How to Kill Contaminants in Water

Water contamination is caused by many sources, and knowing how to purify water can be a life-saver in an emergency such as a floods or blizzards that interrupts normal water delivery from your well or local reservoir. Boiling or adding bleach to water will kill most viral and bacterial contaminants, and these methods can be used to clean rain, pond, river, and lake water should the need arise.

Things You'll Need

• Coffee filters
• Paper towels
• Cheese cloth
• Funnel
• Cotton plug
• Pot
• Stove
• Liquid Household Bleach

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Filter the water by pouring it through a coffee filter, paper towels, stretched cheese cloth, or a funnel with a cotton plug blocking the exit hole. This step is recommended if the water is cloudy as it will filter out large sediment particles that will not be destroyed by bleach or boiling the water.

• 2

  Bring the water to a rolling boil and allow it to boil for at least one consecutive minute before taking it off of the burner. If the water is still not clear, you can allow it to cool and bring it to a boil one more time before letting it cool to an acceptable temperature for drinking or bathing.

• 3

  Add undyed, unscented chlorine bleach to the water if boiling it is not an option. Consult the chart on the Washington State Department of Health's website for the proper amount of bleach to add to the water.

• 4

  Mix the bleach thoroughly and allow it to stand for at least 30 minutes before consuming it if the water was clear before adding the bleach. If the water was cloudy or extremely cold when you added the bleach, allow it to stand for 60 or more minutes.