Author Topic: Bleach for water purification (Read 7295 times)

Bowpredator · « **on:** August 26, 2007, 04:20:59 AM »

I have read that Clorox bleach can be safely used for water purification instead of the iodine tablets. I also read that the iodine can build up in your system if used a lot and the bleach will not so I was wondering if anyone carries bleach instead of the iodine tablets? I believe the ratio on the bleach was 16 drops per gallon or 4 drops per quart and there werent any harmful affects if you went a little over just to be safe. Matter of fact, they recommended to use a little more if the water was really bad or a chlorine smell could not be detected after mixing. I keep meaning to stop by a laundromat to see if they sell any small bottles of Clorox in a vending machine that may be small enough to fit nicely in a emergency pack. What are your thoughts/experiences with it?

SDS-GEN · « **Reply #1 on:** August 30, 2007, 05:32:57 AM »

That's what the engineers used to purify water when I was in the army. Don't know how much to use. A little bleach won't hurt you, I pour a gallon of it into my well when I have the cap off just to kill any microscopic critters.

corbanzo · « **Reply #2 on:** August 30, 2007, 09:10:56 AM »

The chlorine in pretty much every city water system here in the US aint that far off from the chlorine bleach you use for your laundry or other cleaning. Also not sure on how much would be safe.

coopershooter · « **Reply #3 on:** September 04, 2007, 11:18:13 AM »

when i moved from saint petersburg florida to citrus county. the water was so much better! (well) in st pete you could smell and taste the clorine.

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2007, 05:19:31 PM »

When I lived in Haines City back in '58 I don't think what I was smelling in the water was clorine. That stuff smelled so bad you didn't want a hot bath or shower as you really couldn't take the odor. Dunno what it was but that was the most foul smelling and tasting water I've ever had the misfortune to drink or bathe in.

coopershooter · « **Reply #5 on:** September 05, 2007, 08:49:44 AM »

GB, it was most likely sulpher. it's pretty nasty. when i was a little kid, my grandma had the smelliest sulpher water!

Graybeard · « **Reply #6 on:** September 05, 2007, 10:22:14 AM »

Yup might have been. Since '58 was oh so long ago the smell isn't fresh enough in my mind to recall just what it might have been but I will never forgot how horrible it was even if I can't remember just what the smell was but yeah sulphur is a good guess on it. ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!

corbanzo · « **Reply #7 on:** September 06, 2007, 07:30:20 AM »

That is why I like living off the city water system where all the water comes from a well. Nothing like pure clean cold water... Of course the sediment filter needs some help every now and then... but I'll take a little more work over chemical water any day.

clodbuster · « **Reply #8 on:** September 11, 2007, 10:06:36 AM »

Bowpredator is just about dead on. The website thefarm.org says 2 drops of Chlorox per quart if clear and 4 drops if cloudy. Let stand 30 mins. Should be a slight chlorine smell, if not add more chlorox.

ironglow · « **Reply #9 on:** October 02, 2007, 04:57:49 AM »

For what it's worth:

I used to build silos on farms. I built a silo on one dairy farm that had two wells; one clear, fresh water..one heavily sulphured.

The clear well was a later well, and as soon as it came in the farmer switched his whole barn to the clear water.

He told me that he ran into many health problems with his cows..much of it gastric.

That summer was dry, so the newer well dried up and the farmer was forced to go back to the sulphur water .

He claimed that about 90% of his cattle's health problems cleared up after going back to the old well..

..just my experience.

alpha wolf · « **Reply #10 on:** October 24, 2007, 07:08:16 AM »

Our local water man said that in an emergency use about half a teaspoon of bleach for every gallon of water

ironglow · « **Reply #11 on:** October 30, 2007, 01:56:22 AM »

As i recall the amount required was very small, so I found this website:

www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/surv/bleach.htm

It shows the proper ratio of Clorox to water to be:

2 drops per quart

8 drops per gallon

1/2 teaspoon per 5 gals

1 gallon Clorox to 3800 gallons

..If water is cloudy, double the dose...don't use "scented" bleach..only pure bleach.

note: Clorox is a registered brand name of one chlorine bleach mfgr.

S.B. · « **Reply #12 on:** December 18, 2007, 06:34:23 PM »

Quote from: coopershooter on September 05, 2007, 08:49:44 AM

GB, it was most likely sulpher. it's pretty nasty. when i was a little kid, my grandma had the smelliest sulpher water!

Actually, isn't sulfer suppose to be healthier for you?

ironglow · « **Reply #13 on:** December 19, 2007, 04:16:10 PM »

Don't know if it bears any relation, but " Sulfa-Drugs" were widely used before antibiotics came along.
My uncle told me of a time when he was serving in Italy in WW2, and he came upon a severely wounded GI,
whose intestines were exposed..he used his first aid kit..first a dusting of Sulfa-drugs and then the bandage.
Prop up his head on his back-pack, call for medic..and move on..

Toyforever · « **Reply #14 on:** September 23, 2008, 01:37:11 PM »

Quote from: ironglow on October 02, 2007, 04:57:49 AM

For what it's worth:

I used to build silos on farms. I built a silo on one dairy farm that had two wells; one clear, fresh water..one heavily sulphured.

The clear well was a later well, and as soon as it came in the farmer switched his whole barn to the clear water.

He told me that he ran into many health problems with his cows..much of it gastric.

That summer was dry, so the newer well dried up and the farmer was forced to go back to the sulphur water .

He claimed that about 90% of his cattle's health problems cleared up after going back to the old well..

..just my experience.

My Grandparents had a Sulphur well... and as long as I can remember... whenever I drank that water I was never sick due to the sulphur. I would piss my mother off every weekend we went there because I would load up several milk jugs to fill with the well water to bring home. I would drink 1 to 1/2 gallons a day and never got sick with anything... except wanting to go back to the woods... Since I have gotten older and wiser and my grandparents both are gone the well has not been used in many years. I would still like to find a source for sulphur pills to start taking but good luck on finding any. These help build the imune system and even my doctor said it would be good to do if you can find them.

S.B. · « **Reply #15 on:** September 23, 2008, 04:40:14 PM »

Sulphur is the usual prescription for any kidney problems. I agree sulphur water is very healthy, except for the smell, first thing in the morning.

45454 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 24, 2008, 04:13:15 PM »

Toyforever,you might try a health foods store.
You have a good week.

S.B. · « **Reply #17 on:** September 24, 2008, 05:31:24 PM »

Why when he can get it from the water?

hillbill · « **Reply #18 on:** September 27, 2008, 03:18:23 PM »

i cant prove this and would welcome any input from anyone else that has maybe had this prob. pouring bleach down your well seems to cause a huge amount of rust inside your well caseing.

S.B. · « **Reply #19 on:** September 27, 2008, 05:41:05 PM »

My oldest brother has a well with sulpher and he put a charcoal and bleach(I think)filter on it to kill the taste and the smell. Works for his well.

tbull55 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 23, 2009, 09:32:05 AM »

From what I have have read it is 8 drops to a gallon of CLEAR water, couple more if cloudy. Don't forget........DO NOT USE SCENTED BLEACH!!!!!!!

Tbull

teamnelson · « **Reply #21 on:** February 23, 2009, 10:32:29 AM »

Used bleach in a pinch while living in east Africa, but would recommend you consider a biosand filter instead.

S.B. · « **Reply #22 on:** February 23, 2009, 11:12:16 AM »

Quote from: TeamNelson on February 23, 2009, 10:32:29 AM

Used bleach in a pinch while living in east Africa, but would recommend you consider a biosand filter instead.

Please elaborate, why?
Steve

teamnelson · « **Reply #23 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:01:02 PM »

Biosand filtration is really just using the way groundwater is naturally filtered but in a closed system. You can do it with a concrete cistern or a plastic bucket. Missionary and relief organizations are using it today to help the undeveloped world (like 70% of the world population) have clean drinking water. The process kills off 95-98% of the nasties and tastes much better than chlorinated water. Google hydraid, samaritan's purse, biosand filter and you'll find more about it. Its not instant gratification (which is why its not popular in the US), but arguably smarter in a survival situation since sand is much more readily available than bleach. And it tastes a lot better ... did I mention that?

Assuming you have a water source and a family of 4, you'll drink a gallon of water a day before cooking and sanitation, maybe more to stay healthy - sure you can get by on 8oz a day, but not forever. Depending on how big a system you set up, maybe with a well or a culvert, or even a rainwater cachement system, you might not need that much sand or maintenance. A home sized system averages 10 gallons an hour roughly. Recognize too that these systems are used in places where black/gray water is routinely mixed in with the clean water, as well as farm chemicals that we'd not consider healthy here. You could pee through a bsf system and not notice it on the other end.

And we're talking a DIY solution under $100.

EDIT: Found this very thorough site explaining it: http://www.shared-source-initiative.com/biosand_filter/biosand.html
BSF removes some things that can be resistant to chlorine.

S.B. · « **Reply #24 on:** February 23, 2009, 12:28:41 PM »

How does filtering kill bacteria and other contaminants? And if sand is used to filter how does this sanitize water? Are you sure of this information?
Also, I've seen a lot of cities where their water supply would clog the filter trap on this device?
Steve

teamnelson · « **Reply #25 on:** February 23, 2009, 01:05:10 PM »

Yep, I'm sure. The science is solid and ancient, and being used for millions of folks to be able to have clean drinking water all over the world today. I've trusted my own life and my family's to it when we lived in Africa. Samaritan's purse is using the hydraid system to bring clean drinking water to a lot of folks outside the US. Seriously, don't take my word for it - do your own research and you'll see.

I'm not talking about one of those filter kits you buy on TV, or reverse osmosis, or anything like that. Just to be clear.

What happens is that a bacterial environment forms in the top layer of the sand, and its several layers of sand in increasing size from .1 to gravel (.1 filters out fecal colloids). So long as there is good oxygen flow and a semi-aquatic environment (wet) at the top, the good bacteria will filter out the other cultures. It takes a few weeks for the system to be "live" but tests will show decreasing levels of bad bacteria in the output to about 98, even 99.9% by EPA standards. The only maintenance required is occaisionally skimming the top of sludge, or stirring it, which is why its a perfect solution in the 3rd world - no skill, special tools or materials required. So easy a poor missionary can set it up

I lost the link but one fella set up a series of food grade plastic barrels; the first one was for rainwater collection and filtered out the leaves, etc. That flowed (manual pump to prime it) into the top of the next barrel which was the filter, and a heavy son of a gun. That flowed from the bottom into the next barrel which was the clean water and had a spigot. All home made stuff and very sustainable.

Gatofeo · « **Reply #26 on:** February 24, 2009, 06:11:00 PM »

The old water purification formula, as I knew it from my days of teaching survival:

Clear water
2 drops chlorine bleach per quart of water

Murky water (sediments and assorted crud)
4 to 6 drops of chlorine bleach per quart of water

Add chlorine drops to water. Shake to mix well. Loosen cap slightly to allow water to run over neck of canteen, so the neck gets purified too (after all, your lips will touch that neck when you drink). Allow to sit 30 minutes. Enjoy.

Remember that anything the water touches, that you put to your lips or eat from, must also be disinfected.
This purification method will only destroy live biological contaminants. It will NOT remove heavy metals, salt, alkaloids, petroleum products (diesel fuel, oil or gasoline), arsenic, etc.

Clear, apparently clean running steams and lakes are not indicators of purity. A rotten deer carcass just around the corner will introduce plenty of contaminants. Always purify; never assume.
Here in the remote Utah desert, I've seen springs both thick with green slime and crystal clear. Guess which one provides the best one for water? The one filled with green slime!
Think about it ... that green slime shows that it is not poisonous. But a clear spring almost certainly indicates the presence of arsenic, salt or alkaloids.
Arsenic is a common, natural element in many of the Western deserts of the U.S.

Chemical and petroleum pollutants are difficult to remove. Salts are nearly impossible to filter out with common means. Distillation may be the only methods, but it doesn't work with gasoline, diesel fuel or oil as they will evaporate before the water does, polluting your receptacle.

To remove petroleum products, add polluted water to a plastic beverage bottle. Allow to sit for a while. Petroleum products will rise to the top. Puncture the bottle at a point a couple inches above all sediment, but well below the level of petroleum. This is the water you'll drain off to be purified.

Water polluted with salt or arsenic can be evaporated, leaving the pollutants behind as the water turns to steam. Distillation can be done by boiling water in a kettle and suspending the lid at an angle just off to the side. Water droplets form under the lid, then run down and drop off the edge into a receptacle.

With the exception of using bleach, all of the above methods require time, effort and don't produce a great deal of potable water. However, it shows you what can be done.

The best method is to carry extra, potable water in your vehicle. A case of water bottles is better than one large container, as that large container may leak unnoticed. If one or two bottles leak, you'll still have plenty of water.

Be prepared. It's not just a Boy Scout motto, it's a way of life.

The grumpy ol' desert cat has spoken ...

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #27 on:** February 25, 2009, 03:42:55 PM »

Good advice grumpy ol' desert cat.

DP

Ole Man Dan · « **Reply #28 on:** July 13, 2009, 06:49:36 AM »

In the late 50s & early 60s 'The Boy Scouts' taught thousands of us to rely on 2 Drops of Clorox in a Qt. canteen. We relied on clear mountain type creek water that was running over rocks...
(It must have worked, cause I'm still here)
We 'Strained' cloudy water and water with a lot of sediment thru tight woven cloth, added 4 drops of Clorox per quart of water.
Important and not always mentioned, AFTER TREATMENT LET THE WATER STAND 30 MINUTES BEFORE DRINKING.
(I think this may have been partly to let the Clorox smell (Chlorine) dissipate before you stuck it under your nose... I always figured this could not be good for you)
Hint: A small medicine bottle will hold enough Clorox to treat a lot of water, just don't let it leak into your pack. BTDT.

S.B. · « **Reply #29 on:** July 13, 2009, 07:00:45 AM »

Quote from: Ole Man Dan on July 13, 2009, 06:49:36 AM

In the late 50s & early 60s 'The Boy Scouts' taught thousands of us to rely on 2 Drops of Clorox in a Qt. canteen. We relied on clear mountain type creek water that was running over rocks...
(It must have worked, cause I'm still here)
We 'Strained' cloudy water and water with a lot of sediment thru tight woven cloth, added 4 drops of Clorox per quart of water.
Important and not always mentioned, AFTER TREATMENT LET THE WATER STAND 30 MINUTES BEFORE DRINKING.
(I think this may have been partly to let the Clorox smell (Chlorine) dissipate before you stuck it under your nose... I always figured this could not be good for you)
Hint: A small medicine bottle will hold enough Clorox to treat a lot of water, just don't let it leak into your pack. BTDT.

So, your saying two drops, four if you want to be sure? Why not just go with four drops?
Steve