The primary sources of your off-grid water system are far from clean.  This is why you need a proven system from a company like USA Berkey Filters.  You must make the water safe for drinking and other uses. The water from these sources should be purified and well treated. This article is therefore going to enlighten you on how to purify your off-grid water systems. It is important to purify water before consumption because impure water can damage the equipment, clog pipelines through sediments and most importantly affect your health.

The first step towards pure water is to conduct a water test to determine the quality. That being said, livestock and plants do not need water that has been excessively purified. Unfiltered rainwater and well water can be used in other ways than drinking or cooking. Estimating the precise volume of water that needs to be purified saves a lot of time and resources.

Essentially, purification and filtration are both needed in the treatment of water. Filtration is the process whereby fluids pass through a filter or a filtering medium. It is simply the removal of larger particles and sediments from water. While purification is the removal of impurities that are not visible like parasites, chemicals, and heavy metals. Some of the problems of well and surface water include the fact that it may contain dissolved minerals and salts. These can in turn cause skin-related problems like skin irritation, skin reaction, itching, etc. It can also damage appliances and clothing. It can also contain traces of pesticides, nitrates, and phosphates if the water source area is close to farmland. Shallow wells are sometimes filled with pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and E.coli. this water source can be cloudy and have bad tastes. Even though quite a number of survivalists make use of a three-stage DIY filter made from sand, gravel, and charcoal to purify their water, it is not the best option for filtering large volumes of water. Without further ado, here are some of the most simple but effective ways of purifying water for an off-grid water system.

Boiling and Distillation

One of the most effective ways of purifying water is by boiling. Boiling is used along with sedimentation to remove suspended water particles in most cases. Despite not being able to remove chemicals, boiling water will remove the harmful parasites in the water. Boiling gallons of water will take a lot of time and use a huge expenditure of fuel. Asides from boiling, distillation is another great way of getting rid of all forms of impurities from the source water. In the case of distillation, the water is boiled and the steam of the boiling water is collected and condensed to obtain pure water. This is however labor intensive and rigorous process. It can only be suitable for small volumes of water.

UV Light Treatment

Sunlight has an adequate amount of UV radiation to decontaminate water. The process is definitely time-consuming and depends on solar intensity. A great way to destroy the bacteria, viruses, and protozoa which cause water-borne diseases is by using portable UV light filters. UV rays that fall between the bandwidth of 200 nm and 300 nm are best for this process. UV filters should be combined with a particulate filter because it is not capable of removing suspended particles from the water.

Ceramic Water Filters

Ceramic water filters are simple, easy-to-use mechanical filters and they are compact. It has a filter element where water passes through something called microscopic pores. Large impurities such as microorganisms are left behind. Ceramic water filters are of great value because they are durable and the filter candles can be replaced.

The use of Chemical Disinfectants

Chlorine is the most common element used for purification in this method. This method makes use of chemicals such as bleach or sodium hydroxide which releases chlorine to purify the water.

These chemicals oftentimes affect the taste of the water. It is undeniably one of the easiest and fastest ways for water purification. In order to avoid hazards, it is extremely important to use the right chemicals, in the right quantities when treating a given volume of water.

The above methods are proven and tested ways to purify the water that is intended for cooking and drinking when using off-grid water systems.

Edward Bertrand