Countdown to Preparedness

Back in Section I, we talked about the importance of storing water. Indeed, storing water is one of your ongoing assignments throughout this project. Running just slightly behind this in importance is having the ability to filter and purify additional water supplies. There are, of course, many natural sources of water, such as lakes, rivers, rain, and snow melt. But no matter how absolutely crystal clear that water may be, it should still be filtered and purified.

One of the best investments a prepper can make is to purchase a water-purification system such as a Big Berkey Water Filtration System. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’ll do the job far better than you may be able to accomplish without it. Other brands to look for are Katadyn and Aquamira.

As you compare costs and brands, take a hard look at the specs for each unit. You’re going to want something that will filter sufficient quantities of water to suit your needs. For example, if you have a family of five, you’re probably going to want a system that will do more than a gallon an hour. You also want to consider the size of the organisms the system will filter out. You want a filter that will remove at least down to the 0.2–0.3 micrometer range. That will handle the bad critters like cryptosporidium and giardia.

Unfortunately, such filtration systems don’t work so well on viruses, which tend to be considerably smaller. With that in mind, you may want to incorporate an additional step of chemical treatment or boiling to ensure safe water.

You can bring the water to a rolling boil. It used to be that experts recommended letting the water boil for several minutes, but now the latest information says that the water needs to be brought only to a rolling boil. Doing so is enough to kill off any harmful organisms. Naturally, this method requires enough fuel to boil large quantities of water as well as the time to not only boil the water but allow it to cool enough to handle or consume. When at all possible, though, use boiling to disinfect the water—it’s the surest way to provide clean water.

Nonscented chlorine bleach will render questionable water potable. Add sixteen drops (1/8 teaspoon) of bleach to a gallon of water, swish it around, then let it sit for about a half hour. If the water still has a faint chlorine smell, you’re good to go. If it doesn’t, repeat the process. If the water is very cloudy or very cold, double the amount of bleach. Bleach is fairly inexpensive, but it does have a limited shelf life. Once the bottle is open, expect full potency for about six months before it begins to degrade.

You can make your own bleach mixture using calcium hypochlorite, also known as “pool shock.” Here are the instructions for doing so, from the Environmental Protection Agency’s website:

This method is appealing because pool shock is very stable and lasts a long time if it’s kept dry and cool. It can also be very inexpensive, especially during clearance sales at the end of summer. Given that you’ll need to use only a very small amount to make your purification mixture, even one or two packages of pool shock will last you a good long time.

Naturally, any camping supply store carries a wide range of water-purification tablets. These do work well, but you’ll be able to disinfect only small amounts of water at a time. You’ll go through quite a few tablets in just a few days if this is your primary disinfection method.

There are also different types of water bottles with the filtration unit built in, such as those sold under the Aquamira brand. Great to have and recommended, but don’t count on using them to provide large quantities of clean water at any one time.

Of course, before disinfecting the water, it should be filtered to remove the larger “stuff” that may be present. One of the best ways to do this is to first let the water sit long enough for anything floating in the water to settle to the bottom of the container. Then, pour the water through one or two coffee filters. I have also seen elaborate DIY setups using successive layers of small gravel, sand, and charcoal before going through coffee filters. If you have the time and the means, this is not a bad approach.

Clean water is absolutely essential to survival. While storing quantities of it is one of the first steps in a preparedness plan, you need to have the means to make found water potable as well. Few of us have the means to store all the water we’ll need during and after a major disaster.

WEEK 11 ASSIGNMENTS

TASKS

1. If you have the means to purchase a Big Berkey or similar water-filtration unit, do so. If not, begin setting money aside for one.

2. Begin gathering the supplies necessary for filtering and purifying water. These include coffee filters, pots for boiling, empty bottles, pool shock, bleach, and water-purification tablets. Always strive to have multiple methods available to you for any given task. As they say in the military, “Two is one, one is none.”

SAVINGS

Add $10 to your Prepper Savings Account.

TOTAL PREPPER SAVINGS ACCOUNT:

WATER STORAGE

One gallon (or two 2-liter bottles) per person or a case of bottled water for the household.

TOTAL WATER STORAGE:

GROCERY LIST

3 cans vegetables, your choice

2 cans fruit, your choice, but stick with those packed in water or juice, rather than syrup

2 cans meat (tuna, chicken, beef), your choice

2 cans soup, not condensed (they require water)

1 canister oatmeal or 1 box of flavored instant oatmeal

1 box granola bars, protein bars, or equivalent

1 sack (5 lbs) flour

1 lb white rice