More people are horrified by the idea of consuming bleach. Evidently the use of undiluted chlorine should be avoided at all costs, but the use of a few drops to clean water and make it safe to drink is entirely another matter.
It’s not a perfect system; for example, disinfecting water will not neutralize any heavy metals or chemicals. However, applying the right amount of bleach to filtered water in a survival situation is a useful choice if you have no drinking water and no way of boiling whatever water you have at your fingertips.
No Added Extras
Remove any products with additional scent, coloring or cleaning properties to the bleach. Regular, unscented bleach is required for disinfection. Using anything you need to hand to filter the water to be disinfected – coffee filters are fine, but you can use clean cloths, sheets, two clean socks stuffed inside each other or cotton fabric plugged into a funnel’s handle. Basically, whatever you have.
You need to be sure to add the right amount of bleach for the amount of water that is being treated. Regular household bleach should contain a sodium hypochlorite concentration of about 5.00-8.25 percent. That’s what we’re working with here, so check the label to make sure your bleach isn’t going wildly different from that strength.
You’ll need:
- Regular, unscented bleach at room temperature
- Clean medicine dropper
Related: To Bleach Or Not To Bleach
Method:
1. Filter your water (especially if it’s cloudy) using the most efficient method available to remove particles and sediment.
2. Assuming your bleach is regular household strength of 5 – 8.25 percent sodium hypochlorite, add 2 drops of bleach for every liter/quart of water (or 8 drops per gallon). The easiest way to do this is to pour a little bleach into the cap and draw up a small amount in the dropper.
3. If your water remains cloudy after filtering or has a colored tinge, increase the dose of bleach to 4 drops per liter.
4. Stir the water well and leave it to stand for 30 minutes before pouring into a clean container and capping. If your container has a screw top, then take a moment to wipe or splash the threads with the purified water. This reduces the risk of any dirty liquid or particles hidden in the threads contaminating the disinfected water.
Shelf Life
Water handled in this way has a 6-month shelf life when stored in a cool, dark, and dry location.
The excellent ability to come to grips with any situation in which normal water supplies are disrupted or inaccessible, even the EPA sanctioned this basic method of making water safe for drink.
The simple yet potentially essential filter-bleach-stand-bottle sequence is an absolute retainer for any prepper!
Now that you know how to disinfect water with bleach, discover how to DIY your own portable system for endless supply of water.
