Physical Way to Process & Purify Water

Pure, clean water refreshes like nothing else.

Many travelers and hikers choose physical methods to purify water because chemically treated water has some serious drawbacks, such as an unpleasant taste and water that still looks dirty. Physical methods for purification have their own drawbacks and advantages. Boiling and distillation are both foolproof as far as killing organisms, but with boiling you still have dirt to deal with and with distillation you have a time-consuming and complicated process. Filtration works well, but only if you have a reliable product.

Things You'll Need

• Pot
• Lid
• Heat source (electricity, fire, sunshine)
• Cooling mechanism (pipe, lid, plastic sheet)
• Cup
• Commercial filter

Instructions

Boiling

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.

2. 

   A full, rolling boil has large popping bubbles.

   Boil for at a full, rolling boil for at least one minute. Some common microorganisms die at lower temperatures and many die on contact with boiling water, but the one minute rule will give you a margin of safety.

3. Boil for three minutes if you are at altitudes higher than 6,500 feet.

4. Let the water cool and settle before drinking.

Filtration

1. 

   Savy hikers always know to purify water.

   Read labels carefully when comparing filtration systems to ensure that both microorganisms and viruses will be filtered out or killed. Buy the best product that you can afford.

2. Follow directions on any commercially purchased filter.

3. Keep parts of the filter that enter the water bottle separate at all times from the parts that go into the unfiltered water, such as a stream.

Distillation

1. 

   A professional distillation process involves complicated equipment.

   Gather water in a pot, a bowl or even a hole in the ground. (The TV star Survivorman once urinated in a hole he dug in the desert.)

2. Heat an amount of water either by direct heat like a stove or fire or simply in a sunny location.

3. Set up a cooling method, such as a pot lid or plastic sheeting, to catch the evaporated or steamed water.

4. Determine a way to catch the water that will result once the steam has cooled. If you use a hole with plastic sheeting over it, poke a hole in the middle of the sheeting and place a cup underneath to catch the drops of water as they form. If you use a piece of pipe or tubing, bend it in a spiral to catch the most steam and place it over a cup. If you use a pot and lid, periodically remove the lid where water has condensed and hold it vertically over a cup to catch the water.

References

• Center for Disease Control: Chapter 2: Travelers' Health-Yellow Book: Water Disinfection for Travelers
• Washington State Department of Health: Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response: Purifying Household Water
• Rock and Ice: How to Purify Water
• The Farm: Water Distillation Principles