Filtering Water

There are several good places to find it. First, you can collect when it rains. This is a rather unique method of water preservation which can be done in a number of ways. You will need something to hold water in, whether a plastic sheet set into an allotted space dug in the ground or a large barrel. Whichever method will also need something of a lid. This is to keep the bugs out and other things that like to grow on the top of the storage. If, however, you do not have a lid that is okay. The method of dealing with it will also be simple. While water is very important for all functions of life, you should not for instance drink it straight from the collected source. It must be boiled or filtered first. That is because plant matter called algae grows on the water worsened by sunlight. Then you also have contaminants of the water collection site in the water as well as whatever bacteria has grown for the days it's been sitting plus whatever bugs have fallen in. Altogether, it makes a bad combination.

If you live in a dry place and the rain is uncertain, you might go for long periods due to a drought. Such places used to collect water in large spaces called oasis. These were usually very deep pools good for travelers from long distances. Plants grew here too retaining the shape of the space and holding back the natural landscape. The other matter here is one that needs tending. You can also collect from a stream, lake, or a river. A lake is just another term for an extra-large body of water one that may or may not have streams or rivers attached to it. Last time we talked about how a stream was only as wide as its definition. Here we'll just say it's a smaller body of water that moves from one point to the next. A river then would be much bigger and also move from one place to the next. Lakes haven't anything else attached but for themselves. These sit and collect water in large spaces which can either be fresh water or salt. Now on to the water preparation.

Boiling the water usually takes care of most of the diseases and germs. Then you will also need to filter it. Filtering works well by itself but boiling is by far the most effective. You can either buy a good water filter or make one yourself. Some are re-useable while others are not. Single-use ones might be small and practical. However, they are awfully hard to use for everyday applications. You can also use expensive water purification tablets, but these have chemicals and are not the most practical. Another recommended approach is by letting sunlight shine through the water. Activated charcoal also seems to help with removing heavy metals and other minerals. You can reuse this by adding it to something small like a teabag. Let is soak for a minute, and that's it. I recommend at least two methods to filter your water, if not all three. That's because one gets something the others maybe have missed.