1 weird water purification trick

SODIS is a good emergency water purification method. Read the manual. Reading the other responses prompted me to make the following comments.

UV-A is filtered out by normal glass so glass bottles does not allow the UV-A part of the system to work.

The normal 2 ltr plastic beverage bottles are transparent to light from the UV part of the solar spectrum.

I know of one water district that has filled plastic water bottles with water for emergency supplies and tested for contamination from the plastic. No evidence of contamination after 2 years of storage upon repeated testing.

The procedure provided above does not include only filling the bottle 3/4 full of water to start and then shaking it vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Best to just count to at least 30 before then filling the bottle to the top. This oxygenates the water which is an important part of the process. Oxygen is toxic to micro organisms and helps to sterilize the water.

Heating is improved if the bottles are laid flat on dark surfaces that capture solar heat.

You need to filter the water or let sediment settle prior to filling the bottles to reduce turbidity. You need to be able to basically see through the width of the bottle for effective 2-3 hour sterilization in strong sunlight.

This is a cheap and fairly effective emergency water purification system destroying pathogens. But it does not reduce toxins.

Regarding life straws…military experience has shown that they can become contaminated without the user knowing and can cause diarrheal disease which can be a killer.

Be safe. Don’t be afraid of the use of the plastic bottles for this system. Glass will not work.

Not a good idea- but if this is the only option at the time, yea- it will work. I just do not like the idea of releasing the toxins from the bottle into my water! I would use glass, like old milk bottles…

Thanks for reminding me !! My gray matter is often just to worn out to remember !!

Does this work with glass bottles?

Years ago, folks used to use the sun to make lemonade .. don’t know the specifics, but I’d bet if I Googled “Sun Lemonade” ( or something like that ) I might find it.

Why not glass bottles, thin but wide, with metal caps?

Seems to me plastic is a poor place for this action.

Larry

Their is a in expensive water filtration system being used in third world countries; capable of providing drinkable water form mud puddles etc. The life span is decades. The company also makes a unit for use in the US; contact http://www..watersavers.org for details cost around $80.00.

Where do we get theLifestraw personal water filter?

Why not use glass bottles, to avoid chemicals from the plastic?

At the hospital where I worked, we kept water and saline in the warmers for surgery. The fluids were in the manufacturer’s plastic bottles. Our regulatory data said we could keep them in the warmer up to 14 days at no more than 110ºF. After that if not used we had to pour them out. According to the data the toxins would rise unacceptably after 14 days if continued to be heated. I don’t have any data about storing the fluids afterwards at cooler temps.

How about ION (a stabilized oxygen product) for water purification – this will even kill giardia. I have been told it is safe for humans. Please give us a comment on this.

Thank you for all your work in helping people to be prepared for a crisis or other serious events. I appreciate your information and knowledge.

Can we use clear glass bottles to purify water, instead of plastic bottles?
Pat

In response to Sylvie the Canadian.

You are partially correct, but it is the shortsighted public and politicians who are the main culprits. Major industries in my home town (Ohio) were asked to clean up their sewage in the late 1950′s… and they did, building efficient treatment facilities that met the criteria.

But the city ‘leaders’ also collected taxes to treat toilet waste and then did a typical foul-up. First they picked a second rate sewage treatment design. Building the piping to the new plants took over five years because they picked a local (nepotism) company that was too small to do the job right. The budget overran and construction of the plant itself was delayed another five years and had to be re-funded (more taxes). The total cost ended up being more than a guaranteed first rate system would have cost from a first rate contractor.

When finished, the resulting facility was outdated and over capacity before it was completed. The river still smelled horrible and the public, like you, in typical fashion blamed the industries…. rather than the goons they had elected to lead them. Al they had to do to discover this truth was to stand near the two effluent pipes.

When required by law, corporations will comply or go out of business. However, politicians and a stupid public are always ‘above’ the law.

When working with high power UV lasers we used plastic goggles. Plastics usually don’t transmit shorter than 400 nm UV light. Plastics release toxic stuff. Fused silica would transmit UV and it is inert, but of course more expensive.

what would be wrong in using a glass container and leaving space for the water to expand would the water get to hot and break the glass? thanks for the info..

Good info.

Is it possible for me to get a printed report . I’ll more than glad to pay for the report .

Frank,
The process you’ve described will work to kill bacteria because of the UV rays. The heat is inconsequential. However, this process will not kill Giardia. These little guys live in very hard
capsules so the best way to get rid of them is to filter them out. You can destroy them with high heat for 30 minutes or more but you might not get them all. Chemicals can kill them too but who wants chemicals in the water supply?

Why are you saying that the chinese are our #1 treat to our water supplies. I think we were the one at first who did crazy things as it is still doing it in your own countries presently.

If sometimes our drinkable waters is no good to drink … it is because of big companies who put their filty garbadge pesticides, lubricating oil, paint, cleaning liquids etc, farms too with some animal stuff… back in rivers and the municipalites that are using bad treatment water purification and bad sanitary sewer, and most of it bad sanitary sewage disposal.

Stop accusing others of the problems we did make at first. I’m a french canadian, sorry if my english is not as good as you.

We are most of the times doing our own health problems by being not clean enough, not having the right knowledges or using the right tools. We are using badly tools and knowledges most of the time.

It seems to me that humans can’t just learn how to make a better life properly, and does repeat the same mistakes always. Sorry if my comment is rude and not too kind towards all humans…not only the usa americans.

Presently on earth, everythings is so mixed up that peoples are doing the craziest things thinking sometimes it will help the human condition and situation and finally it just makes it worst.

Have a good day to everyone who can read english !!!

****YES! You CAN use glass. But not ALL glass, and you may have to leave it out longer. I have updated the article link to one that fully talks about hows and limitations of different bottle types. Check it out for details****

can this be done with glass bottles. and thereby not contributing to the land fillls. how about using the plastic bottes and transfer the water to glass. works for me. but how long is this good for? in glass that is? thanks.

Hi All!

I suspect that it is not so much the heat from the sun that is important as the ultraviolet rays that do the bacteria and viruses in. Ask any body in the medical field and they will tell you that most of the more nasty stuf does not die until at or near the boiling point of water. the way shown does not get anywhere near those temps!
The reason that glass doesn’t work as well is that many types of glass actually absorbs the ultraviolet instead of passing it into the inside. Glass can be used for much higher temps than plastic if you are disinfecting via heat instead of just exposing the water to the suns rays.
Ultraviolet rays will also break down the plastic bottles internal chemical bonds, allowing those toxins to leach into the (contained) water more ond more rapidly.
I agree, however, if the choice is deadly bacteria or very tiny amounts of plastic toxin, my choice is the plastic!
Please note that I do reuse my water bottles, untill they start to break down and become unuseable.
The straw is also a very good idea.

love the life straw idea

Frank,
Curious why you don’t mention an alternative receptacle for this bacterial killing action? Such as: glass Kerr / Ball canning jars for this procedure. They would be cleanable and reusable indefinitely with replacement of lids on an occasional basis. Canning is or should be part of any survival mode / practice, so these jars should be considered safe, practical and held in reserve for the practice. I currently bottle ‘filtered’ tap water each day, which I carry in a cooler of ice everywhere I go. No one can resist the taste of this water when I bring along plenty for others! I bottle between zero and 24 pint glass jars (depending on the time of year) which are kept in a special refrigerator in my home, so I am ensured of excellent drinking water always and know I am not leaving a trail of plastic where ever I go. This water is squeezed through ceramic tubes purchased for the purpose and something I have done for 20 years. If I need to remove additional toxins I am able to purchase different filters based on what I find in the water supply. I plan to capture rain water for the purpose in the future and use filtration to build my own in house water supply for drinking and bathing with a system for recirculation and reuse already on the market. Toilets will be compost method. Ok, I see now others have commented about glass below, but feel this is an important issue and should be developed further. :) Enjoy your research so keep up the good work! We don’t have to be paranoid to be prepared; but we need to be aware and PREPARED! Smile

You can store water in bleach bottles, rise them out good then fill with water. The bleach in the plastic will keep the water good fore long time i have had some stored for over a year and the water is still good in them, and in a disaster the bleach bottles do not break. I store mine in a cool place .

So when water no longer comes out of the tap where does one get it from besides rain? Everyone will also be looking?

Thanks,

I will buy some of the lifestraw personal water Filters.

Terry

This is my third try to get this comment out to you. Internet isn’t working well today.

The plastic bottle purification sure fits the bill for emergency water in life or death situation. But, I would have to clean the water a bit more maybe with a sand filter to get the big stuff cleaned a bit more. I really like this emergency solution.

Frank, have you seen the Lifesaver Jerrycan units? They run about $450 US, but a family of five can have enough water to even shower, use for toilet, do every domestic activity you do at home now. They have the Lifesaver Bottle, a unit for individuals and it’s only $150 US. These units will even clean sewage water to drinking water standards, with one pass filtering.

Sure a bit much for my pocketbook, but if we still had kidds at home it would be a blessing.

You may also heat stones if you are camping. If you have a mettle container and a camp fire. Heat stones,quite hot and then drop them into the water.

Thanks for the Information about water making it drink able.

Yes glass can be used, when I learned about this in the boy scouts, plastic bottles did not exist.

Thank you for all your advice. I have collected glass bottles over the years and prefer to store my supplies in them rather than in plastic due to the gases that discharge from plastic. Wouldn’t glass bottles holding water put out in the sun work better than plastic bottles? And, yes, I know that plastic bottles are more available to the general public so presume that is the reason you suggested plastic bottles — but I still would like to know if glass wouldn’t be better.

Thank you again, Carena

HI Frank,

Can glass bottles be used?

thanks for all your generous research!

Good idea, the water bottles purified by the sun! What I want to talk about is your seed-vault, though. You say it is good for anywhere in America. But I wonder how much use it would be in Brazil, where I livel, actually in the Southern part of it. Will any of your seeds grow here? And any of the ones among the 10 most important ones? Depending on your answers to these questions, I might decide that I want them, too! Just for your information, your summer is our winter, and your winter is our summer, since we are in the Southern hemisphere! And there may be other differences, too!

THANKS for ALL your INFO. is VERY APPRECIATED THANKYOU , I LOVE ALL the LEARNING is MUCH APPRECIATED!! THANK YOU MUCH!! RON

All I have heard about drinking water from plastic bottles left in the sun or a hot car says not to drink it because toxins from the recycled plastic bottles makes it dangerous. Is that not true?

Great idea for ultimate simplicity in bare essentials water recycling.
My thoughts are though if you had it available would be to use glass bottles so you have no plastic contamination.
Better yet if you are stationary set up a solar still, so you remove all bacteria and other contaminants by distilling the water.

good trick thanks for the info.

Update (2009): A new European study raises concerns about the safety of disposable water bottles, which have heretofore (see discussion below) been regarded as safe by the FDA and other government health agencies. Researchers in Germany found evidence of a man-made estrogen-like compound leaching into water packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

Such chemicals, known as “endocrine disruptors,” have the potential to interfere with estrogen and other reproductive hormones in the human body.

Please note that the authors of the study say more research is required to determine whether, or to what degree, this poses an actual health risk to humans.

It sounds like the bottles should be filled only half full.

I dearly love all the helpful hints you pass on thanks so much…

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU USED 250 GALLONS OF WATER..

NEED A GAGE ?????? MAY WANT A COLOR TEST /???

LETS TALK

HAVE FUN

TONY DIROMA

HI AGAIN. – QUESTION WAS AT WHAT TEMP DOES THES PLASTIC TOXINS GET INTO THE WATER. I HAVE A SIMPLE EXPERIMENT TO HELP GENERAT THE DATA THAT IS NEEDED.

1 – GET TEN BOTTLES FILLED WITH WATER AND HEAT EACH ONE AT A DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE. 70, 80, 90, 100 AND ETC. TAKE THE WATER TO A SCHOOL CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT AND HAVE THEM TEST THE WATER USING A MASS SPECT. RUN A SAMPLE THROUGH THE MASS SPEC THAT HAS THE PLASTIC TOXIN. THIS IS YOU CONTROL. SEE HOW MANY SAMPLES SHOW THIS COMPONENT AND AT WHAT TEMPERATURE IT WAS GENERATED. SECOND TEST WOULD BE TEMP VERUS TIME.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE DETAILS EMAIL ME

HAVE A NICE DAY

REGARDS

TONY DIROMA

HI – THIS LIFE STRAW WOULD BE A GREAT TOOL FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL. WHEN OUT IN THE FIELDS OR IN COMBAT. MAY WANT TO DESIGN A SMALLER APPARATUS FOR THIS FUNCTION. COULD BE BUILT INTO A BELT TYPE DESIGN. THEY COULD USE IT FOR TWO DIFFERENT THINGS – DRINK CLEAN WATER AND HOLD UP THERE PANTS.

IF YOU WANT MORE IDEAS I HAVE PLENTY OF THEM. i AM AN INVENTOR WHO WOULD LIKE TO RENT OUT NEW IDEAS. LET ME KNOW WHAT YUO ARE TRYING NEXT AND MAYBE I COULD HELP YOU MAKE IT BETTER.

YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY AND KEEP THE BRAIN WAVES GOING

REGARDS

TONY DIROMA

Has anyone tried to find out at what temp the bottle has to be heated to to release the toxins or how long it takes??