The only water purification I've done is when on backpacking trips. I always purified it right before I was going to use it (a couple of hours before use), not ahead of time. I never used bleach, and that may not dissipate fast enough. I used iodine a lot. That did leave a slight taste, but not so bad that you couldn't use the water. There were other tablets that you could use - specific water purifying tablets - that did not leave any taste. Those were fine for backpacking, but I would think them too expensive for larger scale household use. There is also something called a "LifeStraw" that does a very good job of filtering out bacteria and parasites. It does not do viruses though. But if you're filling your water bottles from a safe source to begin with, I wouldn't think viruses would be a problem. You drink through this device (like a straw), so it's not for batch water purifying. They're cheap. I have a few around the house for emergency use - mostly after a water main break somewhere - that results in a "boil water" directive from the water company. We drink bottled water (from those 5 gallon barrels) so we don't have to worry too much about these "boil water" directives, but the LifeStraws are there for additional options and backup.
Added bleach to 5 gallon water storage jugs and it's undrinkable
- Thread starter shanrose
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World Health Organization recommends using chlorine dioxide at 1 PPM for water disinfection.
You will need to mix up a stronger solution than that, measure the PPM with test strips that you can get on Amazon, and then dilute to the 1 PPM concentration.
So for example if you have 1 ounce of solution at 50 PPM, dilute with 49 ounces of water to get 50 ounces at 1 ppm.
Use distilled water and do not use any metallic containers or mixing spoons.
I saw those Life straws and was looking at them and another unit. I like reverse osmosis. Yeah bleach turned out to be a bad choice unless I remove the lid and it dissipates. I was looking at iodine tablets but reading the reviews a guy said that it doesn't remove/ kill cryptosporidium (?) So I was looking at chlorine dioxide.
I decided on chlorine dioxide tablets. I use reverse osmosis water. I'm unsure of how you're figuring out the amount to add to the water however, but math has always been a stumbling block for me. I bought these tablets - there's only 20 so I wondered if I should get more. So in your opinion, how many tablets would I put into a 7 gallon jug of water? I appreciate your knowledge on it.
Okay - it may take me awhile but I think I'm starting to grasp your explanation. What are the name of the test strips on Amazon? Thanks very much for the info!
Well water putrity depends on the surrounding topography, the depth and regeneration cycle of the water in the Aquifer and whether is exposed at any point to surface runoff.
Also if you have a septic system the porosity of your soil, the distance from the well and the Rain/Snow saturation point flow of the seepage through the soil and across any bedrock you penetrate.
Also if you have a septic system the porosity of your soil, the distance from the well and the Rain/Snow saturation point flow of the seepage through the soil and across any bedrock you penetrate.
I keep a few of those around for quick emergencies. I also have a
Lifestraw gravity filter for longer term problems.
I was not aware of that. But that parasite is easy to filter out.
Another thing about iodine. It reacts with starch. The result is purple. So if you like colorful noodle dinners, iodine purification is for you! (Ask me how I learned this!)
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These are the ones I use:
LaMotte Insta-Test 3002 Chlorine Dioxide Single Factor Test Strip, 0-500ppm Range (Vial of 50 Strips)
It's a pretty simple calculation. Measure the PPM of one ounce of solution. Subtract 1, and then add that many ounces of water.
1 ounce at 50 ppm - add 49 ounces of water
1 ounce at 75 ppm - add 74 ounces of water
Works the same whether you mix up the solution using sodium chlorite and an acid, or use tablets. However, the tablets should come with instructions on how much water one table treats. I use citric acid with sodium chlorite. The test strips will not accurately measure 1 PPM which is why you need to start with a stronger solution then dilute.
I'm pretty good at measuring distances, from the thickness of a sheet of paper to many kilometers.. However not good at volume type measuring..
What I think is being said is the correct amount of non scented household bleach to use in 5 gallons of water is 1/4 teaspoon.. ?? Then it will be best to also boil it before use.. ?? Is this about right.. ??
What I think is being said is the correct amount of non scented household bleach to use in 5 gallons of water is 1/4 teaspoon.. ?? Then it will be best to also boil it before use.. ?? Is this about right.. ??
Thank you!
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