Natural disasters are a wake up call to all of us-- if we pay attention. One of the things most needed in an emergency is drinkable water. Many times there is water available, but it may not be safe. How can you purify water?  Here are some approaches:

• Filter it-- You can filter the water using a hiking and camping filter. This is not the filter you have in your kitchen. What I am referring to is a specialized filter system designed to take river or stream water and filter out impurities and parasites commonly found in the most pristine "looking" of water sources. These are commonly used by hikers and campers. There is a drawback-- you may use up and run out of filters.
• Use treatment tablets-- Another approach is to use water treatment tablets. These tablets are also designed for hikers and campers. They have the same "running out" drawback as filtering, but add to the list of drawbacks for tablets-- the taste of iodine.
• Boil it-- Finally, the best approach is probably the boiling method. You simply bring the water to a boil and it will kill the nasty organisms that can get you sick by drinking bad water. As long as you have a container and the ability to make fire-- you can produce drinkable water.

Clearly it pays to have water stored for emergencies, but in a pinch, these approaches should help you.

One final consideration, these methods will not rid polluted waters of all pollutants, so try to find a source that is "clean". The way to do that is go to your local Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and get information on local waters-- remember to do this before you need it.

Thank you for visiting the Self Reliance Workshop and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at SelfRelianceWS, DvrcdDadFrglDad, and Surfcasting2Day.

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Well Water Maintenance and Responsibility 

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DDFD believes that self reliance and self sufficiency are the roads to individual freedom.  He is dedicated to living a quality life through frugality, personal growth and productivity, and defensive entrepreneurship.  He also enjoys cooking from scratch and fishing.