In any emergency situation, it is imperative to know how to filter water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. Earthquakes, floods, fires, and even government officials, as we’ve seen in recent weeks, may cause your water supply to become contaminated and unsuitable for use. In these situations, your Brita filter won’t cut it. It is always a good idea to invest in a quality filtration system, but the price can keep many people away.
There is, however, the option of fashioning your own filtration system using everyday household items. There are many methods to do this but the easiest DIY filter involves an athletic sock and a nylon stocking or pantyhose made out of fine mesh. Simply insert the foot of the nylon stocking or pantyhose inside the athletic sock and slowly poor the untreated water into the opening. It’s important to position the sock so that the filtered water drains into a clean water container. If you don’t have a nylon stocking or athletic sock, use several layers of clean cloth or clothing items to accomplish the same purpose.
Another option for water filters involves two 5-gallon buckets and lids, a filtering element, a spigot, and some household tools. The first step is to drill a 1/2” hole in the bottom of one of the buckets. This will be the top bucket. These types of buckets can be found in restaurants, grocery stores, and bakeries. Take the bucket and place it on the lid of the bottom bucket.
Using the hole you just drilled, trace a circle onto the bottom lid with a marker. The next step is to drill another 1/2” hole in the lid with the circle mark as a guide. Then, install the filtering element in the hole you made in the top bucket. This filtering element could be made up of a candle or ceramic filter or even a homemade filter. After installing the filter, take the bottom bucket and drill a 3/4” hole on the side near the bottom. Install a spigot in this hole.
The last step is to assemble the system by placing the top bucket onto the lid of the bottom bucket and making sure that the filter element aligns with the hole of the lid of the bottom bucket. Fill the top bucket with water and you’ll have filtered water in about an hour.
Of course, it is always a good idea to purify water before drinking. You can use common household items for this as well. Liquid bleach is one of the most cost effective methods for purification. For one quart of clear, clean-looking water, add two drops of bleach. Stir the water and let it sit for 30 minutes.