| There are many situations in which you could find | | | | you are using is particularly dirty, you may consider |
| your knowledge of emergency water purification | | | | using a layer of small rocks on top of the sand, both |
| could end up saving your life. In an disaster situation, | | | | to catch larger pieces of sediment, and to weigh |
| food is typically scarce, and the body becomes | | | | down the sand, making it more efficient. Once you |
| vulnerable to infection as a result. When this occurs, | | | | have your emergency filter prepared, slowly pour |
| people are usually are more vulnerable to | | | | water into it and catch the water in a container as it |
| contaminated drinking water. For this reason it is | | | | exits. If you do have the resources, it would not be |
| important for you to know what options are available | | | | a bad idea to boil the water, too. |
| in an emergency situation when it comes to your | | | | If you find yourself in an emergency situation in an |
| water supply. | | | | urban or suburban situation, ask yourself if there are |
| If you are in the wilderness, you have a few options, | | | | any creeks, ponds, lakes, or rivers nearby. If there |
| and you should use as many of them as your | | | | are, one of these could provide a good source of |
| resources allow you. For example, if you have the | | | | drinking water after using one of the water |
| ability to make fire (with a lighter, matches, a flint, or | | | | purification techniques. |
| a magnifying lens of some kind) you should boil any | | | | Places you can find emergency drinking water in the |
| water you find before you drink it. Also, if you have | | | | home is in the backs of toilets and in water heaters. |
| chlorine or iodine, you should use a few drops in | | | | This water should be safe to drink if it is treated |
| addition to boiling. These have the ability to kill many | | | | with boiling and/or chemicals. |
| harmful micro-organisms in the water. | | | | No matter which technique you use, if you pour your |
| If the water you have available is extremely dirty, | | | | water a few times from one container to another |
| this means there is sediment and potentially harmful | | | | after processing it, oxygen will mix with it and |
| particles in the water. If you have the means, it is a | | | | improve the taste. |
| good idea to construct a filter to use on any water | | | | The best advice that can be given concerning |
| you are considering drinking that appears to be at all | | | | emergency water purification is this: be prepared! |
| murky. Filters to aid in emergency water purification | | | | Water is the most important substance our bodies |
| can be improvised from a few simple materials. | | | | need, and planning for your body's needs can mean |
| First find a container of some kind to hold your | | | | the difference between survival and death in an |
| water while it filters. Cut a few small slits in the | | | | emergency situation. Whether you are heading into |
| bottom of the container that sand will not fall | | | | the wilderness or you simply live in an area where |
| through. After you have done this, fill the bottom of | | | | natural disasters are prevalent, the responsible thing |
| the container with an inch or two of sand, which you | | | | to do is have an emergency supply of drinking water |
| should rinse thoroughly before using. Cover the | | | | and water purification kits on hand at all times. |
| bottom of the container with some kind of | | | | Emergency water purification kits can be purchased |
| tightly-knit fabric, like a piece of a t-shirt. If the water | | | | on the internet and elsewhere. |