particles, you can't afford to skimp on water purification. In the very circumstances that put you in contact with questionable water (being in the wilderness, surviving or recovering from a disaster, or living in a part of the world where water isn't purified for you) the last thing you want to do is to get sick.

How can we get drinking water?

First we need to purify the water through some process; you can choose the one that you prefer.

Method 1

1. Place the water you wish to purify into a pot. Place the pot on the stove and turn the stove on to high. When water boils, any bacteria that may have been living in it will be killed, thus ensuring that you do not get sick when you drink the water.[1]

If you are in the wilderness when you need to purify your water, build a fire to boil your pot on. If you do not have pot, you can use any container that is fire-proof.

2. Watch for rolling bubbles. When bubbles begin to appear, it means that the water is boiling. Let the bubbles continue for a solid five minutes for the heat to have the most effect upon any bacteria that may have been living in the water.[2]

Boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes will kill off 99.9% of any organisms living in the water. It also removes most chemicals by vaporizing them. However, be aware that boiling the water will not remove solids, metals, or minerals.

3. Remove the pot from the heat. Use caution when handling the pot and water as they are, as you may have guessed, very hot.

4. Let the water sit and settle. You do not need to do this if you are boiling water that came from a tap and you feel sure that there are no solid items, minerals, or metals in the water. If you let the water settle, any items in the water will sink to the bottom naturally, allowing you to drink the pure water from the top.

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