Sterlising water using Household bleach

[Helenthereef]

This has come up for me because we are in the aftermath of a cyclone, when drinking water can be contaminated, but power and wood are in limited supply, so boiling water is not practical for sterilising purposes.

Household bleach can be use to decontaminate drinking water, as long as basic proportions are followed. Essentially it's 2 drops standard (not perfumed or somehow turbo-charged) household bleach (e.g. Chlorox) to 1 Litre (or Quart) of clear water. Let stand for 30 min before drinking.

There are also tips on how to sterilise water containers, and cloudy water.

Worth knowing in a crisis - after all most of our tap water supply comes chlorinated - it's the same thing.

See links:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/pdf/emergency/09_202278-B_Make_Water_Safe_Flyer_508.pdf

https://www.clorox.com/dr-laundry/disaster-preparedness-purifying-water/

http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oemergencypurifycalc.html

 

[Mech]

Thank you.
This is very important.
We are all in a situation where we might be off the grid.
I have heard from some elder veterans that they used French bread w/ends cut for a filter system.
I wonder if it might be to our advantage to go hot and let it sit a bit or maybe even airate it out with a bubbler or something.

 

[Fangthane]

I have heard from some elder veterans that they used French bread w/ends cut for a filter system.

Never heard of that one before. Doesn't sound like it would be particularly effective, but I guess in a pinch it's better than nothing.

Xylem filtration is a pretty interesting method I came across a while back. It's fairly slow, but looks to do a pretty decent job. When the Zombie Apocalypse finally hits, tree branches may be more feasible than bleach or French bread.

 

[bcr229]

In a pinch even a coffee filter (or several) can be used to remove silt/solids before you treat the water with chlorine.

Another trick if you want warm water for bathing without using any fuel is to put a container in your car parked in the sun, and roll up your car windows. Instant solar oven.