DIY Carbon Water Purification

[teamnelson]

The link goes to directions on how to build your own rain water collection and water purification system out of 5 gal buckets, filter carbon, gravel, sand, and some simple plumbing. I'm building a 55gal rain barrel and had planned to build a biosand filter, but this looks quicker. Only downside is you have to swap out the carbon twice a year maybe depending on your usage, but there's also an article on the site on how to make your own charcoal for filter carbon. Might be a good plan for folks who don't have a well or who could otherwise lose access to clean drinking water in a crisis. For reference, 1" of rainfall on a 1000 sq. ft. roof can collect over 600 gallons, which is enough drinking water for 4 people for 300 days.

http://www.aqsolutions.org/images/2008/05/bucket-filter.pdf

[Ahshucks]

I am going to try one of these systems.  What would be the best charcoal to use do you think:  coal, lignite, cocoanut? 

Going to try to figure out a way to route some of this rain water for use in the household and then tap the water filter in for drinking water when needed.  Perhaps refilling toilets, clothes washing, showers.  Maybe I could come up with an auto bypass to use my stored water first before using city supplied water.  Any ideas or discoveries?

[myronman3]

great post!

[moxgrove]

Thanks for the great info!

[teamnelson]

I am going to try one of these systems.  What would be the best charcoal to use do you think:  coal, lignite, cocoanut? 

Turns out we're moving so I didn't get a chance to build the filter out, but in talking to some folks who have, I'd avoid coal, and using treated lumber (although if it comes down to it, who cares) to make your charcoal. Outside of that, try what you have on your land, as that is what you'll have long term.

[pastorp]

Living in Alaska we are fortunate to be able to drink water from most of our lakes on the island I live on. Our village water supply is a lake on top of a close by mountain. It requires no water treatment. And it is ice cold right from the tap.

Regards,

[gypsyman]

Thanks for the info TN. Was thinking of how to do this. Just wondering?? I went to city water about 2 years ago, for my house. The city code let me keep my well, as long as it's not connected to any water lines in the house. I still have it. I have my old house filters. I was wondering, in picture 2 I think, between bucket 2 and 3, when I build this, of using my old house filter with a charcoal filter. I belive it's rated to filter down to 5 microns. Just wondering, do you think there will be enough pressure, if bucket 1 is built 1-2 ft over bucket 2, and bucket 2 is 1-2 ft over bucket 3. This will keep me busy for a while!!gypsyman

[bilmac]

This filter looks like it was designed by tree huggers who worry about the nasty chemicals in asphault shingles. They admit that they really aren't too sure how it will work for pathogens such as colliform. It does work to some degree for these things because TN says they relied on them when he was a missionary.

The biological slow sand filter was designed by medical people to stop stuff like cholera in third world countries that can kill you in days. Cholera killed most of those who died on the Oregon Trail. Sorry, I'm too much of an old crudgemudgen to learn how to do stuff on the computer like posting links, but it's easy to google.

This filter has advantages in that it is portable and it can start making water as soon as you need it. The biological filter has to have a week or two to develop the good bugs that kill the bad stuff, and then you have to keep using it regularly to keep it healthy. And you would have to keep it from freezing.

I think what I am going to do is build a bucket filter and have it on hand, but I'm going to have a set of instructions on how to build a biological filter in case we live long enough to need it.

[SHOOTALL]

It would seem more pratical to use filters between the first bucket and storage tank. you can have a sedimate filter , carbon and membrane or cerm filters in line . You could also introduce a few drops of bleach into the collection bucket. Pre packaged filters offer storage and ready to use options and to be honest better sanitation than an open bucket. Long term though it would be expensive.

[Dixie Dude]

You can't use coal, but must use charcoal made from oak wood.  You also can't use charcoal brickettes from a bag.  They have oil based chemicals for easy burning.  The chemical burns off before you cook, but filtering water will get the lighter oil in the water.  I've seen this with someone making charcoal from oak, but getting it burning first, then coverning it with sand or dirt to let it burn out.  Then dig up and use the charcoal for the filtration.  Also, having a cloth before and after to filter any large stuff coming in and anything that got through from coming out.  The one I saw had old clean tee-shirt filters/strainers between each layer.  This charcoal filter keeps contaminents out, but might let viruses or other microscopic bugs through, (bird dropping on roof).  I would still boil the clean water to kill them after the charcoal filtering.  Charcoal will trap all chemicals, but not the viruses.  Charcoal filtering will also make the water taste better. 
 
The few drops of bleach would also do the same thing as boiling.  I prefer the taste without the clorine.

[SHOOTALL]

depending on the persons age bleach in the drinking water can cause damage to kidneys . Older folks can 't take it as well.

[lrrice]

I've checked out a couple of cisterns on old dry land homesteads.  They had built up a "stone barrel" (for lack of a better description) into which the water from the roof was channeled it had layers of gravel sand and charcoal in it.  There was a pipe that went from the bottom to a hand dug storage tank that had been plastered from top to bottom for storage.  Using modern materials a 55 gallon barrel and a buried storage tank would accomplish the same task.  You can also put your discharge on a rocker (picture and upside down T with a pivot at the junction) with a barrel on one side and the cistern on the other.  The barrel has a float in it which controls the rocker the first rain fills the barrel until the float is raised high enough to direct the flow into the cistern.  This rinses the roof before directing the water into your drinking water.  The other barrel is emptied between rain events and the water is used for non-potable uses.

Charcoal can be made by cooking chunks of your chosen wood in a 55 gallon barrel with a nail hole in the lid until smokes stops coming out of the vent.

[SCRooster]

The link goes to directions on how to build your own rain water collection and water purification system out of 5 gal buckets, filter carbon, gravel, sand, and some simple plumbing. I'm building a 55gal rain barrel and had planned to build a biosand filter, but this looks quicker. Only downside is you have to swap out the carbon twice a year maybe depending on your usage, but there's also an article on the site on how to make your own charcoal for filter carbon. Might be a good plan for folks who don't have a well or who could otherwise lose access to clean drinking water in a crisis. For reference, 1" of rainfall on a 1000 sq. ft. roof can collect over 600 gallons, which is enough drinking water for 4 people for 300 days.

http://www.aqsolutions.org/images/2008/05/bucket-filter.pdf

Excellent info - I'm always open to learning more ways to collect and purify water.  It should be the most redundant of concerns in everyone's preps IMHO.

[teamnelson]

Since the original post by daughter has nearly completed a civil engineering degree, and she studied the biosand filtration process at length with regards to civil projects. Really really good stuff, and frankly too darn simple not to learn how to make.

[SHOOTALL]

Post what you learn if you don't mind.
Thanks