
If you live in a developed country, the chances are
pretty good that you don’t spend much time worrying about your access to clean
water. After all, it’s literally right there in unlimited supplies anytime you turn on the tap in your bathroom or
kitchen.
Even so, it’s important to know how to purify water
should you ever find yourself in extenuating circumstances. Anyone can potentially
wind up lost in the wilderness or stuck at home after a natural disaster. Since
the human body cannot survive longer than three days without drinking water,
you need to know what to do. The following are some of your best options.
Understanding the Difference Between Filtration and Purification
Although the two may sound the same, water filtration and
water purification are actually completely different things, and you need an
understanding of the difference
between the two.
Filtration
At its most basic, filtration refers to the process
of ridding water of a variety of impurities. This is done via one form of
physical barrier or another. Impurities removed via this process can include
sediment, silt, and even very tiny particles like bacteria and microbial cysts.
Although there is a safety purpose to
filtering water, the process is often more about improving clarity, overall
quality, and taste.
Purification
Like filtration, purification also works to
eliminate impurities from water. However, the focus is placed on contaminants
that truly render the water unsafe to drink. Possibilities include viruses,
chemicals, parasites, biological contaminants, and so forth.

Options for Purifying Water
Although both filtration and
purification are important, purification becomes extra critical if and when you
ever find yourself in a true survival situation. Let’s take a closer look at some
go-to ways to purify water in any situation where the safety of the water you
have access to might be questionable.
Boiling
Perhaps the simplest, most reliable way to purify
water is to boil it. This method won’t get
rid of many forms of chemical pollution. However, it will kill off any parasites, bacteria, viruses, or other biological
pathogens that might be infesting it.
Bring your water to a rolling boil and let it
continue for a minimum of five minutes. (Ten minutes is a lot better, so,
unless time is of the essence, err on the side of caution.) In higher
elevations, it may take longer for the water to boil.
Personal Water Filters
If you’re planning on spending any time in the
wilderness or simply wish to be prepared for a possible natural disaster, a
personal water filter is a good bet. They’re made specifically with those purposes in mind and come in two
different types – pump-action filters and drip
filters.
Pump filters require either good old fashioned elbow
grease or a battery-powered motor to force untreated water through a filter
cartridge. Drip filters, on the other hand, leverage the power of gravity to
pull water through the filtration device. Just be aware that while many
personal water filters do purify
water in addition to filtering it, some don’t, so shop carefully.
Distillation
If you’re facing the dilemma of generating clean
drinking water after a natural disaster, you may have to worry about
contaminants like lead, radiation, heavy metals, and so forth. Filtering won’t
really work when it comes to getting rid of high levels and will only ruin the
costly water filter you may have invested in.
That said, when you only have access to dangerous
water, distillation isn’t a guaranteed way to remove all toxins, but it’s still
your safest bet. To do this, the water must be heated until it produces steam.
The steam can then be captured and safely used.
Purification Tablets
Last, but not least, you can purchase simple, easy
to use water
purification tablets with active ingredients like chlorine or iodine to
handle the purification process for you. They’re simple, convenient, and so
easy to use that they’re pretty much foolproof. Just be sure you consider the
lifespan of the product when stocking a survival pack, bunker, or cabin with
supplies.
Of course, no one wants to wind up facing a situation that comes complete with a water crisis, and most of us likely never will. However, it’s still important that everyone knows how to survive and gain access to clean, drinkable water if and when the unthinkable ever happens. It truly could mean the difference between life and death for you or someone you love.