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Ways to Make Water Safe for Drinking

Clean drinking water is essential. Without it, people can get sick and or dehydrated, and even die. Most Americans are lucky enough to have clean water at their disposal straight out of the tap, but there are occasions when you might need to make water safe for drinking on your own. Fortunately, doing so is possible using one or more common methods to remove sediment and impurities.

  1. Filtering

    • Filtering ensures your water is cleaner than it was when taken from the source. Water filters are likely to improve clarity, odor and taste of water but they may not always get out the truly hazardous materials in the water. Microorganisms can be filtered out, but often some are able to slip through the porous material. Viruses are particularly hard to filter out because they are so small.

    Chlorination

    • Water treatment plants often use chlorine, which kills many microorganisms, to purify water. You can use chlorine bleach to purify your drinking water in an emergency situation. According to the Washington State Department of Health, add three drops of chlorine bleach to one liter of water, or five drops if the water is very cloudy. One to two teaspoons of bleach will treat 10 gallons of water. Mix the bleach thoroughly with the water and allow it to stand for 30 minutes. Chlorine products designed for pools should never be used to treat water.

    Boiling

    • Of all the ways to make water safe for drinking, boiling it is the most effective. Bacteria, algae, viruses and other living organisms will die in boiling water. All you need is a heat source and something to put the water in for boiling. Once the water reaches a rolling boil you can use it when you need it. If the water is full of suspended sediment, strain it through a clean cloth or filter.

    Iodine

    • Iodine is another chemical that can be used to treat drinking water. Iodine is effective at killing most pathogens in water, but not all. It is available as a tincture or in water purification tablets. Just five drops of 2 percent iodine tincture or one tablet of iodine can treat a liter of room-temperature water. Colder water may need more. Pregnant women should avoid iodine-treated water or should pass the water through a carbon filter before drinking.

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