June - Preparedness Tip - Water Purification

June:  Preparedness Tip

Water has been on my mind a lot lately.  This is the time of the year when it rains and floods (at least where I live the clay soil lets water pool up all over the lawn).  In a month of so the grass will be dying and our sprinklers will be running but for now we have water.

While water for our lawns is nice water for our bodies is sooo much more than just nice.  I love the new commercials on the radio about that miracle drug "AQUA".  Love it we can't live without water - literally.  (please smile now, I'd hate to think my wittiness is being wasted).

Last week our stake hosted a sanitation class and I understand it was really good, what you don't know is there were a lot more handouts than you saw.  In another post I attached all of those documents but will be occasionally be sharing one in its very own post.

First some info from the red cross about water purification.

Water Treatment - American Red Cross

In addition to having a bad odor and taste, water from questionable sources may be contaminated by a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria and parasites that cause diseases such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis. All water of uncertain purity should be treated before use.

To treat water for consumption and/or hygiene, follow these steps:

• Filter the water using a piece of cloth or coffee filter to remove solid particles.
• Bring it to a rolling boil for about one full minute.
• Let it cool at least 30 minutes. Water must be cool or the chlorine treatment described below will be useless.
• Add 16 drops of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, or 8 drops per 2-liter bottle of water. Stir to mix. Sodium hypochlorite of the concentration of 5.25% to 6% should be the only active ingredient in the bleach. There should not be any added soap or fragrances. A major bleach manufacturer has also added Sodium Hydroxide as an active ingredient, which they state does not pose a health risk for water treatment.
• Let stand 30 minutes.
• If it smells of chlorine. You can use it. If it does not smell of chlorine, add 16 more drops of chlorine bleach per gallon of water (or 8 drops per 2-liter bottle of water), let stand 30 minutes, and smell it again. If it smells of chlorine, you can use it. If it does not smell of chlorine, discard it and find another source of water.

And the handout from Lana Richardson, which has a little bit more information.