Water is Life

Finding and Purifying Water in an Emergency

In any survival situation, locating and purifying water should be a top priority, as the average human can only survive about 3 days without it. Of course, there are applicable individual variables that increase/decrease that estimate. But, why chance it? Below you'll find some tips to avoid personally finding out. Get to work.

•Look for moving water in streams, creeks or rivers and filter/purify before drinking. Moving water tends to contain fewer toxins and, being aware of what is upstream of your collection point will give you insight to the level of filtration needed. Still water in lakes and ponds can also be used but may require more a extensive purification time/process.

•Collecting rainwater using containers, tarps, and gutters can be a good source, if you have the items on hand but, when is the next rainstorm? Likely, you won't have the time to wait for a rain in an emergency scenario, unless the rain IS the emergency scenario. Purify collected rainwater before drinking.

•Look for dew on grass in the early morning and collect with a cloth. Wring out into a container and purify. But, let's face it, this will likely require enough work that you'll sweat more than you consume. Find a body of water, if you can.

To purify water:

•Boil - Boiling water for 1-3 minutes kills pathogens and is often the easiest method requiring minimal tools that, in most cases, are readily available. Paired with the distillation method this can maximize the amount of water collected. Obviously, let cool before consuming.

•Distill - Collect evaporated water vapor from boiling and condense into a clean container. We'll get into the process itself in another post. This process removes contaminants and maximizes collected water.

•Use purification tablets, an item that should be in every household pantry and bugout bag. Simply follow directions to chemically disinfect water. Wait recommended time before drinking.

•Filter - Using a filter, like those containing carbon, ceramic, or reverse osmosis membranes to remove pathogens, bacteria, and microplastics. There are a few great ones on the market.