Found a good "BBS Text" link? Let Us Know!

This paper is presented in an historical context and is indicative of the various rants, raves, treatises, etc., that were prevalent in the old BBS (Bulletin Board Service) days. Content has not been changed, though formatting changes may have taken place to make it more presentable. (Spelling, sentence/paragraph structure, etc.) Wherever possible, credit is given to the originating source.

 Return to BBS Text Files

Water: Get, Good, Go

The problems associated with water are acquisition, purification, and transportation OR get, good, and go.

FACTS
1 gallon of water weighs 8 1/3 pounds and is 231 cu. in. about 6 1/8" cube
1 liter of water weighs 1 kilogram and is 1 cubic decimeter

ACQUISITION

• DEW
• STREAM OR POOL
• GROUND WATER (DIGGING)

PURIFICATION
All water is good to drink - it is the extras that can kill you!

BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

PHYSICAL REMOVAL

• ULTRAFILTER
• CONDENSATION

KILLING ORGANISMS

• BOILING
• CHEMICAL

ORGANIC HAZARDS

• FILTER CARBON
• DISTILLATION *IF* 212 degrees isn't the boiling point of the hazard

INORGANIC HAZARDS -WILD WEST ADAGE, IF SLIME CAN DRINK IT, SO CAN YOU

• pH AND FILTERING
• ACTIVATED CARBON

ELECTROLYTES

PRETREATMENT

All water purification will work better and allow your equipment to last longer if you get rid of as much mechanical solids as possible. Use: Cheap paper filters, shirt, socks, pants, screen, Kearney bucket.

Absorbtion = incorporate
Adsorbtion = block/stick

Once you have your water, you need to purify it to make sure that it is not contaminated with material that will cause sickness or death. The most common contaminants are:

BIOLOGICAL - SOME THING THAT IS ALIVE AND HARMFUL

ORGANIC TOXIN - SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM A LIVING CREATURE AND IS HARMFUL
Venom, vitamin A, cyanide, micotoxins, etc.

INORGANIC TOXIC - SOME ELEMENT OR COMPOUND THAT IS TOXIC
Berylium, cadmium, lead, arsenic, methal mercury, lead, etc.

The most common methods of water purification are boiling, adding disinfectants, and various types of filtering. Most biological hazards consist of naturally occurring bacteria and other organisms.

BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
*METHODS
KILL ORGANISM - toxin that can kill all forms of life.
MECHANICALLY REMOVE ORGANISM

BOILING. Boiling water for one minute will kill all bacteria. However, since additional various organisms that are harmful and commonly found in water are not bacteria, 15 to 20 minutes of boiling is needed to kill these other organisms to give you sterile water.

DISTILLATION. Distillation is the most reliable method for obtaining pure water as the resulting water is sterile, soft, neutral in pH and removes all other contaminates as well. If the distiller does not have some sort of system that preheats the water to remove various gases, the various gases can be collected in the distillate if all boiled off contaminants are not purged by running steam through the condenser at the beginning of the batch.

DISINFECTANTS. The most common disinfectant is chlorine. Chlorine is a poisonous gas and hazardous to handle. Two safer forms of chlorine are common household bleach which is a 5.25% solution of sodium hypochlorite, and dry pool chorine ("burn out" or "shock treatment) which is 65% calcium hypochlorite. Dry pool chlorine can be used to make a solution that is the same concentration as household bleach, 24.5 grams (about 10 Tablespoons) of powder in 1 gallon of water. This mixing MUST be done in a very well ventilated area and stored in an air tight enclosure since it gives off enough chlorine gas to cause problems. Please note that many bleaches state, "not for human consumption."

If the listed ingredients contains anything other than sodium hypochlorite, avoid it. If it contains ONLY sodium hypochlorite, it is okay. For water purification use hypochlorite solution in the following mixes:

Do NOT use hypochlorite solutions for irrigating wounds (as was done in WW1) as the hypochlorite dissolves blood clots.

IODINE

Iodine is extremely toxic. One source of iodine are the solid crystals. How to use iodine to sterilize water. Put 4-8 grams of iodine crystals in a 1 oz. glass jar (must have glass or Bakelite stopper otherwise the iodine will react with the plastic or metal stopper and destroy it.)Actually 0.1 gram is adequate for the job, but using a larger amount of iodine creates a saturated solution much quicker.

Put in 1 oz. (1 tablespoon or 3 teaspoons) of water (at least room temperature, body temperature preferred).
Close stopper and shake for several minutes. You now have a saturated solution. A saturated solution is when as much solid has dissolved in a liquid as it can.

Carefully pour off 10ml (10cc, 2 teaspoons) of the saturated solution. REMEMBER, the iodine crystals are VERY TOXIC! The reason that adding more water than needed is suggested is so that you need not tip the bottle over too far thus spilling some crystals.

Add the 10ml (2 teaspoons) of saturated solution to 1 liter (1.06 quart) of water.

Let stand at least 15 minutes at 77 degrees F. or higher. Make sure all of the interior surface including lid get treated.

Another form of iodine is the familiar tincture of iodine which is 2% iodine and 2% sodium iodide in alcohol. Use 3-5 drops of tincture per quart of clear water and 10 drops of tincture in cloudy water. Please remember, very old tincture or tincture that has been left unstoppered may have lost some of its alcohol due to evaporation and would have an excessive concentration of iodine.

*NOTE: Iodine is not very soluble in water, but VERY soluble in alcohol* Betadines are not suitable for water purification. Betadine scrub should be only used for cleaning intact skin as it is very toxic to tissues. Betadine
solution when diluted 1:100 (3 drops per ounce of water) is suitable for cleaning wounds.

FILTERING. Only extremely sophisticated filters are precise enough to remove micro organisms. One device that is able to do this is the Katadyn family of water filters from Switzerland. It consists of a core of ceramic material whose holes are so small that no living organism can pass through. There are available synthetic woven filters for use in industry that are able filter out micro-organisms. Example, Coors beer is pasteurized by the micro filtration process.
Another type of filter is the 800 PSI reverse osmosis style filter, the Survivor-06 from Phoenix Systems $525 will remove salt for 2 pints per hour.

ORGANIC TOXINS
Many of these will be broken down by heat during the boiling of water or boiled away if they evaporate below 212 degrees.

NOTE on distillation. If you have a sophisticated still and put in the water, seal the still, and start the still - any toxin that boils below 212 degrees is going to pass right through on the first minute of distillation

INORGANIC HAZARDS
Toxic substances like arsenic, various heavy metals, aluminum, salt etc. are a less common hazard. They can be found however in water near mining sites and in areas that have alkaline lakes. A lack of normal plant growth around a water source or unusually colored algae are frequently signs of abnormal pH or unusual contamination.
Many of these toxins are only water soluble if the water has an unusual pH factor. That is these factors can only be in solution in the water if the water is fairly acidic (low pH) or fairly alkaline (high pH).Totally neutral pH is 7 and most water sources will be between 5 and 8 in pH. If you have the papers to measure pH and add lye or acids to the water to bring the pH within a normal range, the metal may go out of solution and become a solid, but in particles that are so small that they stay suspended in the water. Letting the water set overnight will allow the particles to drop to the bottom, but since they are so small pouring the water from the container might be enough to put them back in suspension again. A better method would be to filter the neutralized water. A micro filtration filter could be used for this, but even common laboratory filter papers would remove most of the precipitated solids, even though common filter paper is not fine enough to filter out biological hazards. Many inorganics are highly reactive and are adsorbed by dirt or activated carbon filters.

Some inorganic hazards like asbestos fibers are mechanically hazardous, any filtration method will remove this items. If no filters are available, just letting the water stand still for several hours or overnight with help reduce contamination. Siphoning water off of the top of standing water is the best way to remove the water as pouring the container will kick up the sediment again.

A NOTE ON LABORATORY FILTER PAPERS
These filters should be used to pre-filter any water that you are going to treat. They aren't suitable for an entire process, but their removal of larger contaminants improves performance of disinfectants and extends the working life of micro filtration units. Filter papers come in various speeds. The faster the speed of the paper, the less that is filtered out. Filter papers are very inexpensive, lightweight and compact. For maximum effect you can pre-filter water through a fast filter and then put that water through a slow filter.

ORGANIC HAZARDS
These substances can be removed via activated carbon filters. An item to note about activated carbon filters: water or moisture in the carbon filters is a breeding ground for biological organisms. Many filters are doped with silver compounds to prevent or retard organism growth.

Note: never pour hot water through activated carbon. Also, powdered activated carbon is more likely to release it toxin content.

Hartz Mountain 191 grams ~6 oz $2 dusty in cardboard box
VRP 300 grams ~10 oz $10 (three month supply) very low dust, in sealed plastic
bottle

SOIL FILTERS

The book NUCLEAR WAR SURVIVAL SKILLS, in addition to having good information on water storage and transportation, has an excellent design for a water filter based on a bucket, gravel, towels and clayey soil (4" down).page 71-74 This device will buffer the pH (assuming normal soil) and adsorb 99% of radioactivity. It produces 6 quarts of water/hour initially and 2 quarts an hour after several hours of use. I you get 1 quart/ 10 minutes you need to repack the soil. Buy shaving off 1/2" of the 6-7" soil stack every time the filter clogs, you can get 50 quarts out before a complete soil change is needed.

ELECTROLYTES
Nutshell single dose storage ratios for 300 quarts
Lite salt1 teaspoon5 - 11 oz. tubes of Morton Lite Salt
Baking soda1/3 teaspoon one pound box
sugar10 teaspoons25 pound sack
water1 quart

Subj: ELECTROLYTE AND FLUID REPLACEMENT

For those that do not subscribe to the FIGHTINGCHANCE newsletter P.O. Box 1279, Cave Junction, Oregon 97523$60/12 issues/year or haven't purchased the Medical Preparation video tape by Dr. Jane Orient(president of Doctors for Disaster Preparedness) $29.50 from same address, here is a good little life saver that you might be interested in.

One teaspoon of "Lite Salt" (by Morton, 1/2 iodized potassium chloride, 1/2 sodium chloride in a blue cylinder), 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), 10 teaspoons of table sugar (sucrose), and one quart of water.

That happens to be a life saving fluid replacement and partial electrolyte expedient replacement. At least it is expedient if you have had the foresight to purchase the above three items BEFORE an emergency happens while it is readily available and very cheap. Many people die in times of emergency because of fluid losses. This can be from burns, vomiting, or diarrhea. The body needs water and certain water soluble chemicals to function. If either or both of these drop below a certain level, you die. There are many non-fatal diseases like cholera that become fatal due to lack of simple things like proper fluid replacement. If you have ever had a bad case of diarrhea and start to have pain in your muscles or joints, congratulations, you have had the early warning symptoms of a potassium deficiency.

Bananas are very high in potassium.

For ease of purchasing the items for Dr. Orient's formula, Morton Lite Salt comes in a 11 oz. light blue cylinder. Baking soda a 1 or 4 pound box. Sugar 5, 10, or 25 pound sack. To make approximately 300 quarts of the solution you need 5 - 11 oz. units of Morton's Lite salt, 1 - 1 pound box of baking soda, and 25 pounds of sugar.
FIGHTING CHANCE is a great publication for those that are installing blast/fallout shelters. It also is the place that tells you where to buy ventilators for $20 that other places charge $245.00 and in this month they tell you where to purchase 12-120 volt AC/DC PM motor generators for $12 that other survival stores sell for $100-275.

TOXIN STORAGE IN THE BODY
Most in fat cells, rapid fat burning without adequate water can cause kidney damage

HOW MUCH WATER IS ENOUGH?
Enough to keep your urine a normal color and smell

One exercise fitness center recommends
1/2 oz water per 1 pound body weight (sedentary) (me ~= 3 quarts)
3/4 oz water per 1 pound body weight (athletic) (me ~= 4 quarts)

In the dessert under heavy labor you might go through 2-5 gallons
Sweating = losing water + losing electrolytes

No activity in a cool cave 1 quart a day might be all you need short term with no bathing or food preparation needs.

TRANSPORTATION
Page 67 of NWSS plastic trash sack inside pillowcase or burlap sack.
Canteens, plastic, steel, aluminum (al + halide based tablets can produce toxins)
Water bags of aluminized Mylar and boxes
Polycarbonate jugs
Folding bags with handles

 

Please Read The Website Disclaimer!
Copyright 1986-2009, The Survival & Self-Reliance Studies Institute (SSRsi), All Rights Reserved
Site conceptualized, designed, created & maintained by MEG Raven
Snail Mail: SSRsi, PO Box 2572 Dillon, CO. 80435-2572