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Water Purification Tablets And Filter Straws 
There are times when we will not be able to depend upon the
availability of clean water. Disasters
or emergencies can disrupt the infrastructure, and if electric power is out,
there will be no water. Likewise, if you
are camping or hiking, you will not be able to take along all the water you
will need on your outing – it is simply too heavy to carry a large
quantity. However, there are some easy
ways to provide clean water for you and your family inside or out. These will assure that no one will get sick
from drinking contaminated water. Water
purification tablets and filter straws can both provide a short term answer to
possible water borne diseases.
Water Purification
Tablets
When you are unable to get water through your usual means,
either because of a disruption in the electric service or if you are hiking or
camping, you will need to purify the water you come upon before drinking
it. While the mountain stream plunging
down before you may look crystal clear, it can still contain hazardous
pathogens that can make you extremely ill.
Wild animals can leave droppings near the stream that will leach into
the water, and these can contain bacteria, viruses, or protozoa that can cause
disease. And, once your emergency water
supply in the home is exhausted, you will need to find an alternate source of
water, one that will probably be questionable.
Water purification tablets come in two basic varieties: those based on iodine, and those based on
chlorine. Both of these products will
leave a taste in the water, so be aware that there are additional Water
purification tablets
available that will help to remove the flavor of iodine or chlorine. When choosing between them, make sure that
you understand that chlorine while chlorine will remove most bacteria and
viruses, it will not reliably destroy giardia, you will need iodine based
tablets for that.
Besides tablets, many Water
purification products are
available as powder or granules, which can make them easier to use. Just be sure to follow the instructions on
the packaging to make certain that the water has been purified before use. Usually one tablet will purify one quart of
water. The shelf life of many of these
products is relatively short, so you will have to rotate in order to be able to
have a reliable supply.
Filter Straws
Filter straws are an excellent way to provide clean water
regardless of where you are. They are
simple to use and you only have to lower the straw into the water and drink as
you would with any ordinary straw. If
you are looking for a filter straw that will remove nearly 100% of bacteria,
viruses, protozoa, cysts, and pollutants, you might want the Seychelle Pure
Water Filter Straw (Advanced). Several
other filter straws will also deliver good water, but the Seychelle seems to be
the best. Filter straws will purify
between 20 and 25 gallons of water before they need to be replaced. These straws are small and lightweight and
easy to carry in a backpack or a pocket.
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