You Don't Know What You Have

Until it is Gone.....

Welcome, once again, to the Asylum, my dear readers, and welcome to Survival Saturday.  I apologize for not getting a regular post out this week, but I am dealing with some things and will endeavor to do better going forward.  To this point, we have talked about food and firearms but even more important is water. The lack of water will do you in much faster than the lack of food and possibly even shelter.  A person can only survive for about 3 to 5 days without water. This emphasizes the critical importance of water for human survival, as it is essential for maintaining bodily functions, regulating body temperature, facilitating nutrient absorption, and eliminating waste and toxins. Without an adequate supply of water, the body’s vital systems begin to shut down, leading to dehydration and, ultimately, severe health complications. Therefore, access to clean and safe water is paramount for sustaining life and living through any emergency.

So long as nothing crazy happens in our modern world, water is an afterthought. It just comes from the tap as hot or cool as you like.  Unfortunately, this is false security, as flood, storm, fire, or the Flint Michigan City Council all happen far too frequently, depriving populations of potable water.  Not a concern for you because you have a well you say.  Sorry to break it to you, but that makes you much more vulnerable as any power outage also deprives you of water.  Another growing threat is cyber-attacks on water treatment and delivery infrastructure (here).

What do you do after the storm, cyber-attack, or other disaster that leaves you in a primitive situation, when access to clean water is crucial for sustaining life?  Without modern filtration systems or purification methods, individuals must rely on primitive techniques or stored water to have water safe for consumption.  Don’t think you will just get some bottles, as they will disappear quickly if you can even make it to a store.  This guide explores various methods for purifying and storing water in a survival scenario, emphasizing the importance of safety and effectiveness.

Water from natural sources such as rivers, streams, and ponds may be contaminated with bacteria, parasites, and other harmful micro-organisms (here, here, and here). Consuming untreated water in such conditions can lead to severe illnesses, including diarrhea, dysentery, and even life-threatening infections. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize water purification to minimize health risks.  If you are sick, it will make it harder or impossible for you to perform any other actions that may be required to survive.

The first, and most common, method of making water potable is boiling.  Boiling water is one of the most effective methods for purifying water in a primitive survival setting. By bringing water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute (or longer at higher altitudes), the heat kills harmful pathogens, making the water safe to drink. However, in the absence of modern containers, individuals may need to improvise with natural materials such as clay pots, shells, or animal hides to boil water.  This also requires a heat source and in a survival situation that may mean fire, but that is another Saturday.

To start, gather a heat-resistant container, such as a metal pot or canteen, and fill it with unclean water. Place the container over a heat source, such as a fire or stove, and bring the water to a rolling boil.  If you do not have a container you feel can withstand your heat source, dropping hot rocks from your heat source into the water can produce the same effect but will take longer.  It's important to ensure that the water reaches a vigorous boil for at least 1 minute to effectively kill any harmful pathogens and bacteria present. In higher altitudes, it's recommended to boil the water for 3 minutes to account for the lower boiling point. Once the water has been boiled, remove it from the heat source and allow it to cool before consuming. Boiling water is a reliable method for purifying water in the absence of modern filtration systems, making it safe for drinking and reducing the risk of waterborne illnesses.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t remove any chemical contamination and if you boil the water to a point of significant loss of volume it can concentrate some chemical contaminates.  It becomes a game of not dying now vs. possibly consuming stuff that will kill you later when talking about surface water that gets runoff.

Filtration is another method of making water potable.  The good prepper will have a stockpile of commercial water filtration available from personal straw-type filters in go bags and emergency kits to larger gravity feed bladders that filter water or even larger filtration set-ups like Berkey or Aquasana.  While these filter systems can be expensive, you can make your own for much less just by using their filters (here).  What if you were unprepared, or you have used up all your filtration? What options do you have?  Creating a makeshift water filter can help remove sediment and larger particles from water sources. If done correctly this can also remove chemicals and bacteria.  The first step is making activated charcoal (here).  Then, layering natural materials such as sand, gravel, and your activated charcoal in a container to act as a filtration system.  While this method may not eliminate all microorganisms, it can improve water clarity and reduce the risk of consuming harmful contaminants.

To make a water filter for survival, start by finding a container, such as a plastic bottle or a large piece of bamboo, and cutting off the bottom. Next, create a filtration layer by adding a piece of cloth at the bottom to prevent larger debris and charcoal from passing through.  Above the cloth, add layers of activated charcoal, sand, and gravel. The gravel will remove larger particles from the water, then the sand will filter out finer material, and the charcoal will trap chemicals, viruses, and most bacteria.  Once the layers are in place, pour the unclean water into the makeshift filter, allowing it to pass through the layers and collect at the bottom (here).  This filtered water can then be collected for consumption, providing a basic but effective means of purifying water in a survival situation.  Since this will not remove 100% of microbes it is recommended to boil or chemically purify water after filtration for the safest and highest quality resource available.

Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) is also a method that can be used at times and in places with clear water and intense sunshine. SODIS is a simple method for purifying water in primitive environments.  This technique involves filling transparent containers with water and exposing them to sunlight for several hours.  The UV rays from the sun help to deactivate harmful pathogens, making the water safer to drink.  Although SODIS requires clear skies, sufficient sunlight, and clear water (here).  It can be an effective purification method in certain conditions.  For me, this is a summer-only and no other option solution, but that is something you will have to decide on your own.

This brings us to the chemical treatment of water to make it potable.  In the absence of modern water purification tablets, primitive survivalists can turn to natural substances with disinfecting properties. For example, certain tree barks, such as those from the willow or birch tree, contain compounds with mild antiseptic properties. These can be used to treat water, although the effectiveness may vary. Additionally, the use of natural chemicals for water treatment requires careful consideration of potential side effects and allergens (not recommended).  To chemically treat water for consumption in a survival scenario, various products can be used to effectively purify the water.  One common method involves using water purification tablets or drops, which contain chemicals such as chlorine dioxide or iodine.  These chemicals work by killing bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microorganisms present in the water.  To use water purification tablets, simply follow the instructions on the packaging, typically involving adding the specified number of tablets to the water and allowing them to dissolve.  Similarly, water purification drops are added to the water according to the instructions provided, and then the water is allowed to stand for a designated period to ensure thorough treatment.  It's important to follow the recommended dosage and treatment time to ensure the water is safe for consumption.  If you are on the back foot, bleach can also be used at roughly 8ml of 6-8% bleach per gallon of water (here).

Since potable water is essential, filtration and purification should be emergency measures for a long-term crisis lasting a week or more.  While you should be ready to make environmental water potable, long-term stored water should be the go-to for short-term crises that render the normal supply unavailable.  Long-term water storage is a critical aspect of emergency planning.

You can store your water using recycled containers such as food-grade barrels, jugs, or bottles this can significantly reduce the cost of water storage, especially when compared to purchasing specialized water storage containers.  Food-grade buckets and barrels are often free since restaurants and food packaging facilities often see them as waste materials.  You want to ensure that any recycled containers are made of food-grade materials and have never housed chemicals (because you can’t wash some of them out no matter how hard you try) to prevent chemical leaching or contamination of the stored water.

The first step for all storage containers (except one) is thorough cleaning before use.  All containers newly purchased or recycled should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to eliminate any residues or contaminants that may compromise water quality.  You should be aware of ultraviolet light protection so your containers are transparent or translucent, they should be stored in a dark or opaque location to prevent light exposure, which can promote algae growth and compromise water quality.

For water preservation, you should treat all long-term water storage with a purification chemical.  This will prevent the safe levels of algae and microbes present in tap water from rendering the water stagnant by removing dissolved oxygen and overpopulating it over time, destroying your emergency stores (here).  Household chemicals can be employed to preserve the quality of stored water over the long term. Common household chemicals used for water preservation, including unscented household bleach containing 5-6% sodium hypochlorite, can be used to disinfect and preserve water for long-term storage by adding 8ml to the gallon and mixing very well at the time of storage.  This is why unrinsed, unscented bleach bottles, once empty, can just be filled with water and stored.  The residue of bleach inside is generally sufficient to preserve the water.  The other common chemical is calcium hypochlorite (pool shock). This is a powdered form of chlorine that can be used for water disinfection and long-term storage. It is much more dangerous and should be mixed into a solution for small-scale water storage because half a teaspoon of the powder sanitizes 55 gallons of water in larger storage situations (here).  Using this chemical according to specific guidelines and recommendations is important to ensure safety and effectiveness.

To end, I will say if you are totally caught off guard and unprepared, the reservoir on the back of toilets and the tank of the hot water heater will contain more or less potable water and it is a resource that can be used for water now up to a week. After that, I wouldn’t trust it.

At this point, I ask you guys to pray for me and mine. These are rough times and God called us to a rough path.  While I know God will see us through, prayers are welcome.

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God Bless you,

-Sam