Flooded and no water.

[Guest ab28]

With the resent floods the main that services my house washed out of the ditch bank it was buried in and broke.

I'm up to my eyeballs in water, but don't have water.

This isn't going to happen again. I have a pond.

So, what I need is a way to purify water to drink.

What's the best thing/method to do this for a family of 4 adults?

I've seen some fitlers online but don't know which ones work and which ones will make me poop for days.

I used a tshirt to filter the floaties and 2 drops of bleach per quart. I did this on my whole thru hike of the Appalachian Trail, which I just finished.

[Guest ab28]

Assuming you have power (or a coleman stove or similar), and if there are really no chemical surface contaminants in there, just filter big stuff out of it with most anything, like a shirt even, and boil it.

It only has to get to boil for 30 seconds or so, not the 3-5 min some say.

- OS

Actually, you don't need to boil it for any length of time. Once it hits a boil, it is safe to drink.

[Mike.357]

I used a tshirt to filter the floaties and 2 drops of bleach per quart. I did this on my whole thru hike of the Appalachian Trail, which I just finished.

your post about this on the AT thread made me really rethink the need to have a water filter.

[Northface]

Best filter I have ever seen: First Need Base Camp Water Purifier. They are not cheap, but will do up to 1000 gallons.

I have used the little brother to this for years when backpacking. Even took it with me to compare inline house water purifiers. Held its own against the best.

[Guest trigem]

[Guest trigem]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHilE1ukkjY&feature=related

[Oh Shoot]

Actually, you don't need to boil it for any length of time. Once it hits a boil, it is safe to drink.

True, that.

- OS

[Guest ab28]

your post about this on the AT thread made me really rethink the need to have a water filter.

Well, the filtered water does taste a lot better. In an actual survival situation, I think it would be a lot like the hike, though. Every ounce would count, and that is extra ammo or something else.

[vontar]

that sand water filters would be nifty to built and keep one on hand as a just in case item.

I don't mean for backbacking but build one cheap and keep it around home for the what if, you end up with a questionable water situation for a few days.

Looks simple enough to build.

[hkusp40cal]

A little more on the First Need Water purifier. When I purchased mine a few years ago it was the only filter rated as a purifier by the EPA. The way you test that the element is still working is to put food coloring into the water and pump it out. The water on the other side is crystal clear. The only drawback I have found is the slowness of the pump.

Edited September 2, 2010 by hkusp40cal