During emergency situations, in which emergency disinfection
of water must take place there are several options an individual can implement.
If bottled water is not available, you should boil water to kill most of the
disease causing organisms that may be present. Furthermore, if the water
appears highly turbid, utilize clothing as a filter to remove suspended
sediment from the water. If there is no access to a heating source, you can
disinfect using household bleach. Utilize, unscented, liquid household bleach
and add 1/8th (.5ml) of a teaspoon per gallon of water. Most
households have 5gallon buckets lying around there home. In order to store efficient
amounts of water in emergency situations take advantage of high volume
reserves. For every 5gallons of water stored, add precisely 2.5ml of bleach in
order to properly disinfect water reserves.
However in times of crisis, home water supplies may be interrupted
by natural or other forms of disaster. The EPA recommends draining your hot
water tank and melting ice cubes. Particularly in urban areas where wells
cannot be obtained, local rivers or lakes should be utilized. Avoid stagnant
slow moving water. Look for water sources that have a good flow and do not emit
an odor. In addition, observe the color of the water, avoid water sources that
are dark in color. It’s important to note, that if you must obtain water from a
heavily turbid source, make sure to filter the water as mentioned above, utilizing
clean clothes as a filter, in order for the disinfectant to work more efficiently.
Links:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/convert/measurements.html
http://water.epa.gov/drink/emerprep/emergencydisinfection.cfm
Links:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/convert/measurements.html
http://water.epa.gov/drink/emerprep/emergencydisinfection.cfm
