It is a necessity to have safe, clean, and healthy water. As a human right, water is vital to our survival. If you need to know how to filter water, this article is for you.
In our advanced and modern times, we have found ways to ensure that clean water can be a possibility; however, the sad reality is that not everyone has access to this clean, safe, and healthy water.
For many (millions around the world), clean fresh water just is not a reality. Whether it be because of natural disasters or lack of infrastructure, safe water can sometimes be difficult to find.
That’s why it might be of strong, important value to you to filter your own water!
What is Filtering Water and What Does it Mean?
Filtering water is the process of taking existing water that you have present and running it through a system of filtration to remove any harmful containments, particles, and sediments that might be present in the water with a purpose to clean the water and rid it from any harmful substances.
Filtering water can be done in numerous ways, from very old fashioned techniques that have withstood the test of time, developed in the ancient days, to techniques that are brand-new thanks to scientific discoveries and up-and-coming technologies.
Why Should We Filter Water?
We should filter water for our safety and not only our safety, but the safety of all those around us, especially those whom will be drinking said water (including pets!).
No matter what you might be using your water for, you always want to be sure it is as safe, clean, and healthy as possible because your water will have an impact upon you and the safest, cleanest, and healthiest water will certainly have the best impact on you.
In areas where filtered water is not available and/or is not a possibility, we want to filter water for everyone’s protection.
Safe, fresh water is a human right, so we always want to be sure it is available to everyone; thus, filtering water is one way through which we can make this available to all.
When Should We Filter Water?
We should filter water in any situation where there might even the slightest possibility that water is unsafe.
You’ve likely seen road signs in towns that say “Water Boil Advisory in Effect.” You might have seen this same warning on news broadcasts and in the newspaper. Situations like this arise when it has been reported that water is not safe to drink, consumer, or use at it is presented and thus, further action is needed to be taken. Filtering water can help to prevent this from happening and can be one of the solutions to the problem.
Perhaps you have found yourself in the middle of the woods, possibly on a hike or during a camp, with little to no water, but have found a creek with cold water running through it nearby. While this would be a great discovery, you would want to be sure that the water is safe to drink, so filtering this water would be incredibly important to maintain and protect your health.
As you can see, even from these two examples, filtering water is a process that we often take for granted as we likely do not realize its tremendous importance in our daily lives.
How Can We Filter Water?
The very cool thing is is that water can be filtered in many, many ways!
One of the natural ways to filter water for anyone anywhere is to create your own water filter with materials that you can likely find easily around you.
All you will need is:
- A plastic bottle
- Pebbles
- Sand
- Two cloths (or bandages)
- Charcoal
With these materials, you can construct your own water filter that will be very effective in turning your current water into safer water.
To begin, remove the bottom of your plastic bottle and poke a hole in the cap at the top of the bottle. Make sure that the cap is sealed tightly on the bottle. Turn the bottle upside-down so that the open bottom of the bottle is facing the sky.
You can now begin filling your plastic bottle with the contents that will filter the water.
Pour a handful of pebbles into the upside-down bottle. Follow this with a handful of sand. The peoples and sand are both used to filter particles and dirt out of the water.
Next, put one cloth or bandage down as the next layer. The cloth or bandage helps to prevent the various filtration materials from mixing with one another.
Follow this with a handful amount of charcoal. You can get this charcoal from your fire or campfire. The charcoal is used to remove a large portion of chemical out from the water.
Place your second bandage or cloth on top of the charcoal followed by another handful of sand and finally another handful of pebbles.
