water purification techniques: survival part I

as i began to think about things that a lot of people may be needing to know, i thought about basic survival techniques. the most important facet of any survival situation is water. a human being can go without food for upto 8 weeks, no human being can go without water for more than 2 weeks. which is why i prioritised water purification.
heres some info from the EPA. accoerding to the epa 97 percent of americas waterways are contaminated with bacterias such as giogardia, and believe it or not ecoli. there are others i will detail as well. the majority of the contaminants are of a chemical nature moreover than a biological nature. however, ine must always bare in mind the presence of sewage and other human waste products. the chemical contaminants include anything ranging from arsenic to mercury, phosphates from fertiliser run off, and petrochemicals. all of which are very bad for any human being or animal. as such there are various means by which to purify water in an emergency situation.
the most common method is boiling. the epa recomends boiling water for no less than 3 minutes. i say go for 5 and make sure its a good rollling boil. boiling does not eliminatesolid particles from the water.
chemical purifiers such as bleach work well to make water drinkable, usually 3 to 5 drops per quart of water, but once again this only works on bacterias not solid particles or other chemicals present in the water. for the bleach to work properly you have to let the water sit for 30 minutes or possibly longer.
waterfilters are highly developed now and many are made for individual or group usage in the field. these include individual water bottles with replacable filters built into them as well a group sized units. you can go to ebay and do a search for water purifiers for info on costs and such.
potable water tablets are a very good means to purify water, you can find them on a websearch under potableaqua or water purification tablets. i have 3 bottles of these and have had occassion to use them. they really dont make the water taste very good but they do a good job on bacteria, also, the one disadvantage is you still have to wait at least 30 minutes before drinking the water. they carry easy and each bottle has a shelf life unopened of 5 years. it takes just one pill per quart of water to make the water drinkable. i remind you again that the water will not taste all that great but it will be safe to drink. the cost for potableaqua was 2.95 per bottle plus shipping, each bottle had 30 pills in them, which means i can purify 90 quarts of water. be sure to read all lable instructions!!!!!!
iodine is an old way to purify water. most, if not all, viet nam era vets remeber the little orange pills they would put in their canteens. today we have access to iodine in our local pharmacies. in small brown bottles. make sure the label reads iodine NOT murcurichrome!!
iodine is my absoulte last resort to purify water. it takes on 1 to 2 drops of iodine to purify 1 quart of water and yes, once again, you have to let it sit for at least 30 minutes for the iodine to do its job. iodine must not be used over an extensive period of time to purify water and if you have thyroid problems or are taking a medication for your thyroid DO NOT USE IODINE TO PURIFY WATER!!!! iodine is not recommended for use as a water purifier during pregnancy.
as i said, i can and will use iodine, but only as a last resort.
in most normal cases water purification works very well, however, there are situations where water purification will not work and need not even be attempted. those situations are as follows:
1.) water that appears metallic, like a silvery film, almost mirror reflective, do not come into contact with it or even think about drinking it. do not attempt to purify!!!!!
2.) water that has a reddish to yellowish appearance, do not come into contact with it or even think about drinking it or from any water around it. do not attempt to purify!!!!!
3.)water that has medical waste products in it, ivs, syringes, etc do not attempt to purify!!!just avoid coming into contact with it etc.
4.) water that has human waste or sewage in general in it. same as above, no contact and do not attempt to purify.
heres the question you may be asking,where in hell could i find water that would be safe to purify and safe to drink. that i wouldnt have to worry very much about other than just basic purification techniques? local paylakes for fisherman, national parks, or anything that is nowhere near any kind of industrial or chemical plants. if you think its safe is one thing but to know its safe is another. if in any doubt purchase a water quality test kit, just make sure of whats its testing is for. all will list what they test for and they cost around 29.95 to 39.95.
the one i have cost 29.95, i tested it out on the ditch near my apartment, in all actuality beargrass creek is fairly clear of chemicals and such, and in my opinion, would be safe to purify and drink. although my wife said i was crazy i proved to her by purifying that water and drinking it. i still dont think shes convinced that i am not actually insane but i never have gotten sick as a rsult of my experiment. anyway, just use common sense and very keen observation when it comes to water purification!
regards
archie