Water Purification

By Val Shortt

When hiking, camping, hunting or any other outdoor activity it is always essential to have clean, pure drinking water. There are many reasons to know about water purification . It is certainly not just a matter of having our water taste good. There are many water-borne illnesses that you can get from different sources.

Whether you are wanting to drink from a lake, river, small stream or a well you may not always be certain about its quality. They can all be polluted from such things as sewage, runoff, animal waste and pathogens.

One of the most common illness you can get from drinking such water without a water purification treatment is Giardiasis or beaver fever which is a nasty intestinal parasite. There are a variety of methods that can be used to treat water to make it safe for drinking.

water purification Tablets (Iodine Tablets) are one of the methods that have been used for many years. Depending on the water, one or two tablets are needed to destroy the bacteria and viruses. Most brands take about 30 minutes to purify the water.

The iodine kills many but not all of the most common pathogens in water. Many of the kits come with 2 types of tablets, the iodine and a vitamin C tablet to help eliminate some of the iodine taste, but should not be added until the iodine has done its work.

Boiling water will kill bacteria and other microorganisms commonly found in rivers and lakes. This will work to kill off certain pathogens but will not get rid of pollution.

The combination of boiling the water and using a charcoal filtration system after will do the job of getting rid of bacteria and pathogens an pollution as well. The draw back to this type of water purification is the time and fuel needed to do the job.

UV water purification (SteriPen) is a hand held device that sanitizes one quart of water in ninety seconds. It is powered by batteries. The Traveler model can treat 100 quarts of water. Taking extra batteries for this type of system would be the best idea.

There are a variety of Filtering water bottles on the market for water purification with micro-filters and purification cartridges. On average, water bottles can be filled over 100 times before a filter or cartridge needs to be replaced.

It is usually a 3 step system that first, removes the sediment, second ,uses an iodinated resin kills microorganisms, including E.coli, cholera, polio, hepatitis and other viruses, and third, the carbon removes much of the unwanted flavors, odors and iodine.

It is always best to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the health of yourself and those traveling with you by never drinking water out of a rivers, lakes or streams without using a proper water purification method.

Portable Water Purification Systems

By Trent Barrett

Water is a basic necessity of life. You simply cannot survive more than a few days without it. More than half your body weight is water. Every cell of your body uses it. Your body fluids, including blood, are mainly composed of water. As water travels throughout your body, it carries nutrients, oxygen and wastes to and from your cells. Many parts of your body, including your heart, need water-based fluids to survive.

The water we use to shower with, cook with, or prepare juices, teas or coffee with can affect our health as well. Thus, we all need a reliable source of clean, pure water.

Pure water, however, rarely occurs in nature. Precipitation absorbs carbon dioxide and other gases as well as traces of organic and inorganic material from the atmosphere. Surface waters can be contaminated by domestic sewage and industrial wastes. Groundwater may contain nitrogen compounds and chlorides. Even bottled water can be contaminated.

By choosing the proper water filters and water purification systems, you can ensure the supply of the clean, pure water you and your family need.

While there are many filters, most of them do not remove pathogenic bacteria from the water. Worse still, what they will remove is the minerals your body needs.

What they found are filters that can cleanse water for a variety of purposes, including for irrigation and drinking or to fill aquariums and swimming pools. These filters can also be used for removing harmful substances, or even to improve the taste, color or odor of drinking water. Recreational hikers and members of the military need filters that are portable and lightweight. Because they are mobile, they need a system that filters either through the use of a mechanical hand pump or one that employs a siphon drip system. They might also consider using water bottles that have filters built right in.

There are purification systems that uses ultraviolet light to destroy bacteria, viruses and other parasites. They can eliminate 99.99% of bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli. They purify in just a few seconds, no matter the source of the water. This is a system that you can take wherever you travel.

Try one of the many purification systems and filters available, and you will enjoy cleaner, better tasting water whether you are at home or on the go.

Trent Barrett is a consultant who writes for Home water purifiers You can visit their homepage to learn more about home water purification systems