Water purification can be an expensive and time-consuming project. But with one simple $15 purchase, you can have the tools you need to purify over 100,000 gallons of water.
Backpacking filter systems can be a great tool for your bugout bag or your camping gear, but they cost upwards of $150 and have to have the filter replaced after 200 gallons. Iodine tablets work well and have been used of decades, but their after taste is down right awful. Boiling water is the oldest and most used method world wide, but in a SHTF or disaster scenario – rationing of heating and cooking fuels will be absolutely necessary.
No, it’s not a new technology or and odd contraption. If fact, you can pick this item up at your local hardware store or the lawn and garden section of Walmart. I’m talking about Pool Shock (also known as Calcium Hypochlorite). Now when purchasing your pool shock MAKE SURE you get the Calcium Hypochlorite version. The other type (insert here) will not work for water purification use. Here are the steps to use to purify your water using pool shock.
1) If water is cloudy or murky to begin with, start by filtering the water by pouring it through a coffee filter, cheesecloth, paper towel or a cotton plug in a funnel.
2) Take 1 heaping teaspoon of Calcium Hypochlorite and add it to 2 gallons of warm water. (I suggest saving your old bleach bottles, and using them for this step seeing that this completed mixture becomes bleach aka chlorine)
3) Take one part of the resulting mixture (basically house hold bleach) and add it to 100 parts water. (For example 2 tablespoons per gallon of Water)
4) Stir thoroughly and then let water sit in an open container to aerate for at least 1-2 hours
5) If the water doesn’t smell slightly like chlorine, add another tablespoon and let the water set in the sunlight (if possible) for another 30 minutes.
6) Reduce chlorine taste by pouring the purified water from one container to another, back and forth for 5-10 minutes as to aerate the chlorine out of the water.
With a 5lb box of pool shock, you should be able to create enough bleach (chlorine) to purify 100,000 gallons of water. That’s enough water for a family of 4 to have 10 gallons of clean water per person per day for almost 7 years!
Now you may ask, “Why pool shock and not regular house hold bleach?” Good question – here’s why:
1) Pool Shock has an effective shelf life of over 2 years while household bleach is only good for 6 months to a year.
2) Pool Shock is concentrated so it takes up less storage space.
3) It would cost you nearly 50x more to buy as much bleach as one box of pool shock will create.
Other might say “What? There’s no way I’m going to drink pool chemicals!” well if you do your research you’ll see that if you go with many of the big brands (like my personal favorite “HTH Shock’n Swim”) they have been approved by the EPA for use in cisterns and water purification in emergencies.
