The Best Purification Techniques for Safe Drinking Water

Introduction to Water Purification

Ensuring access to safe drinking water is paramount in any emergency preparedness plan. Whether facing natural disasters, infrastructure failures, or other unforeseen crises, the ability to purify water effectively can mean the difference between survival and peril. For UK preppers, the abundance of natural water sources—from rainfall to canals and lakes—offers a strategic advantage in preparing for emergencies. These resources provide an alternative lifeline of safe drinking water during disruptions to municipal water supplies or contamination events.

Natural Water Sources in the UK

Thankfully, the United Kingdom benefits from plentiful natural water sources scattered across its landscape. Rainfall, a common occurrence (usually, too common!) throughout the year, replenishes rivers and reservoirs, while the extensive network of canals and picturesque lakes in some counties further enriches the water supply. This natural bounty not only underscores the UK’s resilience in water availability but also presents opportunities for preppers to harness and purify these sources for emergency use. Despite all those bodies of water around our country, it’s still important to have a suitable water purification products to make that water safe.

Can You Drink Rain-Water in the UK?

If you’re wondering if rain water in the UK is drinking, in an emergency situation, the answer is ‘most probably‘. Obviously it depends on the scenario, but if you are without any form of water and there’s no obvious contamination in the air (fall-out, ash, toxic-cloud etc), then rainfall in the UK is unlikely to cause you any side-effects in the short-term.

If you’re storing or going to rely on rain-water for a prolonged period of time, then you’ll need to use purification techniques in this article to ensure it maintains a safe level of ‘organic matter’ in it.

Still wondering if the UK rainfall is nice and clean, check out TanksForEverything’s blog on drinking and storing UK rain-water for further reading.

Water in a Crisis

Understanding how to effectively make use of these resources ensures that UK preppers are well-equipped to safeguard their water needs during times of crisis.

In this article, we will explore practical methods for making safe drinking water in emergency situations, focusing on boiling, chemical purification, filtration, and distillation. Each method will be examined for its procedures, associated hazards, limitations, and considerations specific to UK conditions. By understanding and implementing these purification techniques, UK preppers can enhance their readiness and resilience in facing uncertain times.

The Four Best Methods of Making Safe Drinking Water

1. Safe Drinking Water by Boiling Water

Method I would argue, boiling water is actually one of the simplest and most effective methods for making safe drinking water in any emergency situations. The process works by heating water to a rolling boil, keeping it there for a few minutes, which basically kills harmful pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites that may be present in your dodgy untreated water source.

Procedure for making Safe Drinking Water via Boiling

1. Filter or Strain Foreign Objects: Basically pass your water through a fine mesh (a clean piece of clothing) helps remove dirt, insects etc.
2. Heat Source: Use your survival stove, campfire, or portable burner to heat the water. Obviously make sure the container can not only take the heat, but wont deform under the weight of the liquid.
3. Boiling Time: Bring the water to a rolling boil and maintain it for at least one minute. This ensures that all pathogens are effectively destroyed.
4. Cooling: Allow the boiled water to cool before drinking or storing it in clean, covered containers.

Yes it really is that simple. We’ve added a water kettle to our article, Best Water Purification Systems for Preppers in the UK

Hazards to Boiling

• Improper Boiling Time: Insufficient boiling time may not effectively kill all pathogens.
• Reliable Heat Source: Dependence on a consistent heat source can be challenging in emergency situations, so its likely to be using your stove. This obviously consumes limited fuel – but it’s 100% worth it.
• Burns: Care must be taken to avoid burns from handling hot containers, surfaces or pots of boiling water. You really don’t want to add major burns to your problems.

Limitations of Purification by Boiling

• Chemical Contaminants: Boiling does not remove chemical contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, or pesticides from water. In cases where chemical contamination is suspected, alternative methods should be considered.

2. Safe Drinking Water using Chemical Purification

Methods Chemical purification involves using disinfectants (such as iodine) to kill pathogens in water. These chemicals are readily available and can be effective for making water safe to drink. They’re lightweight, portable and go a long way. They’re a great alternative for when boiling water isn’t possible (i.e. on the move)

Procedure

1. Iodine Tablets or Liquid: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the correct dosage and contact time, but from experience it typically just involves adding X number of tablets or drops to your unsafe water and allowing sufficient time for the chemical to disinfect.

Hazards to Chemical Purification in an Emergency

• Overdosing: Using too much iodine can be very harmful. Follow recommended dosages carefully to avoid health risks. Read those dosages BEFORE you need to use the tablets – panic, confusion and other factors may impair your cognitive abilities in an emergency. Don’t accidentally poison yourself!
• Taste: Chemical purification can leave a pretty disgusting taste in the water, which may be unpalatable to some individuals. If using the water for drinking afterwards, conceal the taste with strong squash concentrate, or instant coffee/tea served stronger than normal.
• Allergies: Turns out some individuals are allergic to iodine, so they should obviously avoid using iodine-based purification methods.

Limitations to Chemical Purification

• Chemical Residues: While effective against pathogens, chemical purification methods do not remove sediment or improve the clarity of water. Filtering or settling may be necessary for aesthetic purposes.

3. Safe Drinking Water using Filtration Method

Method Filtration is a practical method for removing contaminants and making safe drinking water. Portable water filters are designed to physically strain out bacteria, protozoa, and sometimes even viruses from untreated water sources.

Don’t confuse bespoke survival water filters with just filtering out your water with a piece of cloth or sponge (as mentioned above). Portable water filters are simple works of genius, produced to ensure the output is nice safe drinking water (as much as can be using such a solution). You’ll see lots on MSRGear’s blog.

We’ve included three different filtration products in our article; Best Water Purification Systems for Preppers in the UK

Procedure

1. Selecting a Filter: Choose a portable water filter that meets EPA standards for water purification. Look for filters with a pore size small enough to trap pathogens. The better the filter unfortunately means more money needs to be dropped on purchasing it – but if you need an alternative method after boiling or chemical treatment, they’re great to have in a pinch!
2. Filtering Process: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for assembling and using the filter. Typically, this involves filling a container with untreated water and pumping or using gravity to filter it through the device. Like we said above, familiarise yourself with the product and how it operates, before you need it.
3. Maintenance: Regularly clean and maintain the filter according to the manufacturer’s recommendations to ensure its effectiveness over time.

Hazards of Filtration 

• Clogging: Filters can become clogged with debris, reducing their efficiency. Backwashing or cleaning the filter as directed is essential to maintain optimal performance.
• Flow Rate: In colder temperatures or with highly turbid water, the flow rate of some filters may decrease, requiring more time and effort to produce safe drinking water.

Limitations

• Virus Removal: Not all filters are capable of removing viruses from water. Check the specifications of your filter to understand its capabilities.
• Chemical Contaminants: Filters may not effectively remove chemical contaminants such as pesticides or heavy metals. If chemical contamination is suspected, alternative purification methods should be considered.

4. Safe Drinking Water using Distillation

Method Distillation is a more complex process that involves boiling water and collecting the steam that condenses back into liquid form. This method effectively removes contaminants, including bacteria, viruses, salts, heavy metals, and other impurities that have a higher boiling point than water.

In fact as far as I’m aware, this is the only method of the four that safely and reliably removes heavy-metal compounds and salts from tainted water. 

Procedure

1. Boiling Water: Heat water to its boiling point in a container.
2. Collecting Steam: Capture the steam as it rises and condenses on a cooler surface (such as a lid or tube).
3. Condensation: The condensed steam forms purified water, leaving behind contaminants in the original container.

While this sounds simple, in practise it is easily the hardest of the four methods we’ve listed here. If you’re not indoors, forget this method and divert your attention to finding another source of water.

Hazards to Distilling Water in an Emergency

• Energy Requirements: Distillation requires a heat source and consumes energy, which may not be readily available in all emergency situations. Same as the boiling water method, this’ll likely be using your bottled gas from your stove.
• Time Consuming: It can be a time-consuming process compared to other methods, especially for larger quantities of water.
• Dangerous: You’re not trying to delicately interact with not only boiling water, but the steam too. You have to be so careful.
• Equipment Needs: Setting up a distillation apparatus may require specific improvised solutions, which may not be practical in all but the mos fortunate circumstances.

Limitations

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Distillation may not effectively remove volatile organic compounds that evaporate with water vapor. Additional treatment methods may be needed for complete purification. [Read more about volatile organic compounds]

Emergency Situation – Safe Drinking Water Conclusion

Understanding these methods and their respective procedures, hazards, and limitations equips UK preppers with the knowledge to effectively purify water in emergency scenarios. Each method offers distinct advantages depending on the nature of the water source and the resources available, ensuring access to safe drinking water when municipal supplies are compromised.

The four methods we covered, were:

1. Boiling Water
2. Chemically Treating the Water
3. Using Water Filtration Systems
4. Distillation of the Water

Now that you’ve read the 4 easiest ways to make safe drinking water in an emergency, check out our article Best Water Purification Systems for Preppers in the UK.

A Note on Fuel Contaminated Water

Preppers must be aware of the limitations of these four methods. In the event of suspected fuel or radioactive contamination, none of the listed methods here will make the water safe to consume; sourcing alternative water supplies is critical for ensuring your survival.