Water is one of the most critical components to life on earth. Sufficient access to clean water is a factor in improving overall health and encouraging economic development. Millions of people around the world, however, are faced with a lack of access to clean drinking water due to climate change, urbanization, and a rapidly growing human population.
Many in developed countries may take it for granted, but our supply of clean, safe drinking water may be suddenly disrupted in a disaster. Are you prepared to make water safe to drink in an emergency?
The ability to create potable water is of special concern to boaters on the open seas. Although you are surrounded by water, the liquid in the ocean is not something you want to be putting in your body. In case of a catastrophe, you will want to be able to make that water safe to drink.
This article will discuss a few ways that you can produce a supply of safe drinking water for yourself and your family in case of a crisis.
Methods of Treating Water
There are a variety of techniques you can use to treat water from different sources to make it safe to drink.
- Boiling
- Pasteurization
- Distilling
- Chlorinating
- Iodization
- Filtration
- Reverse osmosis
- Solar disinfection
Boiling and Pasteurization
The two most common ways of decontaminating water to make it safe for drinking are boiling and Pasteurization. They are similar methods and either or both can be accomplished with a simple non-combustible container (metal pot or ceramic crock) and a source of heat, such as a stove or a campfire. Heating water to the boiling point (100ºC/212ºF) should be enough to kill harmful bacteria present in contaminated tap water or water from a river, stream, or lake. Pasteurization is accomplished by the same method, but the water needs only to reach 65ºC/149ºF but that temperature must be maintained for a minimum of six minutes.
Distillation
The distillation procedure requires vaporizing water and collecting the condensation into a clean container. This can use the same heating methods as boiling, or can be accomplished with solar power and patience. Many seasoned boaters have a distillation kit aboard as it can transform saltwater into clean, drinkable water.
Using chlorine or iodine tablets
Two chemical methods include treating with chlorine or with iodine. These are often used when there is no practical way to heat the water as mentioned above. Chlorine and iodine tablets are usually available at stores offering outdoor camping or survival equipment. Chlorine is generally used for larger amounts of water while iodine tablets can be used to purify small containers of water and are more convenient for traveling.
Solar disinfection
Solar disinfection (SODIS) requires no electricity or heat source other than the sun. A transparent container is used to expose the water to the sun’s rays. While this can be accomplished in fewer than 7 hours in equatorial regions with lots of bright, direct sunlight, it is not as effective in areas with cloud cover or shorter periods of daylight, often taking up to 48 hours or more to achieve the desired results.
Filtration and reverse osmosis
Both regular filtration and reverse osmosis methods filter contaminants, but the former can be a filter device attached to the faucet or as simple as a filter bottle or pitcher, from Britta for example. Water is decontaminated as it flows out of the faucet head or as gravity pulls it down from the top of the pitcher or bottle.
Reverse osmosis is not much more complicated, the major difference being that the water must be under high pressure as it is pushed through a semi-permeable membrane. This makes it less practical if there is no electric power available, although there are some solar-powered models. It may be a good option for seaborne boaters for desalinating ocean water.
An essential tool for boaters
If you own a seagoing craft, the only two methods listed above that will desalinate seawater are distillation and reverse osmosis. Having at least one of these systems aboard your boat is really a no-brainer when it comes to necessary equipment. If you choose a reverse osmosis device, it would be a good idea for it to have a solar power option, or have a distillation kit as a back-up.
Being stranded at sea without access to drinking water is a nightmare no one wants to live through. Make sure a desalination system has as much priority on your boating safety checklist as do life jackets.
We hope this article has been educational and helpful to you in making sure you are prepared to produce safe, clean drinking water for you and your family in case of an unexpected event. Let us know in the comments any experiences you have had with water purification.
Happy boating!