The FREE Water Purification Premium

Transcription

1

2 Table of contents How much pure water available?... 3 Be prepared: Store water... 5 Where to store water?... 5 When water is not safe to drink... 6 Ways to purify water... 8 Boiling... 9 How to Improve the Taste of Boiled Water Liquid Chlorine Bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) Dry 68% Calcium Hypochlorite Granules Liquid 2% Tincture of Iodine Commercial Water Purification Tablets Water filters The clay pot biological filter Final Thoughts

3 How much pure water available? Does pure water still come out of your faucet? Or did it ever? Probably not! The substance that keeps us alive is facing horrible threats that people know little about. This guide will reveal all these threats, one by one, accompanied by the proper explanation, because well, because you have THE RIGHT TO KNOW. But most of all, I will tell you how to get rid of them, how to use average skills and a lot of attitude to keep you and your family safe. With two thirds of the earth's surface covered by water and the human body consisting of 75 percent of it, it is evidently clear that water is one of the prime elements responsible for life on earth. Water circulates through the land just as it does through the human body, transporting, dissolving, replenishing nutrients and organic matter, while carrying away waste material. Further in the body, it regulates the activities of fluids, tissues, cells, lymph, blood and glandular secretions. An average adult body contains 42 litres of water and with just a small loss of 2.7 litres he or she can suffer from dehydration, displaying symptoms of irritability, fatigue, nervousness, dizziness, weakness, headaches and consequently reach a state of pathology. We all agree that the human race has taken water for granted and massively misjudged the capacity of the earth s water systems to sustain our demands upon it. We all know that the supply of available fresh water is finite and represents less than half of one 3

4 percent of the world s total water stock. We agree that 31 countries are facing water stress and scarcity and over a billion people lack adequate access to clean drinking water. And by consensus, we acknowledge the terrible reality that by the year 2025, as much as two-thirds of the world s population will be living with some serious condition of water shortage or in absolute water scarcity. Instead of taking great care with the limited water we have, we humans are diverting, polluting and depleting it at an astonishing rate as if there were no reckoning ahead. What if there was no running water due to an incident that interrupted the flow from municipal sources or from your well? What if you did have running water, but that water was contaminated by acts of terrorism, flooding or in other ways? Many people assume that the Red Cross or local government will come to their aid in such situations, and this is often the case. What is important to remember, however, is that it is not always the case. There have been situations in which it was not possible to reach those who needed help. It is not that these organizations would not want to help, but past disasters have shown that it is not always possible to get help to everyone. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina, which slammed the Gulf Coast in 2005, is probably one of the most well-known examples of why being prepared is important. After the winds subsided, many residents thought they had dodged a bullet. When the levees failed, however, many died while praying for rescuers to reach them. Few 4

5 will ever forget the images of men, women and children huddled on rooftops and of dead bodies left on sidewalks. Rescuers were trying to help, but in times of such turmoil and disaster, it can take days or even weeks for help to arrive. That is why you must have a plan that includes water storage and how to source and collect water in an emergency. There are any number of situations that could result in a need for you to have to be selfsufficient when it comes to water, food and other essential. Be prepared: Store water The easiest way to get yourself prepared for an emergency is to store water. Fill the bathtub, sinks, and any other containers that you can get your hands on, with water. Some people keep large five gallons on hand, but even if you do not have such large containers, fill anything you can with water. Keep in mind that water stored in containers that are not food grade should only be used for sanitary purposes rather than for drinking. Still, you should collect as much water as possible in the hours leading up to the disaster. If you wait until a disaster is coming, you will probably have a hard time finding cases of water. That is because thousands of people will also be attempting to prepare at the last minute and bottled water will be one of the first things to sell out. Where to store water? 5

6 Be sure to store water away from light and heat. A cool, dark space is best. You also want to be mindful of the potential for many containers to leak. For this reason, you should not store the bottles where a leak could damage wood floors or cause other types of damage. When water is not safe to drink Health department and public water safety officials use many safeguards to protect the sanitary quality of your daily drinking water. However, this protection may break down during emergencies caused by natural disasters. During times of serious emergency, the normal water supply to your home may be cut off or become so polluted that it is undrinkable. A supply of stored water could be your most precious survival item! You and your family may then be on your own to provide a safe and adequate water supply. Remember that typhoid fever, Dysentery, and infectious hepatitis are diseases often associated with unsafe water. Don't take a chance! Generally, under serious disaster conditions, no water can be presumed safe - all drinking and cooking water should be purified. There are three different types of waterborne pathogens that make water unsafe to drink: protozoa, bacteria, and viruses. Protozoa: They live in insects, or in cysts when on the outside of an animal. Examples of common waterborne protozoa are amoeba, 6

7 giardia, and crypto(sporidium). Protozoa range in size from 1 to 100 microns, with the average being around 16 microns. They are easily removed from water by boiling. Because of their large size most of them are also easily removed by commercially available water filters (with the exception of the very small crypto). Some are relatively resistant to both chlorine and iodine chemical treatment methods. It has been estimated that 90% of the surface water in the United States is contaminated with protozoa. Bacteria: A one-celled organism that can exist in the air and in water. The average size of bacteria is between 0.2 to 1.5 microns with some as large as 10 microns. They are easily removed by boiling, by chemical treatments, or by most good water filters. Fortunately, not all bacteria are life threatening. However, the most common life-threatening waterborne bacteria are dysentery (diarrhea), typhoid, (vibrio)cholera, campylobacter, E. coli, and salmonella. Viruses: The most common waterborne viruses are hepatitis, yellow fever, polio(myelitis), rotavirus, and norwalk. Viruses are much smaller than bacteria. The average size of a virus is from to microns. They are easily removed by boiling or by chemical treatments. However, because of their extremely small size, they can pass through most water filters. However, some viruses will cling to other larger particles in the water which can be filtered out. The incubation period prior to becoming extremely sick as a result of ingesting one of the above pathogens varies from a few hours to a few weeks, depending on the pathogen itself and the concentration ingested. Common symptoms include fatigue, fever, cramps, diarrhea, dehydration, and nausea. If not properly treated by a 7

8 medical professional, these pathogens can eventually result in a person's death. If you are in a remote area or if you can't get to a doctor quickly, then stay warm, drink plenty of safe fluids, and rest. You can help control the diarrhea with over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicines, and you can take over-the-counter pain relievers to help reduce the fever and minimize other associated discomforts. However, you should plan to get to a medical doctor as soon as possible. Ways to purify water You will need pure water for the following: 1. To drink 2. To make a beverage 3. To cook with 4. To brush your teeth 5. To wash your hands and face 6. To wash eating dishes and cook pots. If your source of water is relatively cloudy or muddy (high turbidity) then allow it to stand in a large pot for twelve-hours to give the foreign particles an opportunity to settle to the bottom of the pot. Then slowly and carefully scoop the water out of the top of the pot without disturbing the sediment on the bottom of the pot. Regardless of which of the following methods you use to purify your water, the first step is always the same. Begin by pouring your water 8

9 through a standard paper coffee filter, or through a clean pillow case, or through a piece of denim cloth material. This will trap and remove any large impurities in the water. The same coffee filter can be used over and over again for several days (unless the water is muddy or dirty). After you have pre-filtered your water, then you may use one of the following options to purify your water. Boiling Kills Protozoa, Bacteria, and Viruses. Does Not Neutralize Harmful Chemicals or Radioactive Particles. Boiling is the BEST method for killing ALL the pathogens in the water. Even the most expensive commercially available water filter can't make that claim. Therefore, let's examine this method very carefully. All pathogens die rapidly at 185 F. Some pathogens die at lower temperatures. By the time the water has reached its boiling point (even at low barometric pressures), all the pathogens in the water are already neutralized. Therefore, bring your water to a boil and let it hard boil for 1 minute. Or hard boil for 2 minutes on top of an extremely high mountain at very low barometric pressures. Boiling for more time doesn't help, and it results in more water being lost as steam, and it makes the water taste flatter. All pathogens are already dead by the time the water reaches its boiling point. There is no benefit to a pathogen being "more" dead. 9

10 Wait patiently for the water to gradually cool to a comfortable drinking temperature. How to Improve the Taste of Boiled Water 1. Stir the water to add oxygen back into the water. 2. Or pour the water from one clean sterile container into another sterile container several times. 3. Or add a little salt to the water. 4. Or add 50 mg of Vitamin C to a quart of water. 5. Or add Kool-Aid (10% Vitamin C) or Tang (100% Vitamin C) to the water. Liquid Chlorine Bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) - Either 5.25% or 6% Strength Kills Bacteria and Viruses. Not effective against all Protozoa. Does Not Neutralize Harmful Chemicals or Radioactive Particles. Relatively Clear Water - Use 2 drops of bleach per quart of water or 8 drops per gallon (or 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons). Cloudy Water - Use 4 drops of bleach per quart of water or 16 drops per gallon (or 2 teaspoons per 10 gallons). The water should not be too cool. The water temperature should be 70 F or higher. If necessary, put the water in direct sunlight to raise 10

11 the water temperature. The effectiveness of chlorine at killing pathogens diminishes rapidly at lower temperatures. Add the required number of drops of chlorine liquid bleach (Clorox or store brand, unscented) to the water and wait one hour for the bleach to kill all the tiny organisms. If you can detect a faint chlorine smell in the water at the end of one hour, then it is safe to drink. If you can't smell the chlorine, then add the same amount of bleach a second time and wait another hour. If you can detect a faint chlorine smell, then the water is safe to drink. If you still can't detect the smell of chlorine, then discard the water because it contains too many germs. (Note: Always start with the minimum recommended amount of bleach and add a little more if necessary. Too much chlorine is harmful to your body.) Dry 68% Calcium Hypochlorite Granules This is the shock treatment chemical used in swimming pools. Kills Bacteria and Viruses. Not effective against all Protozoa. Does Not Neutralize Harmful Chemicals or Radioactive Particles. The water should not be too cool. The water temperature should be 70 F or higher. If necessary, put the water in direct sunlight to raise the water temperature. The effectiveness of chlorine at killing pathogens diminishes rapidly at lower temperatures. Put 1/96 of an ounce (a pinch between thumb and finger) of 68% Calcium Hypochlorite granules into one gallon of water. Wait onehour. If you can detect a faint chlorine smell in the water, then it is 11

12 safe to drink. If you can't smell the chlorine, then add another pinch and wait another hour. If you can detect a faint chlorine smell, then the water is safe to drink. If you still can't detect the smell of chlorine, then discard the water because it contains too many germs. (Note: Always start with a small amount of Calcium Hypochlorite and add a little more if necessary. Too much chlorine is harmful to your body.) The shelf life of liquid bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is much shorter than the dry 68% Calcium Hypochlorite granules. Therefore, if you wish to store hypochlorite for emergency purposes, the best choice is the dry granules. Liquid Bleach: If you have dry 68% Calcium Hypochlorite granules, and for some reason you need liquid bleach, then you may dissolve one-ounce of 68% granules in one-pint of water and you will have a 5.25% liquid bleach solution. Liquid 2% Tincture of Iodine Kills Bacteria and Viruses. Not effective against all Protozoa Does Not Neutralize Harmful Chemicals or Radioactive Particles. - Relatively Clear Water - Use 4 drops of iodine per quart of water or 16 drops per gallon. - Cloudy Water - Use 8 drops of iodine per quart of water or 32 drops per gallon. The water should not be too cool. The water temperature should be 70 F or higher. If necessary, put the water in direct sunlight to raise 12

13 the water temperature. The effectiveness of iodine at killing pathogens diminishes rapidly at lower temperatures. Add the required number of drops of iodine to the water and wait one hour. Iodine has a printed expiration date on the bottle. When that date has expired, the iodine will have lost some or most of its original strength. Therefore, iodine is generally not the chemical of choice for long-term survival situations. Caution: Iodine water treatment methods can NOT be used by pregnant women, or nursing mothers, or individuals with thyroid conditions. In addition, long-term exposure to iodine can contribute to liver damage. Although iodine is one way to purify water, it is NOT a preferred method. Any of the above methods is superior to the use of iodine. Commercial Water Purification Tablets Most commercially available water purification tablets are based on the use of either chlorine or iodine as their primary active ingredient. Both chlorine and iodine have a relatively short shelf life before they begin to lose their full strength and effectiveness. If you happen to have some of these tablets and they have passed their expiration date, then you should replace them. Make sure you do NOT recontaminate your pure water by allowing it to touch a pot, or spoon, or anything else that has been in contact with the unpurified water. 13

14 Water filters The best overall method for improving the quality of water is to use a commercial water filter. The problem is they can be very expensive, so not all of us can really afford them. That is why it is recommended that you build your own water filter. The clay pot biological filter This water filter design produces very clean drinking water from very contaminated water. The design is easy to replicate and it is cheap enough for people to afford themselves. It is environmentally friendly and sustainable using local materials. It uses clay pots and sand to host beneficial biology that naturally colonise the pots and purify the water. Construction The nadi (large clay pot) used for the filter must be 32 to 34 inches tall. A hole is made for the pipe in the side of the nadi using a screwdriver and a suitable stone or hammer. The bottom of the hole must be 20 inches above the ground. A single piece of stiff flexible pipe 30 inches long, 1 inch in diameter, and with no splits in it, is fitted through the hole with one end inside the nadi, touching the bottom. It is put in place and the hole around the pipe is 14

15 made water tight using cement. A water storage pot for the filtered water must be chosen. If it is a nadi with a tap it should be put up high enough for a jug to go under its tap. Put this clean water storage nadi on enough bricks to make this possible. The filter nadi can then be put in place on enough bricks for the protuding pipe to be just above the top of the storage nadi. Potato size washed stones are placed in a single layer one stone deep at the bottom of the nadi. The gaps between them form channels for the water to flow easily into the pipe. Small washed stones are placed on top filling the gaps between the potato size stones. Enough should be placed to prevent the next layer of gravel from falling through and blocking the gaps under the potato sized stones or clogging up the pipe. A thin layer of washed, dhal (bean) size gravel is then spread to form a level surface over the small stones. A thin layer of washed, seed size gravel is then spread to form a level surface over the dhal size gravel. These drainage layers must not exceed 4 inches in total thickness or there will not be enough room for the main material, the sand. Washed sand is then added to a level 5 inches below the level where the pipe goes through the side of the nadi. The mutca (water carrying clay pot) is taken and a single hole is drilled in it using a 3 or 4 inch nail with a right angle bend in it to 15

16 form a handle. At first this is difficult work but after a few minutes the hole is made without the need to hit it through with a hammer. Most screw drivers make holes that are too large, so a nail is better. The hole should be on the bottom of the mutca about 4 inches to one side so as not to get blocked too frequently by debris settling in the mutca. The mutca is then tied in place on top of the nadi with the hole in the mutca in line with the pipe coming out of the nadi. A stone is wedged between the mutca and nadi so that the hole in the mutca can be seen and so that it is easy to notice if the hole becomes blocked. String must be used to fix the mutca in place in order to protect the good microbes in the nadi from being disturbed by childrens' hands or other mis-use. A cloth is tied over the mouth of the clean water storage nadi in such a way that the cloth is over the protruding pipe. The water should not be flowing onto the cloth at all, as this would re-contaminate the clean water. The mutca can also be covered in thin cloth to screen out debris. How to use it properly Once dirty water has been given to the nadi every day for two to three weeks, the filter will function effectively so long as the sand is not disturbed. 16

17 During this period the water will gradually improve. If the sand and stones were well washed, water can be improved a little by the filter even on the first day. The nadi for storing clean water should be emptied every three days during this initial period while water quality is rapidly improving. Pots for storing clean water should never be used for collecting dirty water. When using a new nadi to make a filter, it should be first checked for leaks which should be repaired using cement. Never completely fill a new nadi or small cracks will develop. Only half fill it with water at first, then after two or three hours, fill it completely and check for leaks. If the filter gets too slow or stops working, remove the top few inches of sand from inside the nadi. Wash the dirt out of this sand with water in a bucket or bowl and then put it back in the nadi. Make sure that the level of the sand in the nadi is restored to 5 inches below the bottom of the pipe where it comes through the side of the nadi. When it becomes necessary to clean the sand in the filter it is good if there is another filter in the community that can be used for the two or three weeks it takes for the filter to build up its numbers of good microbes after being cleaned. Dirty water used for starting off a new or recently cleaned nadi can be put through the new one, then through an established one if it is necessary to drink this water. 17

18 In order to get the best results pay attention to these: An even drainage provided by the layers of stones and gravel below the sand. This is so that no water takes a short cut and it all slowly passes as many beneficial microbes as possible that live on the surface of the sand grains. A sufficient depth of sand is 12 inches. This provides enough homes for the beneficial biology. The inside diameter of the filter should be 10 to 14 inches. (This allows approximately 15 liters to pass through in the first 30 minutes) A hose with no joins or splits. This provides an outlet for the clean water and reliably prevents water from becoming re-contaminated as it rises up and out. The hose outlet must be 5 inches above the top of the sand. The beneficial microbes are aquatic so the sand must always be under water. The beneficial biology on the surface of the sand must not be disturbed by the water flowing in. 5 inches insures that the water level is maintained above the sand allowing an inch for if the filter is not make accurately, 1.5 inches for evaporation and 2.5 inches depth of water to provides a buffer zone preventing water flowing in from churning up the sand and upsetting the service beneficial biology. 18

19 A hole in the main container at this level needs only a low pressure seal which is easy to achieve and also any leaks are slower and of less significance. A poor seal here does not threaten to re-contaminate the filtered water. The top pot should have one small hole of the diameter of a typical 3 inch nail. This prevents water flowing into the filter too fast so the top layer of sand is not disturbed. The bottom of the top pot and the top of the filter pot should be 10 to 12 inches above the level the pipe exits the filter. This provides the water pressure to drive the filter. The top pot must be fixed in place to prevent the sand being tampered with. The clean water must be protected from recontamination. A light weight cloth over the top pot acts as a screen to prevent leaves blocking the small hole. There should be a gap between the top pot and the filter to let in oxygen. This also means that the water flowing in can be seen allowing a blockage in the small hole to be notices if it occurs. Final Thoughts Our children need pure water to grow healthy. They need three times as much water per pound of body weight than adults. As their immune and detoxification systems are not yet fully developed, any 19

20 ill effects from contaminants in the water are far more impactful to children's bodies. Thank you for reading my guide and don t forget: There is no life without water. 20