Creating potable water after a disaster or when in the wild is critical to personal survival. Particulates and other matter within standing water can be filtered out with the right materials and knowledge.
Instructions
Filtrating Water
1. Find a standing body of water, such as a pond, lake or swimming pool. The water can have plant life or other floating green organic matter on the surface, but avoid waters that have dead animals or fish along the shoreline or within the water itself.
2. Cut bottom off of one of the one-gallon plastic jugs. Keep as much of the walls of the jug intact, try to just remove the flat bottom. Inverted, this cut container will become the "filter funnel."
3. Remove the lid from the cut jug "filter funnel."
4. Open the activate carbon box and fill the mesh bag with carbon.
5. Place the mesh bag with activated carbon in the inverted jug---the handle and lid being down and the cut-out bottom being up. The mesh bag will be inside the jug above the lid.
6. Open the polyester filter material and place it into the jug on top of the mesh bag. Cover the bag completely, gently packing it down. Do not compress the filter material too much.
7. Mark one or more of the clean plastic jugs with large red "X." Use these containers as "catcher" containers---holding filtered water, but not boiled water. Do not drink from these containers. They hold water in the filter process, but are not ready for drinking.
8. Remove the lids from the containers marked "X."
9. Draw a bucket full of standing water.
10. Select one of the "X" containers and place it directly below the "filter funnel."
11. Anticipate the weight of the water entering the "filter funnel" and draining down into the open "X" container.
12. Pour the water from the bucket into the "filter funnel" slowly. Let the funnel fill, but do not pour quickly. Let the water slowly pass through the polyester material and the activated carbon mesh. Particles and some contaminants will be removed from the water in this process. The water should drain from the bottom opening relatively clear, but not necessarily crystal clear. If the water seems too cloudy, filter a second time.
13. Fill the "X" container with the strained water. Note: at this stage of the process the water is still not ready for drinking.
14. Repeat the process---filling the remaining "X" containers with strained water. Keep the empty containers for future filtering in a safe, clean area.
15. Pour one or more of the "X" containers into the clean cooking pot. Fill about 3/4 full, but do not overfill.
16. Carefully wipe off any of the strained water from edges or sides of pot. Note: avoid having any drops of strained water get back into the cooking pot after it is boiled.
17.Place the cooking pot on the heating source.
18. Bring to a boil and allow to maintain a rolling boil for at least three full minutes.
19. Remove cooking pot from heating source and place in a safe location where it will not be overturned, spilled or contaminated. Cover with a clean cloth or lid, if possible.
20. After allowing the clean boiled water to rest and cool for 30 minutes, pour into a clean one-gallon jug and mark with the green marker "POTABLE" on the container. Note: be certain that this container has not be exposed to any unfiltered water that was not boiled or any other hazardous liquid.
21. Add 1/3 teaspoon (about eight drops) of the unscented chlorine bleach to the water in the "Green Container" and let it sit for a half-hour. Place a clean lid on the container. When cool, this water is ready for drinking.
22. Store "Green Containers" in a shaded place not in direct sunlight.
Tags: filter funnel, strained water, ready drinking, activated carbon, boiled water