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Innovative & Natural Ways of Purifying Water

Many people know that one of the surest and most basic ways to purify water is to boil it. This guarantees that bacteria and parasites in the water will be eliminated, making it safe to drink. However, there several alternative methods for naturally purifying water other than just boiling it.

  1. Distillation

    • Boiled water can be further purified through distillation. The process involves only collecting the vapor that comes from the steam emanating from boiling water. To accomplish the distilling process, fill a pot about halfway with water and tie a cup to the bottom of the pot's lid so that it hangs right-side-up inside the pot when the lid is placed over the pot's opening. The cup shouldn't dangle into the water. Boil the water for about 20 minutes, and the condensation that collects on the inside of the lid and drips into the cup is the distilled water you want. This vapor won't contain the salt and other impurities that are still in the pot of boiling water. The downside to this technique is that it yields very little distilled water, and you may have to wait for it to cool before consuming it.

    Sand Filtration

    • The slow sand filtration method allows water to flow through roughly 1 cubic meter of sand, which will filter roughly 2 liters of water a minute. The downside to this process is that it may only remove limited amount of bacteria and probably none of the chemicals in the water. The water would also have to already be relatively clear in order to filtrate properly through the sand.

    Charcoal Filtration

    • Unwanted elements such as chemicals and lead can be removed from water that is filtered through compressed charcoal or carbon block filters. However, such carbon filters are easily clogged, so this method may work better if the water is pre-filtered with sediment or sand.

    Reverse Osmosis

    • Water that is purified through reverse osmosis is forced at high pressure through a membrane that has tiny, microscopic holes in it. This method may remove the minerals and salt in water, but will probably not eliminate any chemicals or bacteria.

    Ultraviolet Light

    • Water purified with ultraviolet light is accomplished by exposing water to ultraviolet rays, which can inactivate any pathogens that are present. To purify water this way, simply place a clean, clear container full of water out in the sun for at least six hours on a sunny day, and for at least two days if there is cloud cover. The drawback of this method is that it only works for clearly filtered water.

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