Plastic bottles are not only a scourge for the environment, but they are also a health issue. At issue is the materials used to make them. So, what are the natural solutions to effectively filter tap water?

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Do you drink tap water for ecological or economic reasons (or both)? In Many countries, tap water is particularly controlled by health safety. Generally of good quality, it can however contain impurities, limescale and other pollutants in minute quantities.

Not to mention the chlorine, injected to eliminate bacteria, which leaves an undesirable smell and taste. Worse, residues of drugs, hormones, antidepressants, beta-blockers, pesticides and molecules for veterinary use were identified between 2011 and 2015 and revealed in a joint report between the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Women’s Rights and the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.

Contamination by lead, nickel, copper, vinyl chloride, bromates, aluminium, nitrates, etc., may occur. Contamination from lead, nickel, copper, vinyl chloride, bromates, aluminium, nitrates, etc., also exist in small quantities in our drinking water, depending on the region and department.

The best thing to do is to check the quality of the water in your town by visiting the official website of the Ministry of Solidarity and Health.

So the solution is simply to filter the water before drinking it. Yes, but how? Here are solutions as simple as natural.

Boiling hot: Boiling water

First, boiling! Boiling is the first method on this list because it is the simplest way to obtain drinking water. You have done it at home and continued to do it for most of your life. So you can say that you know how to do it like the back of your hand.

This is the easiest and quickest way, as all you have to do is boil the water for about 10 minutes to reach the “safe” stage. If you’re out in the wild, chances are you have firewood available. Light a fire with the wood and take a pan to put the water in.

When there is enough heat, start boiling the water. Let the water boil, and you will soon see bubbles forming on the surface. Let the bubbles move for another 5 minutes and remove the pan from the fire. Do not drink right away! Let it cool for 5 minutes, you can wait as long as you want. I personally don’t like to drink hot water.

Fun fact, this water always look for water that isn’t clean but is clear. I know this sounds weird, but trust me. That’s because boiling probably clears the water of microorganisms, but it doesn’t always kill dirt. Other methods can therefore be applied to purify water in nature. We will share below a filtration method that will eliminate unclean color of water.

Binchotan vegetable coal

The binchotan is native to the Japanese region of Kishu. It is an activated carbon made from a variety of very hard and fiber-rich holm oak. Because of its properties, binchotan is increasingly used to purify water in a natural way.

By improving the quality of drinking water, it makes it possible to avoid expensive and environmentally unfriendly bottled water.

Binchotan, also known as white activated charcoal, differs from conventional black charcoal in its manufacturing process.

The principle of water purification is simple, vegetable charcoal attracts the harmful and/or chemical molecules present in tap water.

It is its extreme porosity that allows it to retain contaminating ions and pesticide residues, but also to reduce chlorine. It mineralizes water by releasing iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium from the water. It neutralizes and balances the PH of the water, making it neither acidic nor basic.

How to use it?

The binchotan should ideally be placed in a glass bottle or possibly in a stainless steel flask. Glass and stainless steel are in fact two neutral materials that do not induce migration of chemical substances from the container to its contents. In other words, avoid plastic! Convenient water bottles are available on the market that block the binchotan when used.

A 50-gram piece is enough to filter on liter of tap water after 8 hours of contact. Also note that it is preferable to replace the water if it has not been drunk for more than two days. In addition, the binchotan should only be washed with water and no other products should be added.

As soon as the charcoal becomes dull and greyish, it is time to replace it. It will then find its place in the garden, in your vases or in plant pots. Biodegradable and crumbled, it becomes an excellent fertilizer and fertilizer, providing nutrients and regulating the pH level.

The absorption properties will generally be effective for 3 months. The surface of the pores of the carbon is then saturated and needs to be reactivated.

To reactivate the absorption capacity of the coal, it is very simple, just boil the binchotan in water for 15 minutes. This will allow you to use it for another three months.

The coal stick can be found at very affordable prices in organic shops or on the Internet.

Ceramic beads

Ceramic beads, composed of very pure clay and enriched with microorganisms, intervene directly on the structure of the water. Already well recognize in Asian countries, these pearls purify the water and improve its taste.

Ceramic beads are composed of 80 active microorganisms that remove chlorine, limestone and most possible traces of residue. 100% natural, ceramic beads are a living product that purifies and energizes our tap water.

Ceramic beads also provide the water with extra antioxidant microorganisms, which slow down pathogenic processes. This is an essential condition for combating hyperacidity and maintaining a healthy intestinal flora.

How to use ceramic beads?

To filter tap water, simply dip the ceramic beads into the water carafe and wait 30 minutes. 15 beads can filter 1 L of water. Both the taste and texture of the water improve significantly with the beads.

The pearls are left at the bottom of the carafe, taking care to always leave them in contact with water, so that the regeneration process is continuous.

The beads are maintenance-free and do not need to be recharged. The pearls should be removed from the water container while washing it. Water and micro-organisms regenerate each other, making the pearls wear-resistant and reusable for life.

Moringa seeds: Purify water naturally with Moringa seeds

Did you know that moringa is one of the most useful plants in the world? It can provide quality nutrition, cooking oil, fuel for light, soap, fertilizer, and even water purification! The even better news is that moringa trees are growing well in most African countries. It grows quickly even in dry places. Here we will focus on how to use moringa seeds to purify water.

Millions of people suffer every year from diseases caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites in dirty water. These viruses, bacteria and parasites are often attached to the dirt and mud in the water. Moringa seeds collect the dirt at the bottom of the container, making it easier to remove. By removing the dirt, you will eliminate many disease-causing viruses, bacteria and parasites!

Moringa seeds contain proteins that, once in the water, bind to impurities and facilitate the separation of water and contaminants. The addition of powdered moringa seeds helps to cleanse the water by removing 90-99% of bacteria.

The proteins in these seeds carry a positive electric charge that allows them to clarify polluted and cloudy water. The colloids (organic or mineral macromolecules that form a suspension in the water) are negatively charged, which leads them to be attracted to the moringa seeds.

The antibacterial properties of these seeds also eliminate the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the water.

How do I use Moringa Seeds?

The seeds should be crushed and ground to a powder before mixing them in water. To treat 1 L of water, 50 g of moringa seed powder is needed. Once the powder has been poured into the glass or stainless steel water container, they should be left in contact for 30 minutes, shaking from time to time. Then simply filter the water with a clean, sterile clothe to remove the waste. The water is then safe to drink and purified.

Moringa seeds are 100% biodegradable and can be recycled in the garden, in flower pots or in your vases.

Where to buy them?

You can buy them, at very affordable prices, in organic stores or on the Internet on amazon and other popular ecommerce site.

Small economic and practical tips

If you want to drink tap water without filtering it, here are some tips:

Before drinking tap water, let it run for at least 1 minute to remove stagnant water filled with pollutants.

To eliminate the taste of chlorine, simply pour the water into a carafe, let it evaporate for 3 minutes and place it for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Filtration

If the only water you find in nature is very dirty and contains mud, then boiling it will not give you drinking water. You will need to use the filtration process to make sure the water is free of dirt. That is why the filtration method is also very important when it comes to getting drinking water from nature.

One of the simplest filtration processes using natural materials is sand filtration. I know what you’re thinking; getting rid of mud using sand?

Listen to me and practice this at home first, and you will soon see how well this method of filtration works! It is also the way to purify water with natural materials.

First, take a used bottle and cut it into the shape of a cone. You will need a filter material that should be placed at the bottom of the cone, mainly at the neck of the bottle. This will be fine if you can get your hands on rollers or cotton wool. These items should cover 3 inches of the bottle.

Then fill the whole bottle with sand. Pour the water you have obtained through this filter and you will see clearer water coming out of the other end, if not, repeat the process again. You will find that this method is not only efficient but also cost effective because it requires so little material.

Use the three-container method

 

This fulfils the same role as filtration and removes the main solid impurities from the water.

For greater efficiency, this method can be used in addition to filtration.

How does it work?

Every day, when the water is brought to the house, your should follow these steps everytime:

1. drink water only from container 3;

2. Slowly pour the water from container 2 into container 3;

3. wash the container 2;

4. Slowly pour the water from container 1 into container 2;

5. wash container 1;

6. Pour the water collected at the source (bucket 4) into container 1.

7. If possible, filter the water with a piece of cloth.

Let the water stand for one day and then repeat the process.

Drink only water from container 3, which has been stored for at least two days. The quality is better after two days.

The container will be washed regularly and can be sterilized by boiling it.

Advantages of the three-vessel method

• Simplicity of implementation. Virtually zero cost.

• Significant reduction of impurities and pathogens

Disadvantages

• Disinfection is not total

• Waiting time

Treatment by sun exposure. SODIS and solvatten methods

UV-A rays and the rise in temperature above 45° destroys pathogenic agents and thus makes the water drinkable.

Sunlight is composed of several elements of different wavelengths, of which ultraviolet rays (wavelengths between 315 and 400 nanometres) are the most effective in destroying pathogens.

When ultraviolet rays penetrate the water, they react on the oxygen dissolved in the water and produce highly reactive oxygen molecules that attack, inhibit or destroy pathogenic germs. These radiations, as well as the ambient heat gradually increase the temperature of the water, which has a pasteurizing effect, accelerates the process and already eliminates some of the pathogenic elements unable to resist high temperatures. If the temperature reaches or exceeds 55°C, the disinfection time can be even half as long.

Transparent plastic of PET -Polyethylene terephthalate quality, like most water or soda bottles) is the material that most easily lets in ultraviolet light and sunlight. It is for this reason and for its lightness that it is recommended.

Implementation

1. First of all, plastic bottles or even plastic bags, PET. It is recommended that at least 2 x 1.5 litre bottles per person per day be provided and that the same quantity be kept in reserve for the next day.

2. Wash the bottles thoroughly if it’s the first use.

3. Fill the bottles 3/4 full.

4. Shake the bottle for about 20 seconds to oxygenate the water.

5. Then finish filling the bottles completely.

6. Expose the bottles to the sun by placing them, for example, on a roof or on any other suitable support.

7. Leave the bottles in the sun from morning to evening and as a precaution for at least 6 hours. (Even if disinfection is faster with intense sunlight).

8. Then wait for them to cool down before consuming the water safely.

Why the Choice of plastic bottles?

Glass bottles are hardly penetrable by UV rays, they should not be used to purify water with this method.

For greater efficiency, plastic bottles of 1 to 2 liters (3 l max.) and a maximum diameter of 10 cm should be used.

It is preferable, but not essential, to choose PET plastic bottles as they are the lightest, most easily penetrable by UV rays and can be found easily almost everywhere.

Transparent plastic sleeves can also be used, although they are less practical.

The bottles must be colorless and transparent.

In addition, it is strongly recommended that the sanitized water should be stored in these bottles to avoid contamination and that they be used only for this purpose.

If one of the bottles is scratched or becomes damaged, it should be replaced.

It is also advisable to change the bottles anyway after 4 to 6 months.

Quality of the water to be treated: Non turbidity

Cloudy water is unsuitable because turbidity considerably hinders the penetration of ultraviolet rays. If this is the case, it is necessary to filter the water beforehand, at least with a clean, fine cloth.

Sodis recommends a simple way to estimate this turbidity if a turbidimeter is not available: Place the PET bottle filled with water in an upright position on a newspaper headline and look through the water from the opening of the bottle from top to bottom. If the letters in the headline are not readable through the water, the water must be filtered.

Cases of Absence of Sun, Clouds or Rain.

If there is no sun or clouds for less than half of the day, it is advisable to expose the water for a longer period of time so that there are at least 6 hours of sunshine.

If this absence lasts more than half a day, the bottles must be displayed for an additional day. If it rains, the same problem occurs.

Note: this is where the limits of the process are reached and it is therefore advisable to have a minimum supply of drinking water, or failing that, to boil the water or provide a rainwater recovery system.

Main advantages and disadvantages of the SODIS water purification method.

a) Advantages

• Simplicity of implementation.

• Almost zero cost. No investment required.

• Efficiency, reliability.

• SODIS states that 99% of the microorganisms causing diarrhea or cholera are destroyed.

• Good adaptation to treat small volumes of drinking water.

• Use of local resources.

• Use of a renewable and free energy source.

b) Disadvantages

• Duration of the treatment (6h min).

• Useless in case of overcast weather.

• Need for clear water (turbidity level less than 30)

• Low volume treated. Information poster in Peru

• Cooling is required before use.

• Sometimes difficult to find PET bottles in rural areas.