Water Rendering, Filtering and Purification

[yiolas]

If things get rough, we might not always have clean drinking water. You can buy portable water filter/purification gadgets. But it is always good know how to do this if you w/out them.

I found these great videos describing on the fly water filtration and purification techniques.

From wildernessoutfitters . This guy is very thorough and informative.

He also has a whole series of wilderness and survival videos on you tube.

Water Purification Techniques
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELBKBY-XY6w

Improvised Water Filter Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q99AN79ZNjs

Improvised Water Filter Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmr9nWy0i0g

This series by Kevin Barrett is also good.
He is very articulate and explains the proecesses involved in clear, simple to understand terms.

Pt 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvhthIWFCIg
Pt 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwQ16xz9hUA
Blessings,
Yiola

Blessings,
Yiola

[ArtyCarl]

Thanks for the videos Yiola, very informative. Hopefully we never have to use this knowledge but it is really handy to know.

[Swanny]

Millbank Bag Survival Water Filter is a cheap and cheerful way to filter the big bits out of water
http://www.printerscats.com/Water-Pu...HOQV7Brq0.html

[stardustaquarion]

Fascinating stuff, thank you!

[pugwash84]

Also you may be able to use nano technology to clean water http://www.ecpgroup.com/WaterTreatme...ionBottle.aspx.

[rmauersr]

Emergency Well Bucket

Those who depend on a well for water should make an emergency well bucket for use during times when electricity is not available. An emergency well bucket can be made from Schedule 40 PVC pipe, some reducing fittings and a plastic check valve of the plastic type used with sump pumps. Make sure the check valve is a swing type closed by gravity instead of the type that is closed by a spring. Check valves made of plastic open more easily than brass. The PVC pipe diameter should be small enough to pass by the plumbing and electric wires inside the well casing. If you have an emergency well bucket you will never run out of water. Operation is simple. Use a rope to lower the bucket into the well casing until the bucket initially floats, then slowly sinks as the check valve opens allowing water to fill the bucket from the bottom. When the bucket is lifted the check valve closes keeping the emergency well bucket full.

The current design is a 2 inch diameter bucket 60 inches long that will hold approximately 0.8 gallons or 6.8 lb of water.

Material cost is approximately $21 from Lowes (Apr 2009). The parts list for this bucket is:
Item Qty per Bucket Cost Each Bucket
1 1/2 plastic sump check 1 $6.34
1 1/4″ NSF PE 3″ $0.09
SS clamp 2 $2.30
1 1/4″ blk plastic pipe to 1 1/2″ thread 1 $0.58
Bushing, 1 1/2 thread to 2″ slip 1 $1.73
2″ PVC coupling (slip) 1 $0.87
2″x10′ PVC SCH40 Pipe 5′ $2.12
1.5″ PVC SCH40 Pipe 3″
PVC glue
PVC cleaner
Locktite
SS machine bolt, 5/16×2 1/2 1 $1.84
SS nut 5/16, SS 1 $0.41
5/16 flat washer, SS 4 $1.63
1.5 PVC cap 1 $1.17
1.5″ PVC cap 1 $0.77

Total $19.85
Tax $0.99
Grand Total $20.84
2"x60" Emergency Well Bucket, 0.8 gallons

2"x60" Emergency Well Bucket, 0.8 gallons

The distance that water must be lifted is much less than the depth of the well. Well depth is not a factor. Underground streams are under pressure, lifting the water inside the well casing to within a few feet of the surface. The actual distance will vary depending upon location and possibly season.

More about water with pictures and links .....

[rmauersr]

Water Purification

My choice for water filtration was the Big Berkey water filter which can filter 4000 to 6000 gallons of water when using 2 filter elements. The Berkey water filter system removes pathogenic bacteria, parasites and cysts to non detectable levels, removes harmful or unwanted chemicals to below detectable levels, and reduces nitrates, nitrites and unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury without removing the healthful and nutritional minerals that your body needs. Checkout the Berkey FAQ. Video

Swiss made Katadyn water filters can purify dirty creek or lake water making it suitable for drinking and cooking. These filters are available in a variety configurations from outdoor specialty shops and online. Think about how valuable a quality water filter would have been in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Consider putting a small portable filter in your car in case disaster strikes and you get caught away from home.

Fill the Katadyn Exstream Water Bottle from any fresh water source, squeeze and sip. Water is made safe to drink as it flows through three purifying stages. First-stage Filter removes large sediment and disagreeable odors. The second-stage Cyst Filter traps protozoa in a web of glass-fiber. The third-stage EPA registered ViruStat Microbial Cartridge disinfects the water from bacteria and viruses with iodinated resin. This personal hydration system provides complete anti-microbial protection against cysts, bacteria and viruses. It is recommended that the ViruStat Cartridge be changed after 200 refills (26 gallons, depending on water quality). Change the Cyst and Pre/Post Filters when water flow becomes constricted. Water bottle is $50 and a Exstream Virustat Replacement Kit with all 3 filters is $35. Video

The Katadyn Pocket with a silver impregnated ceramic element is effective against bacteria and protozoa and can filter up to 0.2 micron. The Katadyn Pocket water filter is the only water filter with a lifetime year warranty. Field-cleanable 0.2 micron ceramic depth filter. Output rate is up to 1 quart/minute. Cartridge Capacity is up to 13,000-gallons, depending on water quality. Price range $220 to $270. Replacement filter for $147. Video

The Gravidyn is a no-pump gravity filter for providing drinking water for families, groups, and camps.  The unit’s three silver impregnated ceramic elements with built-in carbon cores will filter up to 39,000 gallons (13000 per cartridge). Field-cleanable 0.2 micron ceramic depth filters with granular activated carbon filter. Water container is 2.5 gallons. Approximately one gallon filtered per hour $219.95

SteriPEN™ is the only portable water purifier that uses ultraviolet (UV) light to destroy waterborne microbes. It only takes 60 seconds to purify 32 ounces of water. Available from Emergency Essentials ($80) and other sources. Video

Water Storage and Purification guide from Captain Dave

Water Pasteurization

Many people believe that you have to boil water to make it safe to drink. In fact, if you heat water to 65° C (149° F), all of the germs that can cause disease in humans are killed. It takes much more fuel to boil water than to heat it to 65° C. To learn more about this, see Water Pasteurization Frequently-Asked Questions. A simple solar water pasteurizer can be made from a soda bottle. A Water Pasteurization Indicator (WAPI) can be used to measure water temperature to determine when the water is sufficiently hot for pasteurization and safe to drink. Read more about recent advances in water pasteurization.

Since water pasteurizes at temperatures well below the boiling point of water, WAPIs save time when solar pasteurizing, and save fuel when using traditional fuels. Or use a solar cooker (solar oven) to pasteurize water.

Solar Cookers International offers the AquaPak a $20 solar pasteurizer that provides four to five liters of water at a time, up to 15 liters per day. Simply fill with water and lay it on a flat surface in the sun. A built-in WAPI indicates when water is pasteurized, in as little as 2 hours. Weighs 6 ounces when empty. Video

[sister]

http://www.rexresearch.com/airwells/airwells.htm
Air wells and dew ponds, Methods for Recovery of Atmospheric Humidity.