Water Filter / Water Purification

Get ready for hurricane season! We had many calls during the Florida hurricanes with people paying next day air charges to get simple products, such as water filter systems, to them at the last minute. Please think ahead and not just for the hurricanes. Water filters and water purification is one of the most important things to plan for. Get a water filter now!!

Why have a water filter?

LOOK OUT: CONTAMINATED WATER! - You may have seen this in the headlines, watched something like it on TV, or heard about it on the radio. Unfortunately, this happens quite frequently these days. The simple truth is that water supplies across the USA are rapidly deteriorating in both quality and safety. A simple water filter can solve this problem. It seems that every day there are reports of raw sewage and bacterial contamination of municipal water systems, or some type of chemical contamination of surface waters, or perhaps some other disruption of normal water service. Owning a good water filter ahead of time is the simple answer. since water is one of the main priorities in any type of man-made or natural disaster a water filter should be a basic priority for every family.

CampingSurvival.com carries many quality water purification systems including the Katadyn water filter in case of such emergencies.

Our Homeland Security Agency has some good advice here. "When water is of questionable purity, it is easiest to use bottled water for drinking and cooking if it is available. When it’s not available, it is important to know how to treat contaminated water, such as a water filter. In addition to having a bad odor and taste, water from questionable sources may be contaminated by a variety of microorganisms, including, bacteria and parasites that cause diseases such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis. All water of uncertain purity should be treated before use. Use one or a combination of these treatments:

Water Filter: Filter the water using a piece of cloth or coffee filter to remove solid particles.

Boil: Bring it to a rolling boil for about one full minute. Cool it and pour it back and forth between two clean containers to improve its taste before drinking it.

Chlorinate: Add 16 drops (1/8 teaspoon) of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Stir to mix. Sodium hypochlorite of the concentration of 5.25% to 6% should be the only active ingredient in the bleach. There should not be any added soap or fragrances. A major bleach manufacturer has also added Sodium Hydroxide as an active ingredient, which they state does not pose a health risk for water treatment.

Let stand 30 minutes. You could still use a water filter for extra protection and eliminate bad tastes.

If it smells of chlorine. You can use it. If it does not smell of chlorine, add 16 more drops (1/8 teaspoon) of chlorine bleach per gallon of water, let stand 30 minutes, and smell it again. If it smells of chlorine, you can use it. If it does not smell of chlorine, discard it and find another source of water. Flood water can also be contaminated by toxic chemicals. Do NOT try to treat or use a water filter on flood water.

We like a two to three stage treatment for questionable water. If the water is not clear, first filter the water through a coffee filter or clean t-shirt. Then purify the water with chemicals or bleach to kill the water and then use a water filter to get everything out of the water and make it taste better.

Click here for a good hurricane preparedness and supplies list from the NHC, National Hurricane Center