I have about two weeks of water stored for the family and a First Need filter to provide more. However, the first need is designed for the widlerness and is not designed to remove chemicals and pesticides. Being in a urban environment with industry nearby, if there were a serious event, I would be concerned about those things getting in the water. I have seen references to activated carbon removing some but no actual data.
What is the best way to remove chemicals and pesticides from water? Filtering? Boiling? Other?
Not sure what you mean by that stuff getting in the water?
If you mean like a flood situation and what will be in the city water supply, well I think chemicals are the least of the worries. More chance of sewage/biological waste hurting you than anything else.
Filters are made to take out alot of metals/chemicals/pathogens, depending on where the water came from it might be a good idea to boil it, after filtering just to make sure there are no pathogens in it.
If you live in a city you should check their water reports, you might be surprised about the allowable limits of stuff in water, and how much stuff your water has in it everyday.
We buy used once 55 gallon blue or white plastic syrup barrels from the local Pepsi and Coke bottlers - about $5 each. They need some cleaning to get the syrup taste (mostly) out
Rain water is probably the safest bet in this type of situation. I found a publication from the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network that states a Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) system or a reverse osmosis unit will remove some pesticides.
I found some interesting information on Wikipedia about using rain water and also a purification method called solar water distillation (SODIS) which is different than using a solar still)
just dont forget to take into account the fact that rain water coming off an asphalt composition roof is EXTREMELY TOXIC, especially coming off a new roof. i’m sure older roofs are much safer, but how much safer is a big question mark.
don’t drink water from your roof unless it’s metal, untreated cedar, or untreated tile.
We have a rain barrel setup off a metal roof to store water for secondary uses - laundry, showers, anything but eating or drinking. One thing to consider is a first flush diverter. It is a pipe column setup that basically bypasses the first few minutes of rainwater that contains all the dirt, bird poop, etc. that is washed off the roof at the beginning. It was too difficult for me to construct, so I set up a manual diversion, figuring I would have to run out after the rain had started to change the pipe over to fill the barrel. Sounds like a good chore for the kids
Distillation is the traditional method, but it takes equipment and energy, and without the right equipment and adequate energy (whether gas, electric, solar, etc), it is very inefficient (meaning you may not be able to distill enough water in a day to survive in hot weather).
But if you have power, reverse osmosis is the best way. Other than that, activated charcoal filter is the only portable method of removing a wide range of dissolved chemicals. But it won’t be perfect.
Another consideration for rain water is that it brings, whatever is trapped in that piece of atmosphere, down with it. I work/fly out of an airport several times a week. When I get back to my car after a rain shower, it looks like it took an acid bath, but it’s actually a dried watered down jet fuel, from aircraft exhaust particles suspended in the air, until the rain brings it to the ground. One way is to filter it through a drum filled with alternating layers of sand, ground charcoal and several layers of cheese cloth at the bottom, then I’d still boil it, before storage.
The best way to purify water , from any water source, is to simply distill it. 2 x 50 gallon drums, one filled with water, suspended with a fire underneath, copper tubing, leading from that one, to the empty 50 gal container to collect the steam/distilled water for collection, with a water hose nozzle at the bottom to fill other storage containers.
I have a tarp shelter that uses a pole on each corner and one in the middle. I was thinking I could set that up without the center pole so the middle hangs down. Rainwater could then run into the middle and through the grommet into a bucket, barrel, etc. The tarp would be clean when I set it up and I could let the first bit of rain run onto the ground before I set my catchment underneath. I could then purify it using one of the methods discussed above.
Here’s some more information on the SODIS water purification method developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. They have lots of information on the methodology and the research it was developed from. It was developed as a method of water purification for the third world buy would be a good method to employ in an emergency because it requires nothing but sunshine and doesn;t need to be monitored.
I have a 16ft Walmart pool, so I have about 4 thousand gallons of utility water. But I dont count on in because if a hurricane does come through it will most likely be the first thing destroyed.
There is a reason why the State Department acquires housing for their personnel overseas with swimming pools and it has nothing to do with recreation. With a sufficient supply of chlorine tabs a 20,000 gallon pool can supply drinking water, cooking water, and washing water for a half dozen people for months. Just ask the staff of our Embassy in Kuwait who held out for months before the first gulf war invasion.
