How to Purify Water Using a Household Ultraviolet Light

According to Excel Water Technologies, 85 percent of child sickness is a result of waterborne diseases, with inappropriate water treatments increasing the risk of hepatitis B, tuberculosis and meningitis. When ultraviolet light is absorbed by bacteria in water, their genetic makeup is altered so that they cannot reproduce, eliminating the risk of disease. This process can be re-created in your own home using an ultraviolet light.

Things You'll Need

• 4 2-liter PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles with caps
• Ultraviolet light bulb
• 1 sheet corrugated iron
• 8 liters dirty water

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Instructions

• 1

  Remove the bottle labels. Check the bottles for scratches or marks; do not use any heavily damaged bottles. Clean out the bottles using tap water.

• 2

  Remove the bottle caps and fill three quarters of each bottle with dirty water. Cover the opening with your thumb and shake each bottle vigorously for 30 seconds. Replace the bottle caps. This technique improves oxygen saturation and makes the experiment more effective.

• 3

  Screw the UV light bulb into the wall socket as high up as possible. Place the corrugated iron on the floor, in the path of the UV light. Put the bottles on their sides on the metal sheet, following the sheet's ridges.

• 4

  Wait six hours before drinking the water.