I was wondering, with all the flooded areas and no clean water, would it be possible (or folly) to filter/purify the flood water, or would there be so many man made impurities and pollution that it would be dangerous to drink it?
Filtering and treating flood waters?
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Don't know how good it would be but couldn't the combination of filtering and boiling work partly. I say partly as it wouldn't remove pesticides and other similar contamination as you say. I recon that this would be as close as you could get. Not really sure though and would be very reluctant to try it myself.
Plenty of rainwater around, nice big roofs all fitted with gutters.
You could purify the collected rainwater. If you've already got a water butt...
Scoops
You could purify the collected rainwater. If you've already got a water butt...
Scoops
Good question.....I have filtered water in a stream that I found out was a sewage outlet....
Tasted fine to me, and I had no problems, but the flood water is gonna contain untreated sewage....Would of thought that if you filter and boil you should be ok though
Tasted fine to me, and I had no problems, but the flood water is gonna contain untreated sewage....Would of thought that if you filter and boil you should be ok thoughGood question.....I have filtered water in a stream that I found out was a sewage outlet....
I'd go along with Scoops_uk on this, try and find rainwater that's not been mixed with the floodwater and filter/boil that.
The sewage is probably the least of the problems from the water purification point of view, but one of the bigger ones from infections by contact and breathing in small droplets.
Despite any industrial contamination, everytime I see a news report there are cars caught up in the waters. The upshot of which is the water is going to be contsminated with all sorts of nasty fluids, petrol, desiel, engine/gearbox/steering oils, antifreeze and windscreen cleaner additives all spring to my mind.
In addition, not forgetting battery acid, as if you watched the experts on Richard and Judy today, tell us to using a heavy car battery to keep your drain covers from lifting if the pressure of the water lifts the drain. Colour me blue with disbelief, but if the water is powerful enough to lift a sewage manway cover, which can weigh 16kg or more. A few extra couple of Kg of weight may keep it down for a few extra moments or maybe not. A stone pot plant or a half dozen house bricks would do the job and not leak acid into already polluted water.
To my mind the best way of purifying the floodwater itself would be using the plants to do it. The old tie a clear plastic sheet over green leafy branches.
Should all other soures fail, and I was down to having to try traet the floodwater I'd opt for a day without water, ( That should give you some idea of how low down on my list using the floodwater would be.) After that well then I guess it's down to distilling and filtering.
In which case I'd go for a several step process
Rigging up a sand and carbon filter system, collect the output.
Boil this and to a roiling boil for a few miniutes before starting to collect the vapours to condense, stop well short of a quarter volume left boiling.
Filter the collected output of the previous stage NOT using the filter used in the first stage.
If possible run that through a domestic activated carbon water filter.
Though realistically I'd have left the area (( if at all possible ) before it got to that stage.
Should all other soures fail, and I was down to having to try traet the floodwater I'd opt for a day without water, ( That should give you some idea of how low down on my list using the floodwater would be.) After that well then I guess it's down to distilling and filtering.
In which case I'd go for a several step process
Rigging up a sand and carbon filter system, collect the output.
Boil this and to a roiling boil for a few miniutes before starting to collect the vapours to condense, stop well short of a quarter volume left boiling.
Filter the collected output of the previous stage NOT using the filter used in the first stage.
If possible run that through a domestic activated carbon water filter.
Though realistically I'd have left the area (( if at all possible ) before it got to that stage.
Chemicals are your problem here as stated previously. Coarse filration to remove visible particlates followed by boiling will kill all pathogens. However no home made filter will remove all possible chemical contaminants. Sadly even the membrane in a reverse osmosis filter can be destroyed by petrochemicals.
I ahve become quite interested in this topic for a variety of reasons and plan to knock together a tutorial on the subject (water purification in the field generally rather than flood waters particularly). There really are a lot of possibilities and a lot of things to guard against (organic and inorganic) and one solution to all possible pollutants is not really viable - a mult stage process is needed.
Red
I ahve become quite interested in this topic for a variety of reasons and plan to knock together a tutorial on the subject (water purification in the field generally rather than flood waters particularly). There really are a lot of possibilities and a lot of things to guard against (organic and inorganic) and one solution to all possible pollutants is not really viable - a mult stage process is needed.
Red
I agree with Red. I think it would have to be a multi-stage affair.
1. Filter out the big stuff.
2. Use alum or something similar to clump and settle other particulate matter.
3. Decant clear water leaving particles behind.
4. Boil to kill the nasties and let steam escape. Hopefully, the lighter chemical elements will evaporate.
5. Cover the remaining water with a condenser attached to the cover to make distilled water.
I can't think of another way without spending loads of money.
1. Filter out the big stuff.
2. Use alum or something similar to clump and settle other particulate matter.
3. Decant clear water leaving particles behind.
4. Boil to kill the nasties and let steam escape. Hopefully, the lighter chemical elements will evaporate.
5. Cover the remaining water with a condenser attached to the cover to make distilled water.
I can't think of another way without spending loads of money.
Eric_Methven
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I'd go with the rain water collected from the roof, but I'd like to add a big caution. In my gutters recently there have been nesting birds - not always visible from ground level. Couple that with the amount of moss growing on a roof/gutter system and you have a great recipe for nastiness. By all means collect rain water, but please do whatever you can to see that it arrives in your collecting bottle in the same state that it left the sky!
Red, I'm looking forward to reading your tutorial.
ATB
Ogri the trog
Red, I'm looking forward to reading your tutorial.
ATB
Ogri the trog
Does anyone know if one of the small hand-held water pumps with a ceramic filter and carbon core, would successfully remove the type of chemical contamination present in urban/suburban/rural flood water, at least in the short term and for small-ish quantities?
Best regards,
Paul.
Best regards,
Paul.
No amount of filtering will remove dissolved chemicals from solution - it'd be like trying to filter salt from sea water. Filtering removes particles held in suspension.
Ive read that activated charcoal (carbon) will remove some types of hydrocarbons from water (the high volume appliances are apparently more effective, due to the greater length of time that the AC is in contact with the water being filtered), and pesticides, volatile organic compounds of unspecified types etc, but most of the information I can find speaks of removing the unpalatable aspects (odour/taste) of the contaminates rather than neutralising their toxicity.
Without being a chemist it seems a subject with a number of pitfalls. At this point ugly scenes at the bowsers and bottled water distribution points seem unavoidable.
Best regards,
Paul.
Without being a chemist it seems a subject with a number of pitfalls. At this point ugly scenes at the bowsers and bottled water distribution points seem unavoidable.
Best regards,
Paul.
Eric_Methven
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
This just reinforces my views on preparedness. We should all have adequate supplies of dehydrated water for emergencies.
(Sοrry, cabin fever is setting in real bad due to not being able to get to the moot.)
Eric
(Sοrry, cabin fever is setting in real bad due to not being able to get to the moot.)
Eric
i run a marine reef tank and as such have to ensure the water i add to the tank has 0 TDS (total dissolved solids) the best and cheepist way of doing this is by reverse ossmisis followed by deionisation resin. the best supplyer in the uk is
http://www.ro-man.com/
HTH james
http://www.ro-man.com/
HTH james
Weeeeell, being a preparedness kinda guy, I stocked-up on that dehydrated stuff quite a while ago, now (Im only involving myself in this discussion in case any info is of use to others selfless as usual you wont find me behaving badly at the bowser). Just dont buy any dehydrated stuff off Ebay, Ive heard theres a lot of fake stuff about, folks.
must get out of the cabin more, myself
Thats a useful URL, James, thank you. Looks like the Domestic Purification System With Booster Pump could be the thing, if only for a temporary crisis, and assuming that the power supply is still on (unless one has a genny - This doomsday stuff sure starts to get complicated/expensive real quick!).
Best regards,
Paul.
If you do find that the water supply suddenly stops, don't panic. There are a number of things in your house that may still have water fit to drink.
Toilet cisterns have a bit of water in them usually! Don't flush the toilet, use the water that is in the cistern. Some houses have up to three toilets in them these days! Also, if you have a storage tank in the attic, then there may be some left in there. Maybe there is hot water left in your system, use that aswell, let it cool if need be.
Thee isn't masses of water, but if you only use it for drinking and cooking, you'll be fine. How about getting down the shop and buying a block of 2 litre drinking water bottles, not evian but a cheaper version. It'll last a while, so you can put it in a cupboard and forget about it until you need it.
Toilet cisterns have a bit of water in them usually! Don't flush the toilet, use the water that is in the cistern. Some houses have up to three toilets in them these days! Also, if you have a storage tank in the attic, then there may be some left in there. Maybe there is hot water left in your system, use that aswell, let it cool if need be.
Thee isn't masses of water, but if you only use it for drinking and cooking, you'll be fine. How about getting down the shop and buying a block of 2 litre drinking water bottles, not evian but a cheaper version. It'll last a while, so you can put it in a cupboard and forget about it until you need it.
