A few years ago my grandfather told me a story that illustrates how deadly contaminated water can be. It happened in the summer of 1934 when he was only 9 years old. He was out in the fields gathering corn, with his dad, brothers and sister. He said it had to be at least 100 degrees because the sun was bright in the sky and the sweat burned his eyes.

His eleven year old sister got thirsty and instead of going to the house to get water, she drank from a nearby stream. She died a few days later. Upon further investigation it was discovered that a cow, from a nearby farm had died upstream from where she drank, contaminating the water.

They had used the water from this spot for years with no ill effects. They thought it was safe but it wasn’t – at least not at that point in time.

From U.S. Army Field Manual 21-76

By drinking nonpotable water you may contract diseases or swallow organisms that can harm you. Examples of such diseases or organisms are:

* Dysentery – Severe, prolonged diarrhea with bloody stools, fever, and weakness.

* Cholera and typhoid – You may be susceptible to these diseases regardless of inoculations.

* Flukes – Stagnant, polluted water–especially in tropical areas–often contains blood flukes. If you swallow flukes, they will bore into the bloodstream, live as parasites, and cause disease.

* Leeches – If you swallow a leech, it can hook onto the throat passage or inside the nose. It will suck blood, create a wound, and move to another area. Each bleeding wound may become infected.

Not to mention pollutants from human activities that often find their way into the water – trash, pet wastes, fertilizers, herbicides, oils, heavy metals, salts, pollutants from vehicles etc. and it’s impossible to tell what is safe without laboratory testing.

But there are some general guidelines that can help:

* Running water is generally safer than still water.
* Look for clear water
* Avoid water that has algae growing in it
* Avoid discolored water
* Avoid water from marshes / swamps
* Avoid cloudy water

Homemade Berkey

The spring water here at the homestead kitty runs in a constant flow from the side of the mountain and it’s as clear as bottled water, but I won’t drink it or use it for cooking without first running it through my homemade Berkey filter.

My dad and grandfather drive out here on the weekend and fill their jugs from the spring – drinking and cooking without any filtration or other purification. They’ve never had any trouble but I’m the paranoid type and can’t risk getting sick over something so easily avoided.

The Berkey filters are extremely effective at removing pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites, chemical contaminates and impurities – the elements have an indefinite shelf-life and will filter at least 3000 gallons before needing replaced. I store mine in zip-lock bags until ready to use.

If you suspect the water to contain viruses, add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Or boil for 5 minutes, then filter through the Berkey. This may sound like over kill, but it’s not – you can never be cautious enough with your health.

Boiling

Boiling is one of the the surest methods of water purification. All you need is a heat source, suitable container and water. Bring the water to a rolling boil to kill any viruses or bacteria that maybe present. Boiled water tastes like crap but can be improved by pouring back and fourth between two containers to reoxygenate and improve taste.

Storage

As for water storage, I have six – five gallon containers bought at Wal-Mart in the sporting goods department. Thirty gallon isn’t much , but I don’t see water being a major issue for me at my location.

If you live in a dryer region, water would be a major concern that may necessitate the storage of hundreds of gallons for an emergency.

Don’t store water in used five gallon milk jugs. They’re not strong enough for long term storage and eventually breakdown and leak. The five gallon containers sold in the sporting goods section of most department stores work great, as do the 55 gallon plastic drums. Just be sure the drums are clean and contained no harmful chemicals before filling.

If you must us small containers, empty 2-liter pop bottles work well. They are stronger than the afore mentioned milk jug and have better lids and are more covenant. Avoid glass containers because they break to easily.

Rotate as needed.

Tap water

If your storing tap water from a municipal water system there’s no need to add bleach as suggested by some. Water from the municipal tap already contains enough chlorine to thwart any bacterial growth and can be stored without any other additives.

Your Thoughts

I’m interested to hearing reader thoughts on this topic – know of a better more effective way of purifying or storing water, please share your thoughts in the comments below.