How to purify water in any conditions
Clean water can be a luxury as not everyone has access to it. Because of the war in Ukraine, about 5 million people can’t meet this basic need. Moreover, in wartime, it is essential to have sufficient water supplies.
How to purify water to make it suitable for drinking? How long can a bottle of water that has already been opened last? And what are the methods of water purification? Hlib Repich, PhD in Chemistry, talked about this.
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For how long can sealed bottled water be stored?
Usually, water jugs are labelled for 1 year, and bottled water is labelled for 2 years. But this doesn’t mean that it can’t be consumed after two years. If the bottle is whole, it can be stored for a very long time under the right conditions. The right conditions? These are the conditions that prevent the bottle from damaging. The most important thing is that it is closed and the water doesn’t come into contact with the air.
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If the water is open, how long can it last?
This is where the situation changes, as bacteria and dust can get in. Usually, manufacturers advise to consume it within 14 days after opening the bottle.
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The water has reached its expiry date. How to purify it for drinking?
If the shelf life of open water has expired, i.e. it has been standing for more than two weeks, it is recommended to boil it. In order to kill potential microorganisms that could have multiplied there. Boiling is the number one way to disinfect water, it always works. But it’s worth noting that you should boil for at least 3 to 5 minutes, if you boil for 10 minutes, everything that has been born there will die.
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Are there other methods of water purification?
Any water, even urine, can be purified with a reverse osmosis filter. It will protect you from bacteria and anything dissolved in the water. But such a filter is expensive and requires mechanical or electrical energy.
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How to get water in the field conditions?
If you dig a hole deep enough, you will have a well with groundwater. However, this is not a guarantee that it will be clean. Similarly, a well is not a guarantee that the water in it is clean, because it is groundwater and close to the surface. Under certain conditions, it can be contaminated with faeces, so I am very sceptical about wells in villages, especially if there is a cesspool ten metres away. Therefore, in order to avoid poisoning, the water you get this way should be disinfected, the easiest way is to boil it. Your nose and mouth are the analysers of bad water, if it has a strange smell or taste, it should either not be consumed or, if possible, boiled.
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Do old-fashioned methods of water purification work?
Silver, if thrown into water, doesn’t work: this is scientifically proven. Activated carbon can remove odour if you filter water through it, but it doesn’t kill bacteria. Manganese can kill bacteria, but it is a relatively toxic substance.
