Disaster Conditions and the Requirement of Emergency Water Filtration Strategies
Floods are predicted again for the spring of 2010 in certain parts of the nation as a result of record snowfalls throughout the cold months of winter. Compounding the inevitable property damages caused by flooding will probably be a lack of fresh drinking water as streams, rivers, and lakes become contaminated. You can’t say for sure where a flood or other disaster may hit, so it is critical that everyone know what to do before drinking the murky, foul-tasting water that’s left behind. It’s critical that you know the steps to water filtration to help you keep your family safe.
Though commercial companies use industrial devices such as portable water system equipment to effectively purify water, there are ways you can purify water in your home as well. The most effective way to handle contaminated water is by boiling it. Boiling removes the majority of the pathogens as well as other contaminants in water which makes it safe. If your water remains cloudy after it’s been boiled, you’ll be able to filter it through a clean cloth to remove larger particles and store it inside a clean, covered container.
Unfortunately, disaster conditions that require water filtration to begin with often go hand-in-hand with a damaged utilities meaning you won’t be able to boil water. You can try disinfecting the water with the addition of 8 drops of common unscented chlorine bleach to one gallon of water and allowing the water to settle. It’s still better if once you have allowed the water to settle you filter it through clean cloths until it looks clean.
In addition to the ways of disinfecting water described above, there are a variety of basic filtering devices you can buy to keep on hand for just this type of situation. The easiest of them include filtered drinking straws and sports bottles which enable you to drink almost immediately. There are also larger machines that will decontaminate several gallons of water daily so that you may have enough for cooking and sanitation in addition to drinking. Several family-sized machines can be found for under $100.
The body needs water. This is exactly why there are pictures of people in other countries drinking dirty water although they know it may make them sick. Their bodies just demand it even if there is no water filtration companies in sight. Knowing the steps you can utilize to disinfect water should an emergency situation hit your area could mean the difference between life and death for your family. Keeping preparation tools at home all the time, whether or not they’re just bleach and clean rags, is probably the smartest things that you can do.
