Water is essential to every form of life on the planet, but that doesn’t mean that all water is safe to drink. You already know not to drink saltwater or water from a dirty pond. But, did you realize that the water coming out of your tap may not be as clean and safe as you think?
All water that is sent to your home goes through the treatment works, this removes bacteria and debris but also adds chemicals. In addition, there is no way to guarantee that the water is not recontaminated with bacteria and debris between the treatment works and your home, it may need to go through miles of pipework.
That’s why you need to take precautions and understand 4 methods to purify your water:
Filtration
This is generally considered to be the most effective method of purifying water. There are actually several different types of filter, including reverse osmosis and activated carbon. These types of filter can be included in your water supply and will supply filtered water to one tap or the entire house.
It’s also good to know that filtration methods remove unwanted substances but they don’t remove all the minerals in water, which are beneficial to your health.
Boiling
If a water filter isn’t an option then boiling is a good alternative. Is arguably the cheapest option and very easy to do, although a little inconvenient to do all the time.
Simply place your water into a pan and bring it to the boil. Keep it at boiling for 3-5 minutes and then leave it to cool before drinking. You should keep it covered while cooling and, if you live at a high altitude, you should boil it for longer as it will boil at a lower temperature and you need to make sure you’ve killed all the bacteria and other pathogens.
Chlorination
Adding chlorine is done at the water treatment works. But, if you’re not sure about the water then you can chlorinate it again at home. Of course, chlorine is a powerful chemical, you must proceed with caution and according to the instructions.
The most common way of adding chlorine is by using a chlorine pill.
If chlorine is not available then you can use two drops of bleach, without additives, in a quarter of gallon of water. Again, caution is recommended.
Distillation
The fourth option is distillation. This is actually a very effective way to purify any water source.
You’ll need to put your water into a bowl or pan so that you can heat it to boiling point. When it reaches boiling point it will start to steam, as the water evaporates. This steam should be directed onto a cool container, an upside-down bowl over the pan of water is good, providing it is larger than the pan. The steam hits the bowl and cools, turning back into water. In the process, it has been purified of all chemicals and bacteria. All you have to do is collect the water and enjoy.
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