A Scout’s Campfire

Water Treatment Options - Part 1

November 16th, 2006 spryken

This is the start of a series on Water Treatment. I will be covering the different types of treatment options available, discussing the pros and cons of each.

Do Nothing

The first method of water treatment is to do nothing. That’s right nothing. Probably not the safest thing to do, but you can get away with it. You need to be aware of possible contaminations and the source/environment of your water. Water from the source of an underground spring is likely to be safe to drink. Water from a lake or pond is probably not safe. Check the surrounding area, is there fecal contamination? Then you probably want to treat the water. In an article on Giardia, Dr. Robert Rockwell asserts that poor camp hygiene is responsible for most gastrointestinal ailments related to backpacking and camping, not poor water quality.

Boil the Water

The next method to consider is boiling the water. According to the Center for Disease Control,

Boiling water is the best method for making water safe to drink. Boiling water as recommended will kill bacterial, parasitic, and viral causes of diarrhea. Adding a pinch of salt to each quart will improve the taste.

Most campers and backpackers have a stove and fuel, making boiling water a good option for water treatment at least as a backup to other methods. Some of the drawbacks to relying on boiling water are:

• you have to carry a significantly larger amount of fuel
• it is harder to treat water multiple times during a day, so you have to treat the day’s worth either before starting the day’s trek or at the end of the day’s trek
• the treated water tends to taste a little flat

According to the CDC -

Directions for Boiling Water

• Boil water vigorously for 1 minute and allow it to cool to room temperature (do not add ice).
• At
  altitudes greater than 6,562 feet (>2,000 m), boil water for 3
  minutes or use chemical disinfection after water has been boiled for 1
  minute.

The next post in the series will cover the chemical treatment options. Look for it on Saturday, 11/18/2006.

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