In addition to storing a two-week supply of water, it is important to have water purification methods on hand. This is especially useful if you have to evacuate for some reason and do not have the room to take your stored water with you. For this reason you will want to make sure that your water purification methods are easily portable. You should always have at least two methods on hand. I know people that use dual methods to purify their water.
The easiest way to purify water is to boil it. Experts agree that bringing water to a boil will heat it long enough to kill the harmful organisms in the water. You need to be careful not to contaminate the water after you have purified it. You should not reuse the cup or container used to retrieve the water to store it. You need to be careful, because the harmful organisms in the water can make you very sick.
Another way to purify water is by using iodine or chlorine tablets. You need to be careful, as some people are allergic to iodine. If you are allergic to iodine it is not safe to drink water which has been purified using iodine tablets. If you choose this method you will need to follow the directions given on the bottle. Usually it takes at least thirty minutes before the water is safe to drink. Cloudy water may take a higher concentration of chemicals to decontaminate it. Also the tablets are only good for a short amount of time. You will need to rotate them on a regular basis. After opening them be sure to use them within the time stated on the package. If you are not sure whether or not the tablets are still effective, buy new ones.
The final way to purify water is through a water purifier. The Katadyn Hiker Pro filter is one of the best on the market. When you are choosing a water filter you will need to look carefully at what level it filters out the bacteria and protozoa. You want one that will filter out to .0004 microns. This will filter out the larger contaminates such as Giardia, and the smaller ones such as E. coli and rotavirus. The trouble with using a purifier is that you may not see if the filter is cracked or eroded.
I am one that advocates better safe than sorry. As a child my family contracted an illness from drinking contaminated water, which we thought had been treated correctly. It was not fun. I will choose two methods, in order to purify my water. I will most likely use a water purifier as well as iodine tablets to make sure the water is safe for my family to drink. You can learn more about water purification products available here. You can also learn more about water purification here and here.