Tips on purify your drinking water

By Chris Ballou

As an adventure racer you are constantly looking for the perfect system to purify your drinking water, some desirable characteristics are:

• Simple and convenient
• Fast
• Small and lightweight
• Dependable

During an adventure race, you may not have the luxury to wait long periods of time for purification, however many experienced teams sacrifice duration of purification time for systems that are lightweight.

The goal of purification is, of course, the elimination of waterborne microorganisms.

Most systems used to purify small amounts of water are usually successful in killing all organisms.

The Enemy

• Parasites (largest, e.g., Amoebae, Giardia, tapeworms, Protozoan)
• Bacteria (smaller than parasites but larger than viruses)
• Viruses (the smallest, e.g., Hepatitis, Hepatitis E, travelers diarrhea)

How to Combat the Enemy

1. Boiling (Not really practical for racers but nice to know as a last resort)
   Boiling is reliable, but very time consuming. Fuel is usually too bulky and heavy, unless your surrounding environment can provide some. If done properly, boiling kills microorganisms, parasitic cysts, bacteria, and viruses. Please note that when racing in mountainous terrain, water boils at a lower temperature when at higher altitude (see below).
   
   

   Altitude	Boiling temperature
   Sea level	212°F
   10,000 ft	194°F
   14,000 ft	187°F
   19,000 ft	178°F
   29,000 ft	160°F

Quoted from the Mountaineers

2. Micro filtration (Systems usually weighing from 7oz. to 23oz.)
   This procedure effectively removes bacteria and larger organisms. Some models even claim to remove viruses without the need for chemical treatment. Different models have varying pore size on the filter element; it's always measured in microns. The smaller the pore size, the better the ability to remove foreign contaminants.
   
   

   Water filters
   Pros	Cons
   Eliminates most viruses You can drink it right away No chemical taste Large selection of models	Replacement filters cost $ Heavy and bulky Filters clog easily If you lose it you're in trouble

Some models and prices*

3. Name	Filter pore size (in microns)	Weight	Unit Price	Spare Filter
   Pur Hiker Microfilter	0.2	11oz	$59.99	$24.99
   First Need Deluxe	0.1	15oz	$79.95	$32.95
   Katadyn Filter	0.2	23oz	$169.97	$165.00
   Katadyn Mini Filter	0.2	8oz	$88.95	$59.99
   Exstream Water Bottles	N/A	7.45oz	$39.95	$29.95

*Numerous 2000 retail catalogs

4. Chemical Treatment
   Only chemical treatment systems meet most of the desirable characteristics listed in the beginning of this article. Although many systems are effective, only chlorine and iodine systems are simple, inexpensive and readily available.
   
   
   Precautions when using iodine/ chlorine treatments
   1. When purifying cold water (32° F- 41° F), iodine takes longer to purify because the chemical reaction is slower. Treatment should be completed in approximately thirty minutes, but always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
   2. If the water is cloudy or colored by the binding of disinfectant by organic compounds double the concentration or contact time.


Some models and prices*

5. Name	Total bottle weight	Amount 1 bottle purifies	Price
   Polar Pure	3oz	2,000 qt	$9.99
   Potable Aqua Plus	1oz	50 pts	$6.99

*Fall 2000 retail catalog

Author's personal opinion

After participating in a large-scale expedition race I saw numerous purification systems being used by some of the teams attending. After seeing the different systems and chemicals, I would recommend the Potable Aqua Plus water purification pills. The first pill makes water bacteriologically safe, the second pill is added 30 minutes later to remove the iodine taste (not necessary for purification). Each tablet will treat one pint. There are fifty tablets in each bottle. The total weight is only 1 oz. For this system to work effectively you must be patient and exercise water discipline, which is a very difficult task while racing, if you don't wait long enough for the chemical process to be completed you defeat its purpose. To overcome this problem, your team can share bottles. Another hint is if you dislike foreign matter floating in your water put a small piece of pantyhose or cheesecloth over the top while filling your carrier!