Water purification

From Trail-Finder -- Dedicated to getting you outside

Overview

Water purification is the process by which surface water is made safe to drink. Without purification, all water should be assumed unsafe, unless you know otherwise.

The water purification techniques described in Trail-Finder.com are mostly used in backcountry, although they are equally useful if you are traveling in areas where the local water supplies are not safe to drink, or where temporary water contamination results in "boil water advisories."

Methods

• Water filter: Also known as water purifier, these mechanical devices remove some or all contaminants from your water supply. They are quick and easy to use, but are more expensive than other means.
• Chemical water treatment: Sold mostly in tablet form, but also available in liquid form, this process does not remove sediment, or chemical or radioactive toxins, but it does kill bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. Due to the bad taste left after using chemical water treatments, these are not commonly used, although they're inexpensive enough to deserve a place in your emergency kit.
• Boiling: By bringing water to a rapid boil for a full five minutes, longer at high altitude, you can kill bacteria, viruses, and microbes. Like chemical treatment, this does not remove sediment, or chemical or radioactive toxins.

Limits of Water Purification

Water purification can remove most of the things in water which are dangerous to you, however none of the above methods will remove salt. If your only available source of water is salt water, you need to employ an alternate method, such as a solar still.