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How do I choose a drinking water system?
Use the Drinking Water Safety Guide to help
you choose the best product for your needs.
| Purifiers: |
#1
highest safety rating
Eliminate all viruses, bacteria and Giardia, no matter
what the micron size. |
| Microfilters: |
#2
safety rating
Eliminate Giardia and most bacteria, depending on their
micron size. |
| Filters: |
#3
safety rating
Only eliminate Giardia and microorganisms larger than
1 micron. |
| What
is the best way to make water safe to drink? |
| Purifying |
Combines
chemical disinfection with filtration to eliminate all
three types of microorganisms. PUR Purifiers work fast,
are easy to operate and require little or no maintenence. |
| Boiling |
Bring
the water to a full boil to kill microorganisms. Requires
an energy source and takes time. |
| Iodine
Tablets |
Add
1 or 2 tablets per quart and wait 20 minutes to kill the
microorganisms. Takes time and adds foul taste. Limited
effectiveness against Giardia and not effective against
Cryptosporidium. |
| Filtering |
Microfilters
may remove protozoa aned most bacteria. Doesn't remove
viruses. Many require frequent cleaning due to clogging. |
"What's really
in the water?"
Microorganisms are
the primary threat in untreated water sources. They may be
in any lake, river or stream, even if the water looks clean.
Microorganisms generally come from animal waste and may be
spread by rain and run-off.
|
Beware
of these 3 types of microorganisms:
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|
Protozoa
2 microns
and larger |
Protozoa
are the largest microorganisms. Therefore, they are the
easiest to filter out of the water. However, their protective
shell makes them resistant to iodine and chlorine treatment
alone. One common protozoa, Giardia, causes "Beaver's
Fever." |
| Example |
Giardia
and Cryptosporidium |
|
Bacteria
.2 microns
and larger |
Bacteria
range in size from 0.2 to 10 microns. Large bacteria may
be removed by most microfilters, but smaller bacteria
can only be eliminated by a very small micron size microfilter
or a purifier. Bacteria are responsible for diseases such
as Cholera and Typhoid Fever. |
| Example |
E.
coli and Salmonella |
|
Viruses
.004 microns
and larger |
Viruses
are the smallest microorganisms and cannot be reliably
removed by filtration. It was traditionally thought that
viruses aren't a concern in North America, but that opinion
has changed. Wilderness studies suggest that 60% of all
back country illnesses are actually caused by bacteria
and viruses. Viruses can cause serious health problems,
such as Hepatitis, Polio and Norwalk Virus. Viruses can
be eliminated from water with purification, chemical disinfection,
or boiling. |
| Example |
Hepatitis
A, Polio, and Norwalk Virus |
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"Why do we need drinking water systems?"
More people are using drinking water systems while camping,
backpacking and traveling. Why?
Safety. Unfortunately,
most lakes, rivers and streams are full of microorganisms
that can make you sick. Drinking water systems can eliminate
these contaminants and make the water safe to drink. Protect
yourself, because you never know what's in the water.
Freedom. Be
self-sufficient with a drinking water system. As long as there
is a water source you can have safe drinking water. And, lightweight
drinking water systems won't weigh you down like carrying
extra water.
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