Water Filtration for beginners

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Water Purification isn't new

Water has it's own nifty water purification system built right in. The water cycle has been doing it's thing since the beginning, recycling water through the process of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation to purify and cleanse every drop we use. 

Surprisingly though, citizens of earth have been purifying and clarifying their drinking water for a really long time. Medieval times, ancient Indian civilizations, and Hippocrates (among others) all have records of water purification systems being used to filter water for purity and taste. (source)

Why Water needs Filtration

Simply put, there are contaminants in our water supply that we don't want to ingest. Pharmaceuticals in trace amounts may be found in our water and we have no idea what effect that may have on us (and especially our children) in the long run. (source) Fluoride isn't for drinking, so we definitely want to filter that out. Not to mention, our tap water tastes pretty much exactly like a chlorinated pond.

4 Basic Reasons to Filter Your Water:
Sediments, Contaminants, Parasites, and Taste. 

1. ​Sediments include sand, rust, rocks, and organic material that are found in the water. A Sediment filter does not remove substances that are dissolved in such as heavy metals and other chemicals such as fluoride. (source)​
2. Contaminants include microorganisms, viruses, pharmaceuticals, household products and cleaners, and all the yucky stuff that is floating around in the municipal water supply. (source)
3. Parasites--you don't want to be a host for freeloading parasites that make you sick. If you've ever traveled to countries without clean water then you know exactly how important it can be to have access to clean water! 
4. Taste--Clean water from your tap may *technically* be potable, but taste like chlorine or lake water. Filtering for taste is just as important as these other issues listed above. Anything we can do to get more healthy water in our bodies is a good thing! 

Water Filtration for Everyday Use

When I found out residual pharmaceuticals were popping up in water supplies, that was the final straw for finding a water filter for our family. I had also been vaguely concerned about fluoride in our local water supply, but after looking up the details on fluoride it lit a fire under my behind! I found out that a water filter could help remove the heavy metals, residual pharmaceuticals, and fluoride from our drinking water, and provide purer water for my family and I. The best water filtration system for our family is the Berkey Water Filtration System. We like the Travel Berkey, as we can pack it up and take it camping with us. If you are planning on using your water filter at home for more than a couple of people for all cooking and drinking needs, I recommend the Big Berkey. While the Travel Berkey can work, having the larger capacity for mealtimes would make life just a bit easier. 

We chose the Berkey Water filtration system over all the others for a few good reasons:

1.  For the price, the Berkey has the best filtration. (Filters more water to a higher degree of filtration)
2. The filters last substantially longer than other filter systems. I hate replacing filters every month or quarter! The Berkey Black filters only need to be replaced approximately every 6000 gallons. 
3.  There are  fluoride filters available. Not every filtration system will filter out fluoride and that is important to us. 

Drawbacks to choosing the Berkey filter system:

1. It does cost more than a basic pitcher filter upfront.
2.  If you don't filter water through the system for 3 consecutive days, you will have to re-prime the filters.
3.  As with most filters, you have to plan ahead to have plenty of water for when you are boiling pasta or making a gallon of tea. It's actually easier with the Berkey than with other filters with the exception of maybe a built-in reverse osmosis system (Which removes the good minerals along with the bad, unlike the Berkey system)

Water Filtration for Hiking

Hiking and Backpacking have recently come into my life, and I was so curious how people could hike for weeks, months, or even a few days and still have plenty of water to drink! The answer is--they filter their water as they go--and it is unbelievably affordable and efficient. There are several portable water filtration systems that many prefer, but the most widely available, affordable, and lightweight options are the Sawyer Squeeze ($30~), and the Sawyer Mini ($20~). Both provide thousands of gallons of filtration in a simple handheld device that attaches easily to a water bottle. It is the single item in my house that gives me the most confidence about emergency water filtration for hiking and beyond.

Reasons to Go with a Sawyer Mini (or Squeeze):

1. Affordability--Literally cannot beat $20. It's the cheapest clean water insurance plan you can find. Honestly, just keep one in case SHTF even if you aren't a hiker.
2.  Longevity--It can filter 3 gallons a day for 91 years and never need to be replaced. 10 gallons a day for 27 years. Basically, it's the energizer bunny of water filters.
3.  Super Lightweight and Compact--which is the perfect solution when backpacking, hiking, etc..

Drawbacks to a Sawyer water filter:

1. Although it does filter 99.9999% of bacteria and protozoa (v. important when drinking water from natural sources!) It doesn't filter heavy metals. That's why I choose a different filter for everyday use in my home.  (source)
2. It lasts virtually indefinitely, filtering over 100,000 gallons of water, but it has a fatal flaw--It cannot be frozen after the filter gets wet. If it freezes, throw it out and get a new one. Keep in your pocket or next to your body if you are out it temps where it may freeze!

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emergency preparedness and water filtration

We aren't "preppers" in the way that we have a bunker and our own underground grocery store... but it is on our minds that there may be a natural or unnatural disaster that may cause us to need an emergency supply of water and food. Have you ever had a day when the water main breaks and you don't have access to clean water? It really highlights how unprepared you may be in a SHTF type of situation. We have a combination of methods that give us a little security about having clean water should some disaster transpire. 

1.  Have a Reservoir. Realistically, you can only store so many gallon jugs of water in your pantry or basement before they start to get in the way. Especially if you have more than one person in your household that you need to store water for. For our family of 6, the better option is to have a reservoir outside that holds a substantial amount of water. A pool, a pond, or a cistern ( a well or a spring would be other great options) will house water for your family that you can then filter into drinking water. 
2.  Have Water Filters, and Backup water filtration options. You can't live without water. The Sawyer Mini and the Travel Berkey are our two main water filtration systems, but for backup we also have the option to boil water, and we have this iodine that we could also use to treat our water. There are also water purification tablets that are inexpensive that are a great backup to have in the bug-out bag or first aid kit.
3.  Know how to find water. Do you live in an area where you can regularly collect rainwater? Do you have a way to catch it (like this rain barrel)?  Do you have access to a spring, river, or other naturally occurring water source? At least have an idea of what's around you, and what your plan would look like if it came to that. 

DIY Water Filter 

If you find yourself in a Swiss Family Robinson situation, you may want to know how to construct your own water filtration system from things found in nature. This video is a very basic attempt to share that idea, so that we're not roaming around the palm trees with no idea of our next steps. I'm not going to use this filter unless I'm in a situation where there's no other choice, but it's always good to know the basics.

The items you are going to need are:

1. Coffee Filters, a clean t shirt, or some other fine mesh/filter to get rid of floating particles. 
   
2. ​Sand. Find it in river beds or the beach in nature, or pick some up at the store to keep in your emergency prep stash.
3. Rocks. Go out side and grab some gravel. It's everywhere. Or buy a bag so you don't have to dig for it... It's up to you!
4. Activated charcoal.  While you CAN make your own charcoal, which you CAN THEN, through a chemical process, turn into activated charcoal  using calcium chloride you COULD POSSIBLY harvest from a natural water source... I recommend that for building a water filter quickly in a time of disaster, that you just grab some from amazon to keep on hand. That's what we do. However, if you'd like to watch the process for making these things, I will link 2 informative videos below.  It's great information to have in case you ever need it!

Take a moment today to assess your water filtration needs. Choose a water filter that's right for your budget before the month is over. Set a deadline to get your water purification house in order. Then pin your favorite graphic from this post on Pinterest!