In a survival situation you may have to resort to collecting untreated water for drinking. The average person needs up to a gallon of water a day in hot weather to stay properly hydrated. Unfortunately, untreated water found in rivers and lakes often has bacteria and other parasites in it making it unsafe to consume without purifying it first. The best way to purify water in a survival scenario is to start a fire and boil the water to kill any microscopic parasites.
What Happens If You Drink Contaminated Water?
First, understand that nearly all untreated water found naturally contains bacteria and other parasites not safe for humans. One of the more prevalent ones is Giardia. Giardia is a microscopic parasite (Giardia intestinalis) that hangs out in untreated water.
Millions of these parasites are released in fecal matter of an animal that has been infected, and it eventually makes its way into the natural water supply. If you ingest Giardia it can cause severe diarrhea in humans, leading to dehydration – which is something you definitely want to avoid if fluids are already scarce.
How Long Should You Boil Water To Purify It?
Most experts agree that one minute at a rapid boil is sufficient. By the time the water reaches a boiling temperature it is hot enough to kill most disease-causing organisms. I usually allow the water to come to a full boil for one minute, then I kill the heat source to preserve fuel and let the water simmer for a short time before pouring it up. One thing to keep in mind is that the longer you allow the water to steam, the more you’ll lose to evaporation.
One note about length of time to boil the water in order to purify it. If you are at a high elevation allow the water to boil for 3-5 minutes, since water boils at a lower temperature at higher elevations.
Preparing Water for Boiling
Its a good idea to include a couple stainless steel mugs or pots in your bug out bag. Plastic containers with a large surface area are good for catching water, but not so good for boiling it.
If the water you collect is particularly dirty or cloudy, use something to filter it before pouring into your clean, boiling container. I recommend taking along a few coffee filters, but any clean piece of cloth will do. In a pinch you could use a handkerchief, a piece of cotton plugged into a funnel or water bottle, or even a clean section of a cotton t-shirt.
Nothing is 100% Effective
While boiling water is probably the best way to purify it in a survival scenario, nothing is a sure thing. Boiling water will likely kill most of the contaminants, but if will not remove things like industrial or radioactive waste. These contaminants can only be removed through a distillation process that probably won’t be available on the go. Drinking untreated water is a risk, but death due to dehydration will be inevitable without staying hydrate.
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