Water Treatment

Mohave County
Department of PUBLIC HEALTH
700 W. Beale Street, Kingman AZ

Water Treatment

There are many ways to treat water. Before treating, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through coffee filters or layers of clean cloth. Four treatment methods follow. The first three methods - boiling, chlorination and water treatment tablets - will kill microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals and radioactive fallout. The fourth method - distillation - will remove microbes as well as most other contaminants, including radioactive fallout.

Boiling is that safest method of treating water.

	bring water to a rolling boil for 5 minutes to kill most organisms. Let the water cool before drinking.
	boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring it back and forth between two containers.

Chlorination uses liquid chlorine bleach to kill microorganisms such as bacteria.

	use regular household liquid bleach that contains no soap or scents.
	Add 16 drops of unscented bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water doesn't taste and smell of chlorine, add another dose and let stand another 15 minutes. This treatment will not kill parasitic organisms.

Water treatment "purification" tablets release chlorine or iodine. They are inexpensive and available at most sporting goods stores and some drugstores. Follow the package directions carefully.

NOTE: people with chronic or undiagnosed liver or kidney disease may be adversely affected by iodized tablets and may experience worsened health problems as a result of ingestions. Iodized tablets are safe for healthy, physically fit adults and should be used only if you lack the supplies for boiling, chlorination or distillation.

Distillation involves boiling water and collecting the vapor that condenses back to the water. The condensed vapor may include salt or other impurities.

	Fill a pot halfway with water.
	Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup hangs right side up when the lid is on the pot.
	Boil for 20 minutes - the water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.

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