GUEST ARTICLE
Guest Article- Water
Water is life. Everyone who has a prepper mindset has thought about the problem of
having safe water.
Unlike some parts of the world, in the US we are blessed with a large amount of fresh
water, however, most of it is not safe to drink untreated.
Most of us tackle this problem by buying filters. Nothing against them, I own a couple
myself. However, even the best of them will eventually stop working. Then what?
Enter SODIS.
An acronym for a Swiss developed water disinfection program, SODIS is being used in
Africa to help prevent diarrheal illness in children. It is cheap, easy to use, and it
works. Using the ultraviolet radition from the sun.
Take a clear plastic water/soda bottle, peel off the label. Fill with water and let it
lay out in the sun for 6 hours.
The UVA radiation will kill all bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It works on cloudy days
as UV isn't stopped by clouds.
Remember how all the tree huggers talk about how our water bottles will sit forever in
landfills? We could practically cure childhood diarrhea in Africa with what is thrown
away in the United States in a year.
You can use plastic bottles, glass jars, hell you could even fill a ziplock baggie with
water and it works.
Studies have shown that plastic bottles don't appear to leach chemicals into sun warmed
water. Even if it does, the chemicals might kill you in a couple of decades. Montezuma's
Revenge can kill you in a week.
There are a couple of things SODIS cannot do. It can't desalinate water. And it can't
remove heavy chemicals or pesticides. If those are a concern then you need to construct a
solar still.
But for making questionable water potable in a survival situation, whether a twisted
ankle hunting, a broken down car in the middle of nowhere, or an EMP burst with grid down
it is a cheap, easy way to do it.
End of Article
SemperFido
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5 comments:
Wow!!! Very interesting post. This means I bought two very expensive Berkleys for nothing. I could have used my perrier bottles.
According to the SODIS website, the water must be clear enough to read a newspaper thru the filled bottle. Muddy or murky water will allow germs and parasites to hide from the UV. I have germ laden well water in my home. All my water is run thru a prefilter first then a glass chamber containing a powerful UV tube. A prefilter could be as simple as a sand or clay filter or some cloth.
HAIL DARWIN
Does that really work? I mean putting a bottle in the sun? Does it really purify water?
Dear Rat,
I guess you folks in New York City or Chicago or SF, have a completely different mind set. If I may be so bold, please read this site a little more and you will understand. This site is not for "bitching", but an exchange of ideas and information. Not one article, (except yours) has every
FAILED to teach me something. Best wishes to you.
Jim, its your blog and you can dam well publish anything you want. But, do you really have to publish numbnuts who know nothing?
The one poster is correct about the need for the water to not be murky. As for does it really work? Yes. It is being used in Africa right now. I also tested it on myself proving not only that Marines will march in where angels fear to tread, but that I am Truly Freaking Crazy (TFC) according to my wife. As for the other guy's filters. A filter gives you water right now. SODIS takes 6 hours. If you use BOTH methods then you extend the useful life of your Berkleys by years. Rock On.-SemperFido
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