Captain Tropic's
Disinfecting Water
Boiling water instructions are issued after a hurricane. That's usually because the public water utility has lost pressure in its water moving systems, making it possible for contaminants to enter water lines. Pay attention to local authorities on the status of your water supply.
- Use only bottled or disinfected water for drinking and cooking until the public water supplies have been declared safe. The danger with tainted public supplies is from bacterial contamination that can cause severe diarrhea. Untreated diarrhea can be life threatening.
- Water that you have saved in bottles before the storm should be good for up to six months, if properly stored. Proper storage means leaving no air in the container and storing in the dark. When in doubt, disinfect it.
- Use disinfected or bottled water to brush your teeth and to give to pets.
- To prevent the spread of disease, wash your hands frequently with disinfected water and soap.
- Don't use water that has a dark color, an odor or contains floating material.
- Use water stored in the bathtub, from the pool or from the tap to flush the toilet. Don't drink or cook with water from the pool.
- Bathing or showering with tap water is fine, but don't let it get in your eyes ears or mouth. If you shave with tap water, dab any cuts with antiseptic.
- Only use bottled water for cleaning contact lenses.
- Don't drink water from wells, especially in areas of sewage contamination.
You can avoid most health problems by disinfecting any tap water you use for cooking or drinking. Always use clean containers.
Here's how to disinfect tap water:
- Boil at a rolling boil for at least 10 minutes
- Let cool.
- Add a pinch of salt for taste.
- Pour the water back and forth between clean containers to reduce the flat taste.
Liquid Chlorine:
Normal household bleach can be used to kill germs in water, but will not kill tuberculosis germs. Regular household bleach is a solution of 5.25% Sodium Hypochlorite and 94.75% inert ingredients. The bleach I want you to use should be standard household bleach with no extra whiteners, brighteners, or scents of any kind like lemon. Many manufactures bleach labels state "not fit for human consumption", which is true (Does it need to be said? Ok, don't drink straight bleach!) Now if the only active ingredient in your bleach is Sodium Hypochlorite, it is suitable for water sterilization. Here's how you do it. Add 1/2 tsp. to 5 gallons of water if it is clear (or 8 drops of chlorine bleach to each gallon of clear water) or 1 tsp. to 5 gallons of water if the water is cloudy. Allow your water to sit at least 30 minutes. If water does not have a slight chlorine odor, repeat the dosage and let stand for 15 minutes. Now if you stock up on commercial sized coffee filters say from Sam's, you can pre-filter your water. Be sure to sterilize and clean your water container, its lid, spout, funnel after each use.
Powder Chlorine:
You may be tempted to purchase a large quantity of bleach for this purpose, but did you know that Chlorine gas would bleed through most plastic bottles? Storing bleach in a warm place will speed up the gas leakage. So over time your Chlorine concentration will diminish to a level you have no way of determining. When this happens you will have no idea how much to put in the water, making this a shaky situation. There is a way around this storage problem. You can make your own bleach by purchasing swimming pool "burn out" or "shock treatment". It must be only 65% Calcium Hypochlorite, no additional anti-fungal or clarifiers. In an extremely well ventilated area throughly mix 24.5 grams, approximately 10 Tablespoons, of powder to one gallon of water for a 5.25% bleach solution. Five pounds of dry pool bleach costs about $10-15, which will make about 92 gallons of bleach, that will sterilize 706,560 gallons of clear water, or 353,280 gallons of cloudy water. If you allocate 3 gallons per person per day for drinking, food preparation, and sanitation, $15 will take care of 100 people for one year! Not a bad deal.
Chlorine or Iodine Tablets
- Follow directions on the package. If directions are not available, use 1 tablet for each quart of water.
- Make sure the tablet dissolves completely; mix thoroughly.
- Let stand for 30 minutes.
Liquid Iodine
- Add 5 drops of 2 percent iodine to each quart of clear water
- For cloudy water, add 10 drops of 2 percent iodine to each quart of water.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Let stand for 30 minutes.
Here is a link to a great resource and has been around for a long time.
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Thanks, Captain Tropic
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