Free Harvesting H2o by Nicholas Hyde Page B

nearly two million deaths annually. According to the World Health Organization, almost 90% of waterborne disease cases are simply the result of unsanitary practices with unsafe water supplies. These figures do not include mosquito-spread diseases such as malaria. (Mosquitos require a water source in order to proliferate, but their usage of the water supply is not known to directly cause it to become unsafe for human consumption.)
    The culprits are microorganisms who make their home in fresh water. They fall into four broad categories: bacteria, parasites, protozoa, and viruses. The old adage that running water is safe to drink while standing water is unsafe is a misnomer; while you are less likely to encounter protozoa and bacteria in running water, parasites and viruses are not deterred by it.
    Bacterial infections in drinking water are the most common and the most feared. Bacteria can be found everywhere on our planet and some dangerous strains do make their homes in surface freshwater supplies, especially those located in warmer climates. An example would be Legionella, which is responsible for Legionnaires’ disease. However, most bacteria contaminations in drinking water supplies are introduced by an outside source, such as sewage, which the bacteria use to culture up and become strong enough to result in a major infection. Waterborne diseases in this category include botulism, cholera, e.coli, dysentery, salmonella, and typhoid.
    Parasites in drinking water are essentially very small animals, usually ingested by people in egg or larvae form. Once they get into your digestive tract, the eggs hatch and these animals are then capable of traveling through the walls of the digestive tract and taking up residence in human tissue or the bloodstream. If these creatures are living in the water supply, it has become contaminated and anyone consuming that water without properly sanitizing it first is liable to infection. This category of waterborne diseases includes blood flukes and worms such as tapeworm. The record tapeworm pulled out of a human was 37 feet long.
    Protozoa are categorized as plant life and include algae, fungus, and amoeba. A drinking water source that acquires protozoan contamination is usually the result of coming into contact with sewage or animal waste. However, some protozoan infections have been detected naturally in groundwater, and are therefore the primary risk of well water contamination. Typical signs of infection in humans include flu-like symptoms, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
    Viruses are prevalent on planet earth, and unfortunately some of the more dangerous varieties will readily take up residence in drinking water supplies which have not been properly treated. We all know what the symptoms of a virus feel like. Waterborne viruses can be deadly and include Hepatitis A, SARS, and Polio.
    Keep in mind, contaminated water can infect your body even if you don’t drink it. All it has to do is come into contact with something that you do ingest, such as food plates, silverware, drinking vessels, your toothbrush, the little cup you use for toothbrush water, or even just washing your hands and face with it. This is especially true with bacterial and viral infections. It is important to clean your eating and drinking utensils with purified water only, and only use purified water for personal hygiene purposes, including washing your face and hands.
    By now, you should have a better understanding of the dangers of drinking untreated wild water, even if it comes from a well (especially a shallow or unsealed well) or a spring. Unless you are collecting rainwater via a sanitized container and consuming it immediately, freshwater cannot be considered safe for consumption until it has been tested or treated and stored in sanitary tanks. Fortunately, purifying your off-grid drinking water supply is a fairly easy thing to do at home.
     

Purifying Water at Home
     
    There are three basic methods of making fresh