[Stamps Rule]

So this is my first real thread here and the reason I joined was to ask this, so here goes.

I'm a Petroleum Engineer and used to work at a waste-water treatment facility. I will confirm that Sodium Hypochlorite is used in the treatment of the raw effluent that was pumped back into the facilities for local use. This water was not for personal consumption (obviously).

Chlorine bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) is used as a "main" ingredient in the treatment of potable water for municipalities.

The Sodium Hypoclorite used in industrial applications is typically 10%, whereas personal use (store bought) bleach is 5% or less.

What I'd like to know is: Does anyone have an EXACT formula or calculation for using beach as a raw water disinfectant for potable usage? I.E. drops per liter/gallon?

I've been told before that 1 drop (5%) per liter is sufficient, but I'd like to hear what you folks have to say.

I was looking at investing in one of those UV pens, but I know first hand that UV does not kill every potentially harmful pathogen in raw water. Chlorine bleach on the other hand does. Looking at it from a cost/benefit scale, one of those pens costs $60-100+, whereas 1 gallon of bleach is $4 and could potentially treat 10-20x the volume of water (given battery life) as a UV pen.

 

[Swampwood]

I've read that It's 8 gtts per Gal is standard.. But, Never thought/heard/will try of sewage water Tx ..ewww

 

[OLDWarrior64]

According to the CDC:

To disinfect water,

•Clean and disinfect water containers properly before each use. Use containers that are approved for water storage. Do not use containers previously used to store chemicals or other hazardous materials.
•Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
•Draw off the clear water.
◦When using household chlorine bleach:
■Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops; about 0.625 milliliters) of unscented liquid household chlorine (5–6%) bleach for each gallon of clear water (or 2 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of clear water). Add 1/4 teaspoon (or 16 drops; about 1.50 milliliters) of bleach for each gallon of cloudy water (or 4 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of cloudy water).

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/safe_water/personal.html

 

[Stamps Rule]

According to the CDC:



http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/safe_water/personal.html

That's exactly what I was hoping someone would have, thanks.

It's quite a bit more then I would have thought, actually.

 

[Karmakraze]

IMO I would only use that meathod in a last ditch effort, I dont belive its extreemely effective. Found the info For you on, http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile49b.stm. "Disinfection using chemical methods:

Unscented household bleach with 5% chlorine can sometimes be a good disinfectant. For example, this may work when the water is not heavily polluted, or when Giardia or cryptosporidiosis are not a concern.

Bleach does not work well in killing off Giardia or beaver fever or Cryptosporidium parasites. The amount of bleach needed to kill these parasites makes the water almost impossible to drink. If Cryptosporidium or Giardia are in your water, boiling is the best way to ensure safe drinking water.

Disinfection using bleach works best with warm water. Add 1 drop (0.05 mL) of bleach to 1 Litre of water, shake and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes before drinking. Double the amount of bleach for cloudy water or for cooler water. A slight chlorine odour should still be noticeable at the end of the 30-minute waiting period if you have added enough bleach. The longer the water is left to stand after adding bleach, the more effective the disinfection process will be." Info is from their site. There is also a conversion table for larger amounts. And yes you a correct but not 100% effective.

 

[Stamps Rule]

So if .35ml of bleach treats a liter of cloudy water, that means that 4 liters of bleach (a gallon, roughly) would treat 12K liters (3300 gallons water per gallon of bleach).

Now the question is, could I treat 3300 gallons of water with one of those UV pens before the batteries wore out or it broke?

 

[MikeK]

The standard ratio is 8 drops per gallon for clear water and 16 drops per gallon for cloudy or suspect water. If you don't smell a little chlorine, add more until you do.

The problem with bleach is that it has a limited shelf life. About 6 months or so. We have several threads here on calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) that is more stable and will store for years. You can use it to make your own bleach solution for use around the house and water treatment.

 

[stephpd]

The problem with bleach, no matter what the concentration, is that it has a short shelf life. Matter of fact the stronger the solution the quicker it loses it's strength. Standard house bleach loses 1/2 it's strength in something like 6 months. Industrial bleach loses half it's strength in less then 3 months.

Many here recommend using Calcium Hypochlorite instead of bleach since it has a much longer shelf life. (Being a dry formula it is more stable) It's available at any pools supply company as well as places like Lowes, Home Depot, or any hardware store.

The drops per gallon are given but I"m not sure that it's the best way to determine if it's sufficient. Better to buy a cheap pool test kit and measure the chlorine level after sitting for 1/2 hour. Your looking for a 1-3 ppm range after contact time.

As noted it doesn't kill Giardia or Cryptosporidium. But it does kill most everything else. Most of this countries municipal water supply depends on the use of some sort of disinfectant, usually some type of Chlorine. There are many threads here going into both of these ideas.

Since we're on potable water you might want to look into something like a Berkey filter system too. Given that the source water might be contaminated it's best to think of filtering and disinfection. Using both will go a long way to ensuring a safe supply of potable water.

 

[Dr.prepper]

I agree with Mike and Stephpd. Calcium hypochlorite is defenitley the way to go for long term bulk storage. Bleach is to suspect, as far as strength goes. You never know how long its sat on the store shelf.

I also stock up on Katydyn water purification tabs and filters for emergencies since the tabs will kill
Cryptosporidium or Giardia. The packets are very small and light for traveling.

 

[bltjr1951]

FEMA tells you to use 1/8 teaspoon (16 drops).
Seems like there's 8 - 11 drops in 1/8 teaspoon.

 

[jett]

If you decide you want to buy a steripen I'll give you a good deal on one that I've only used on a glass of tap water. Went with a filter instead (katadyn hiker pro)

Jett

*Moderator please remove if this in not allowed in this section (can't remember all the rules)

 

[robbiec]

It's a good idea to print that page from CDC and keep hard copy with your stored bleach and water... just in case you don't have power for your computer.

 

[maninlafayette]

A good tip to make water that has been boiled to purify or stored for extended periods of time more palatable is to take small quantities, about a quart or so and repeatedly pour it from one clean container to another about half a dozen times. This aerates the water giving a fresher taste.

 

[OLDWarrior64]

If you decide you want to buy a steripen I'll give you a good deal on one that I've only used on a glass of tap water. Went with a filter instead (katadyn hiker pro)

Jett

*Moderator please remove if this in not allowed in this section (can't remember all the rules)

You're fine.....as long as you aren't SPAMMING the forum.:

 

[QueechoFeecho]

You can also affix an aerator to a funnel or a hose and run the water through that.

Or, if you have one of those wine aerators, pour your water through that.

 

[fm90-10-1]

Either method would work just fine but the two containers is a bit more field expediant. Two canteens works well. But if you are dealing with larger quantities of water than the funnel would be better.

 

[jett]

You're fine.....as long as you aren't SPAMMING the forum.:

Thanks. I'll try to control my spamming urge

 

[MatoNupai]

So this is my first real thread here and the reason I joined was to ask this, so here goes.

I'm a Petroleum Engineer and used to work at a waste-water treatment facility. I will confirm that Sodium Hypochlorite is used in the treatment of the raw effluent that was pumped back into the facilities for local use. This water was not for personal consumption (obviously).

Chlorine bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) is used as a "main" ingredient in the treatment of potable water for municipalities.

The Sodium Hypoclorite used in industrial applications is typically 10%, whereas personal use (store bought) bleach is 5% or less.

What I'd like to know is: Does anyone have an EXACT formula or calculation for using beach as a raw water disinfectant for potable usage? I.E. drops per liter/gallon?

I've been told before that 1 drop (5%) per liter is sufficient, but I'd like to hear what you folks have to say.

I was looking at investing in one of those UV pens, but I know first hand that UV does not kill every potentially harmful pathogen in raw water. Chlorine bleach on the other hand does. Looking at it from a cost/benefit scale, one of those pens costs $60-100+, whereas 1 gallon of bleach is $4 and could potentially treat 10-20x the volume of water (given battery life) as a UV pen.

When I took survival I was told 2 drops per pint 4 per quart.

The CDC recently recommended two drops per quart for clear water and double that for cloudy water.

 

[TRyan]

So this is my first real thread here and the reason I joined was to ask this, so here goes.

Not to get nit picky here it says you joined in 2010. You waited 4 years to ask that question?

Other than that seems like everyone found you the answer you were looking for.

 

[Mels thinkingitover]

Not to get nit picky here it says you joined in 2010. You waited 4 years to ask that question?

Other than that seems like everyone found you the answer you were looking for.

He asked the question in 2010. Someone revived the thread today.