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Thread: Making water safe to drink?

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    Senior Member RandyRhoads's Avatar
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    Default Making water safe to drink?

    I live on the Sacramento delta. I'd like to be able to make the river water safe to drink. I know boiling blah blah blah. Maybe try to filter through some wilderness filter made of charcoal/sand. My concern is the water is full of silt/ foul smelling mud, and a ton of mercury. Some fish we can't even eat because of the mercury. Will boiling/filtering make it safe to drink? Or is there some other way to render it potable?


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    If your talking (semi)primitive- distill it.
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Here's some info on removing mercury. http://people.uwec.edu/piercech/hg/m...valmercury.htm

    If you decide to go that route, I'd have the water tested before and after you treat it. This way you will be certain how well your method performs before you have to rely on it.
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    Senior Member RandyRhoads's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TresMon View Post
    If your talking (semi)primitive- distill it.
    Using a solar still or something like it? That would remove the mercury as well?

    That is "semi" primitive. Never seen a natural sheet of plastic, any other more primitive ways to do this?

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Do you know what the PPM of mercury is in the water? Just because there are cautions on eating fish dosn't mean the water is bad. Mercury is a cumulative metal. It builds up in the fish over time. Start with your DNR and/or county health department to find out the levels of mercury and where the contamination occurred. You may find it was down stream from you and no special action is required.
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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Not to steal this thread from Randy, but I have had similar thoughts on the subect. Sure, boiling takes care of bacteria and organisms, but what about pollutants? Randy mentioned mercury, but what about nuclear leaks, oil leaks, gas leaks, etc? In case of the great zombie apocolypse, how do you know that water is safe in that regard?

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    Senior Member RandyRhoads's Avatar
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    You're not stealing it at all. That's exactly what I want to know. Specifically mercury now because it's near me but what about other "bad stuff" for a different situation?

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    In most cases there is nothing you can do. Distillation or reverse osmosis will help in many cases but it's energy intensive and they take a long time to work. Your better off finding another source in my opinion.
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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    In most cases there is nothing you can do. Distillation or reverse osmosis will help in many cases but it's energy intensive and they take a long time to work. Your better off finding another source in my opinion.
    Good point. The next part is how do you know it is there? Take Hurrican Katrina as an example. NO lost all utilities and means of mass commication. Now say up river or stream, a gas leak, nuclear leak, anti-freeze plant leak, etc is now dumping in the river. You have no way of being informed of it do to the entirety of the situation. How do you know it is unsafe?

    Oil would be easy, look for the sludge. But what about others?

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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    IMO, and in the scenarios you described, you should assume the water is contaminated. This is why it is important to have a plan now. That is also why a lot of water storage is part of my preparations.
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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by crashdive123 View Post
    IMO, and in the scenarios you described, you should assume the water is contaminated. This is why it is important to have a plan now. That is also why a lot of water storage is part of my preparations.
    But would you be able to get to your water storage in the event of one of these scenarios? If so, how do you store it to make it possible?

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Here's one way.

    http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...hlight=garbage

    Also Check out the Waterbob

    http://www.waterbob.com/Welcome.do;j...9FB64E863E9EB0

    I have 11 water barrels the smallest is 2.5 gallons and the largest is 5 gallons. I can throw them in the back of the truck if I have to leave.
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by natertot View Post
    But would you be able to get to your water storage in the event of one of these scenarios? If so, how do you store it to make it possible?
    Yes - hopefully. I use the containers in the first pic for my long term water storage, which is rotated on a regular basis. Additionally there are several of the blue containers in my truck full time, along with a couple of cases of bottled water. Add to that, short term storage for an impending event where there is leeway for additional preps (approaching storms), along with the ability to filter/boil/distill a lot of water and I think I'm good on that front.

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Aren't you afraid they will freeze in the truck? Wait........never mind.
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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Good stuff guys. I do have one of those blue containers myself that I use for camping. I have been thinking about getting a few more for longterm storage myself. How do they work for long term? Does water get any bad odor or tastes? I was think of maybe adding a little bleach to them as well to help with preservation. You also said that you rotate your water stores. How do you rotate them?

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    Senior Member gryffynklm's Avatar
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    Default Removing contaminants from water by distillation

    I wonder what direction you are coming from. Camping, emergency scenario, earthquake, end of the world, Zombie apuckeredlips? Without knowing what thought the question comes from, Its hard to offer options that fit in to your concerns.

    Removing contaminants from water by distillation????? ya..... possible.... effective????

    Keep in mind that distillation units designed for the home are intended to be used to remove trace elements from municipal water sources that are reasonably OK.
    Below is a table I made showing the boiling point of common liquids. As you can see water has some nasty solvents boiling near to the boiling point of water. Heptane is very close. I wouldn't worry about those unless you were near to industrial activity and the odor of solvent was present in the water. Petrol or gasoline seem to be your closest possible contaminant of worry when it comes to industrial chemical contamination and its removal by a temperature controlled distillation process. The key there is temperature control. No thermometer, no control. In a scenario were you were suspect of the possible industrial contamination as indicated by the presence of odor, film on the water surface, it would be in your best interest to locate a different water source.

    I'm with Rick and Crash and the water storage methods mentioned.

    This is just my thoughts based on my work background in quality control for an adhesive manufacturer. I have never done this outside of a laboratory or to distill water to make it safe for consumption.





    liquid BP C° BP F°
    bromine 58.8 142
    hexane 68.7 155.7
    benzene 80.4 176
    petrol 95 95 203
    Alchohol (s) 97.5 207
    heptane 98.4 209.2
    Water 100 212
    toluene 110.6 231
    acid (s) nitric 120 248
    octane-n 125.6 258
    xylene 142.7 287
    kerosine 150 300
    jet fuel 163 325

    petroleum 210 410
    mercury 356.9 675.1
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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    My BOB's, hunting fanny packs and go bags all have one of these:
    http://www.safezonellc.com/frontierstraw.html (Rick, looks a little different then the one I got a year or so ago?)

    And:
    http://www.safezonellc.com/aqua.html

    Or if you have the canteen, abd want the stuff, this was in Sportsman guide last catolog;
    http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/c....aspx?a=935829

    Along with the canteen, canteen in cover, little pouch hold water tabs, cup and stove.
    Bandanna filters out some of the grit and 'stuff', but when all else fails, boil it.

    Normally I carry bottled water, actually in trucks right now, but froze....LOL.

    Home use are about 6 blue/green plastic water jugs, left over from camping, kept filled, bleach added (per instructions)...as well as about 10 plastic 1 gal water jugs for 'new born" water....when grand son was here. (these deteriorate so need watching)

    Rotated means dump out and replace with fresh treated water, mine get mimiun spring/fall daylight saving day change out, or if I feel like in between.
    5 gal water jug gets carried around in truck, as we have dogs along with ourselves. Changed out for trips.

    Keep in mind that water heaters have have water in them, but i don't use this for drinking....with out treatment as sediment does collect in them.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Natertot - Most water storage containers are FDA approved. Just look for those that are. I've not noticed any taste or odor and some of my water has been six months old before I swapped it out. There really is no need to add bleach if you are using tap water. You're just adding chlorine to chlorinated water that's already safe to drink if you do.

    I dump my water every 4-6 months (no set schedule), use a bit of soap to wash out the container, rinse it out well, then refill. If you have to use the water and it tastes flat just pour it in a container and shake it. Re-oxygenating the water will restore its taste.

    I carry water in the vehicles in winter. I use a 2 quart canteen, fill it half full then squeeze the air out. It will freeze and expand but since it is only half full and the canteen is compressed the freezing water won't rupture the canteen.
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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Actually those cheap bottles water bottles can freeze and not break if they are only 3/4 full as well......got a few in the truck right now....at least I don't think they leak.....LOL
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  20. #20

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    Randy, I think that most of the mercury is settled down to the bottom by now, since the bulk of it was used during the gold rush. So unless it gets stirred up, the river water is not likely to have much merury in it. There may be some other drek in there from recent polluters.
    There are no doubt plenty of resources the monitor such pollutants.

    Generally speaking, the closer to the source (springs) the cleaner the water's likely to be.

    And in California, I find it's a great short cut to harvest dew in the morning.

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