How to Protect Drinking Water From E.Coli

E. coli has been blamed for causing severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps, and in a percentage of victims, even death. While there are hundreds of strains of E. coli, one strain, E. coli 0157:H7, is what causes a serious health problem.

The first reported E. coli illness in 1982 was blamed on contaminated hamburgers, and most infections come from undercooked meat, according to Freedrinkingwater.com. Drinking water also can become contaminated with harmful E. coli bacteria.

E. coli commonly is found in the intestines of all animals, and when outbreaks happen in drinking water it indicates a sewage leakage or animal contamination. Most infected people begin showing symptoms three to four days after exposure.

Things You'll Need

• Chlorine bleach
• Kettle

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Instructions

• 1

  Determine if your drinking water supply is under threat of E. coli 0157:H7 contamination by having it tested by a laboratory recommended by your state health department; or if you have been notified that your municipal drinking supply has been contaminated by a water-main leak, you may want to take steps to kill any bacteria that may be present. This guideline also will purify water following natural disasters.

• 2

  Get a vessel (pot or kettle) to hold the drinking water you plan on using and filter water through coffee filters or layers of clean cloth. Boiling is best for purification, but without a source of heat, add bleach.

• 3

  Calculate how much chlorine bleach you will need in order to kill bacteria in the amount of water your vessel will hold. The formula is two drops of bleach per quart of water, eight drops of bleach per gallon, or 1/2 tsp. of regular bleach per 5 gallons of water. Wait 15 minutes; the water should have a slight bleach smell. If it does not smell of bleach, repeat the process.

• 4

  Add double the amount of bleach if the water is cloudy.

• 5

  Boiling is the best method if a heat source is available. The formula for purifying water this way is boiling it rapidly for 10 minutes. This will not only kill bacteria but also will kill parasites. For high altitudes, add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level.