Water Treatment

**natertot** · 06-14-2015, 04:42 PM

I think what Kyrat is saying and I agree is pasturation of water is possible, but being able to do it with assurance of safety in the field is not possible. Temp and weather conditions alone would hamper the process.

**hunter63** · 06-14-2015, 06:31 PM

Well if you had a plastic bottle...(like everywhere in the world)...and no other way, I would consider it....and hope I was rescued before I died of the shmitts.

**DSJohnson** · 06-14-2015, 07:30 PM

When you do a search on SODIS out on the web there is an amazing amount of clinical/lab research and information about this technology. Apparently it is "the" method of choice in many, many third world countries. To be honest until it came up on this thread I do not think I had ever heard of it. Still very hard for me to accept that you can fill a 2 liter bottle out of a ditch/pond/river with cloudy water, set it out in the sun for 6 to 8 hours and that as far as bio hazards go it is safe to drink. But as Rick pointed out, I always like adding "tools" to my tool box. To be truthful, I figure I view this as a "back up" and as long as I am in North America dealing with water purification issues I will address it in this order: 1. My Sawyer filter system 2. Sawyer Minie, then depending on wood/fuel availability 3. boiling 4. Iodine treatment 5. SODIS I always enjoy learning new camping skills!

**Batch** · 06-14-2015, 09:19 PM

If you can dig a seep, your water is going to be clear and probably safe to drink anyway. You set them in water bottle in the sun on a dark or reflective surface for awhile and your going to be 99% good. Questionable water or turbid water and your chances are 9-86%. Not the greatest odds.

In certain environments you will either hydrate or die. South Florida in the high heat and humidity you will lose water without and benefit of evaporation for cooling. If you don't replace those fluids or cool down you will die and 3 days would be a long haul! Day 1 your dead if you move and don't hydrate depending on your condition.

**Faiaoga** · 06-14-2015, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

Actually, it does work. It pasteurizes the water, which is just as good as disinfection. It isn't the UV rays that kill the pathogens it's raising the temperature and sustaining it over a set period of time. Milk is pasteurized in the same way. Water pasteurization is gaining ground throughout the third world because it reduces the need for both wood collection and burning. The key is knowing what the internal temperature is and how long that temperature is maintained. In sub Saharan Africa that isn't a problem. In the Danial Boone National Forest that's a whole other ball game. Typically, a soy bean wax is used inside the bottle to indicate when the correct temperature has been reached. Once it melts you know it's hot enough. The wax is referred to as a Water Pasteurization Indicator or WAPI. Google "WAPI Water" and you'll get a ton of hits.

The SODIS concept seems to be accepted by a number of organizations and agencies, not only by "barefoot hippy/New Age" sources. Cody Lundin (When All Hell Breaks Loose) provides a lot of detail, but his book is not the only source. Muddy water still needs to be filtered or have sediment settle, but this method may be useful where fuel is scarce and sunlight available.

SODIS might be examined as another method to use, not simply dismissed out of hand. After all, it is only about 150 years since the germ theory became accepted.

Dave Black (What To Do When The **** Hits The Fan) is a mainstream survival writer who mentions SODIS favorably.