How to Remove Algae From Drinking Water

Many people these days prefer the taste of bottled water over tap water. Bottled water comes in hard plastic water bottles or large, 1-gallon or 5-gallon jugs which can be used over and over.

The only problem with bottled water is that the containers can become filled with algae, especially after multiple uses. Water with algae is visibly discolored in shades of green, blue-green, yellow, brown or even red. It may also have a surface scum. Fortunately, bottles can be recycled, and there is also a simple solution to clean the algae from your drinking water.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring spoons
• Bleach
• Measuring cup
• Hydrogen peroxide

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Instructions

• 1

  Add 1 tsp. of bleach to 1 cup of water. If you have a 1-gallon bottle of water or larger, double this recipe. If you do not have bleach, you can use hydrogen peroxide instead. Mix 3 tsp. of hydrogen peroxide to 1 cup of water. Do not ever mix bleach and hydrogen peroxide together.

• 2

  Pour the solution into your water container. If the container is a small water bottle, cover the bottle and shake it so the solution will swirl around and coat the whole interior. Fill the rest of the bottle up with hot water. Allow it to set for a few minutes, then completely rinse the bottle until the bleach smell is gone. Repeat this process until the algae is gone.

• 3

  Pour the bleach solution into the 1-gallon or 5-gallon container and fill the remainder up with hot water. Let the solution soak for 30 minutes. If using a hydrogen peroxide solution, allow it to soak for an hour. Leave the bottle in a bathtub for easy rinsing. After soaking, rinse the bottle repeatedly with tap water until the algae and any bleach or hydrogen peroxide odors are gone.