Water is everywhere. As the stuff of life and an integral part of successful prepping, collecting it from trusted supplies is critical to healthy survival and regular life alike.
Many of us grew up drinking water out of the garden hose or even slurping from a crisp mountain stream, and we all (probably) turned out fine. We would (probably) be fine if we went outside and shot a gun straight up into the sky, but that can go from fine to horrible very quickly, as can drinking from unsafe sources.
In fact, waterborne illnesses kill nearly 10 times more people than guns globally, including war, with an estimated toll of 3.4 million people per year. We should treat our water sources with the same level of caution as we do our firearms.
Without proper filtration and purification, there are some water sources you should never trust again.
Rainwater
Distilled water is one of the purest and cleanest forms of water you can drink, and rain is just natural distillation on the grand scale, so it seems safe to drink straight from the sky. Unlike water distillation systems, rain drops through the sky, which can be contaminated with toxic chemicals.
This is where the danger begins.
In urban areas, there is plenty of pollution to foul rainwater along its descent. Even on a regular day, acid rain is possible and has devastated many forests globally. In SHTF scenarios, there could be burning chemical plants, industrial areas, or any number of toxins being released into the sky, and rainwater should be treated before being consumed.
Beyond the dangers in the sky, improperly maintained rainwater collectors are havens for microbial growth. This water is plenty suitable for graywater use but is risky to drink without treatment.
If you want to make sure that the water you’re collecting for you and your family is safe to drink, proper filtration is key. Learn here how to build an efficient and affordable rainwater harvesting and purification system that can store up to 165 gallons of clean drinkable water.
Natural Springs
Filtered by the Earth over millions of years, spring water has a reputation for being clean drinking water. While the water deep in the spring may be clean, it can easily be contaminated by the time it reaches the surface. Animals also like spring water and will frequent the area to drink it. Their feces and urine will be more concentrated around the spring, contaminating the water.
Many of the same chemicals and pollutants in the rainwater will also permeate the ground, further contaminating the spring water. Minerals in the ground can easily contribute to the contamination by providing unsafe levels of lead, arsenic, or other dangerous chemicals.
Without a thorough knowledge of the spring’s geology, you will not know if the water actually comes from deep in the Earth or is just a resurgent stream. It is somewhat common for streams to flow into passages in bedrock, disappearing from the surface only to reemerge somewhere else. In this case, the spring water would actually be stream water that carries whatever contaminants exist upstream.
Groundwater from Shallow Wells
If you take a paper towel, carefully dip the bottom edge into a bowl of water, and then hold it still, you will see the water slowly soaking the paper towel above the water line, seemingly in defiance of gravity.
This is caused by capillary action, a phenomenon related to surface tension and adhesion in liquids.
Related: The First Water Source That Will Disappear in a Crisis
Groundwater does the same thing and can move laterally through the lands, even up hills.
This means the water in a well could be from relatively distant sources and will contain contaminants from those areas. This is especially problematic in regions with histories of significant agriculture and mining.
Open wells have the added danger of organic poisoning from any animals that may have fallen into them and rotted. Without water testing, there is no way to know how safe the water is to drink, and it should be avoided.
Melting Snow and Ice
Snow has many of the same dangers as rain and more.
Being crystalline, snow can entrap air pollutants within each snowflake.
Additionally, it can sit stagnant on the surface for a while, collecting even more pollutants as time passes.
Being so cold, it can freeze viruses, giving them a long pause until they are thawed and can continue their process. This is especially problematic in areas with glaciers or permafrost.
Scientists have recently revived viruses trapped in glacial ice 48,000 years ago, so there seems to be no limit on how long these pathogens can lay dormant. The result of consuming one of these viruses may not be as horrific as John Carpenter’s The Thing, but better to not risk it.
Unfiltered Tap Water in Urban Areas
While municipal water may be safe to drink as it leaves water treatment facilities, it may not be by the time it reaches your tap.
Distribution piping can be contaminated by chemical, biological, and heavy metal contaminants, especially in older plumbing systems.
Unfortunately, this was made vividly clear in the Flint, Michigan, water crisis when dangerous levels of lead contaminated the tap water.
These dangers can be extended to fire hydrants and, sadly, garden hoses, especially because these water sources were never intended for consumption and do not receive the same level of treatment.
This same water is used to fill swimming pools, and the chlorine content may make pool water seem safe enough to drink in an emergency or SHTF scenario, but it should also not be trusted.
There may not be enough chlorine to destroy all pathogens, plus many pool owners use algaecides, stabilizers, and pH adjusters to keep the water in peak swimming condition. Unfortunately, that combination can be quite toxic, and the age-old advice of not drinking pool water persists.
Without even getting into lakes, streams, or unscrupulous water bottling practices, you can start to see why so many people die each year from waterborne illnesses. Collecting water from many of these sources is more than okay, but you should put considerable effort into filtering and purifying the water before you drink it. This becomes even more important in survival or SHTF scenarios, where one infection could spell your demise.
Considering how many water sources are unsafe without proper filtration, it’s clear that we need to take extra precautions to ensure our drinking water is clean. Collecting and treating water from rain, springs, or even snow can be a hassle, especially in a survival situation where time and resources are limited.
That’s why, in addition to filtering collected water, I rely on another solution for my family’s water needs. This backpack-sized water generator has been a lifesaver, pulling clean, drinkable water directly from the air—up to 40 gallons a day—without relying on the grid. It’s been a seamless addition to our preparedness, giving us peace of mind that we’ll always have safe water on hand, no matter the situation.
What are some more seemingly safe water sources that are actually not so safe? Let us know in the comments!
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Water, Water everywhere but not a drop to drink, the towns water plants will be contaminated for some time to clean up. The overpaid dock workers are going on strike.
This article reminds me of the root source of Bruce Lee be like water and flow with it. The same should be with the hurricane victims who are struggling to restore their lives.
The supply chains will be disrupted by these already 6 figure Dock union workers who are already highly paid demanding more than what the average fixed income seniors and working barely get to survive. Among Biden and Harris who are letting these archaic old method dock workers not wanting to upgrade to modernize to a little automation to be competitive with China.
These dock strikers should be like water and flow into helping our hurricane devastated areas. They could donate a days wages from their massive incomes to help out their legal American brothers and sisters in need.
Right people don’t that their bottled water, foreign meats butchered in Chinese owned American meat processing plants are going to increase to meet the dammed higher union wages.
Isn’t it time to rethink what unions are really for?
Yes the flood victims need the money and supplies FIRST more than the 6-figured wage dockworkers need or the 8-billion going to Ukraine, it is commonsense.
What would you do when your town is destroyed by water, you lost everything. You have water but all your preps and equipment is all gone? Do you take the chance and drink the water or filter the water with your socks and no way to boil water until you get to a safe zone?
That is prepping survival at the minimum to live until help arrives to restore the towns facilities.
Where can you buy the backpack water system? Another question does anyone know where i can purchase a already builth air filtration system.?
Reply to Patricia A Rancourt, there was no reply button on her post. You can buy water generators online but the problem is that they require electricity, so you would have to have a source of electricity. Also, they require replaceable filters so you would need emergency extras and will not create water if the humidity is under 35%.
Who is more important; Ukraine and or the Dock workers or us the legal American taxpayers footing the bill to fund both, while we get poor?
If you listen to our incompetent, stupid, psychopathic woke politicians then Ukraine and Israel are much more important than their own electorate. If our “elected representatives” had even the least amount of backbone left they would IMMEDIATELY halt ALL aid to both Ukraine and Israel. And that would stop both the wars. But that train has already left the station. To one extent or another all our politicians have now become compromised by the lobby sector and owned by Israel. The tail is wagging the dog with America being the tail and Israel being the dog. The situation has become more than sad because now our politicians only care about themselves, not about the people that elected them. Now it’s all about money, greed and power. They want to return us to the feudal system where we will OWN nothing and be ever so happy. I’m probably the last generation that will actually own our own homes. And even now “owning our own homes is a misnomer”. They can be taken away from us SO easily. We can see the WEF agenda being pushed forward daily.
You could almost say that unions have become anachronistic, Lis. When they were first created there was a real need for them but now they’ve become a power unto themselves. Do they now serve their members or themselves? It doesn’t matter how much extra money the longshoremen will get. It will never be enough.
The root cause of the current problems is ever increasing inflation, supply chain inadequacies and just plain supply problems. Whether artificially created or naturally occurring. There just isn’t enough to go around anymore. But there could be. If properly managed in the interests of the people. And what is available has become ridiculously expensive; especially things like beef and dairy. They’ve already become out of reach for so many people other than the millions of illegal immigrants. They’re living the life of Riley on the taxpayer’s dime.
As unpleasant as the current conditions are, it’s a temporary phase that all corrupt regimes eventually have to go through and one of the main causes of the fall of empires which we’re seeing play out as the American empire collapses right in front of our eyes along with the American dollar. Once AI gains widespread adoption so many MORE people will be unemployed and that will only exacerbate the problems inherent in the system and hasten the fall of empire. What will rise from the ashes will be anyone’s guess and the new system will probably NOT be in our own best interests but rather the interests of the state seeking total control of everyone and everything in a new extreme Orwellian dystopian future.
Our collective future is really up to us. It won’t be easy but we need to take our power back. Many people say that god is in control. That may be so but we still have free choice and free will. Our ideal future is up to us as long as we can ALL come together to make it happen by collectively making the right decisions and not bending the knee to evil, corrupt organizations like the WEF and that totally compromised a-hole, Gates.
Are there still enough of us left with the will and the courage to bring about the ideal future that we all desire? If there are, it won’t be easy and sacrifices will have to be made for the greater good. Where are the men of yesteryear of good intent and the courage to make their visions of a livable future a reality?
I fear for the outcome of the coming election. Who are those millions of illegal immigrants going to vote for? I don’t think it’ll be Republicans. Unfortunately there’s a very good chance that the Demoncraps are going to get in for another term. And then everything will spiral down the drain. The problems will only get worse. Harris is so corrupt and so stupid it’s almost beyond comprehension. Doesn’t help that the masses are so easily swayed by confusing rhetoric and don’t have the brains to parse truth from fiction.
Beans, bullets and band aids. Be prepared for even MORE chaos and strife.
DO NOT LET THEM DIVIDE US EVEN MORE! Now is the time for all good men to come together in service to others. If we don’t all have the will and courage to come together to fight the common foe actively working against US, we’re lost. We need to be willing to die for our convictions, if need be. We don’t need god to save us. We need to realize WE are god made manifest in this illusionary 3D reality. We are so much more powerful than we know. We just need to come into that realization. We CAN save ourselves. We don’t need a saviour.
I’m sorry, Lis. I’m trying to post a really nice reply to your comments but this idiotic, effed-up website won’t let me do it. I’m not politically correct and never will be. Truth is truth but apparently Claude doesn’t agree. “Ask a Prepper” has become gutless.
Is boiled rain water safe to drink ?
You still must filter it before and after boiling since birds, rats poop on the roof and the chemicals leach from the roof tiles.
Time for you to reread past articles on this website, become educated.
Are you a prepper or a wannabe prepper?
Your last sentence was not needed.
100% Raven. Rainwater should be used more for things such as to water your garden and the like. Flush toilets, etc. I would only use rainwater to drink if I had no other choice. Then it’s filter and boil and maybe to be on the safe side add a couple drops of bleach per whatever amount of water to make sure it’s safe to drink. I forget the ratio of bleach to water. I know it’s only a few drops of bleach per a lot of water. I don’t know about rats pooping on the roof but here we have the tree rats going across the rooves all the time and of course the birds poop in the eaves troughs. Where I live we have a brand spanking new water purification plant. We get our water from a reasonably clean lake NOT in the Great Lakes water chain. I’ve been drinking municipal water forever without ill affect forever and I’ll keep on doing that until things change.
Another thing happening is Biden, Harris are not stepping in to stop the massive dock strike, for what higher wages, how much is enough against us floating above the poverty line in Harris’s bad economy. She says she will fix the economy that she caused, where was she and what was she doing to have fixed the economy before in here four years in office?
Harris has a perfect storm brewing with the dock workers strike and the hurricane problems in North Carolina. There are flood victims who need money and supplies to rebuild.
But Biden, Harris are sending something like eight billion in weapons when our Americans here need it more.
Prepping follows politics no matter what the naysayers tell us.
Swing states have illegals registered to vote, we Americans are in deep flood waters going down the drain fast.
God save America first.
Harris campaign is underwater morally.
Ain’t it funny how Harris touts she was the California top prosecutor who jailed Black men to prison. As she was identifying as an Indian descent, now saying she is Black.
While having sex with Willie Brown who was, is married she was 29 yrs old.
Then in recent comments she admits smoking dope in college and now in reversal ideology wants to make pot legal. With laugh Harris has and looks like the Batman Riddler is dodgy and scary.
Bidden and Harris sold the remaining border wall fence to open the gates of hell with armed gangs taking over Democrat run states and cities.
Harris and Walz are not water under the bridge they are Marxist flood waters coming if you stay home and don’t vote.
God help America, in just a few days of freedom left.
Amen to that. All I can say is prep up as soon as possible to those who didn’t heed the warnings. We have been doing this for the last 6 or 7 years and my family thought I was nutz. Now they are thankful for what I started doing long ago, and have still been adding to it every month. In truth, I’m not sure if it’s too late already in some areas. Best of luck to all and GOD’S SPEED.
Serious prepping for the bad times is a lifestyle and a certain mindset not a hobby. For those that ARE serious about prepping they’ve probably been doing it for most of their lives. That’s how how our parents and grandparents made it through the bad times. They planned for the future and the bad times by putting enough away so that it would carry them through the bad times. In years gone by canning was as common as Carter’s little liver pills and maybe even necessary to help carry each family through the winters and the lean years. You wouldn’t have a bumper crop EVERY year; hence everyone canned as much as they could. In this modern age still a very good idea to have that little bit extra on hand at all times “just in case”. And in these times of chaos and uncertainty probably better to be “stacked to the rafters” rather than not. And in times of high inflation whatever we can buy today is a bargain as compared to tomorrow’s prices.
Biden/Harris administration won’t use the Taft Hartley Act to stop the strike mainly(I think) because they are afraid of losing 40,000(?) voters.
I wouldn’t have too much of a problem with us aiding Israel, it’s only been a year and they have a very clear goal. Ukraine, on the other hand, has gotten far more than that 8 billion already, and no clear plan or end goal defined yet. I do, however understand the need to deter(hello, Biden?) Russia from taking over more and more of that region. And we, ALONG WITH THE NEAREST COUNTRIES, (who have been dragging their feet in providing support) ought to assist in that endeavor.
Israel also happens to be our VERY BEST ALLY in the middle east, Ukraine is not as close to us philosophically or diplomatically.
Your comment about Prepping following politics is VERY VALID, too. We are able to steer our funds, limited that they might be, towards the more recent events. It’s impossible to have EVERYTHING we need at the ready at all times, at least not those who make FAR LESS than the dockworkers, some of whom make well over 100K. Not that they don’t earn it, but there has to be a limit of some sort on what consumers have to shell out for normal life’s needs.
I won’t bother to get into my feelings about what Harris has done to our country along with her (koff koff) boss, too many people who read this site already know what a (&%#@%& this pair are.
@Armin: Well said, and even on topic!
Get a Sawyer water filter that is good for 100,000 gallons and removes 99.5% of pathogens that is used by Boy Scouts. One fast way to check for chemical contamination is with litmus paper for pH level. If the pH of the tested water is not 7.0, then there is some inorganic contamination that is either acidic or basic. Don’t trust bottled water either because of microscopic plastic particles called “microplastics” but nanoplastics are 1000 times smaller and can penetrate a biological cell wall.
I am a chemist and I take a minor exception to your pH7.0 statement. Only very recently distilled, absolutely pure water has a pH of 7.0. Pure water standing in air absorbs CO2 which converts to carbonic acid in water which can lower the pH to as low as 5.5, slightly acidic.
What about something like the Berkey filters? I’ve had a Go Berkey for years. If you strain the water first, the filter lasts a long time. There are other makes and models that work about the same.
@ CAddison :
Berkey fiddled with their testing, and has been in court for being dishonest. I found another ‘identical’ water filter, ProOne. I actually have 2 big Berkeys, because I misplaced one and had to buy another. Had LOTS of filters as I was stocking up on them. One of the court issues are that their filters actually put toxins IN the water rather than filtering them OUT.
So, ProOne has identical water tanks that your Berkey filters fit into. (if you don’t want to toss them). So I have 3 tanks and lots of ProOne filters (they have sales all the time).
They also have 3rd party testing so no way to mess with the results.
Berkey filters were listed as a pesticide by the epa because they (Berkey) said the filter removes pesticides. Yes, you read that correctly. As such Berkey has to register as a pesticide producer to manufacture/ sell filters.
To me this article is total bullshit and more about selling water filters and systems than anything else. The title of the article is; never trust THIS water source. The way Aaron writes it he doesn’t want us to trust ANY water source. He’s engaging in fear mongering to sell his water filter systems. I see nothing wrong with using snow and ice as a water source in an emergency. As long as you don’t use the yellow snow. 😉 Melt the ice and snow first. Then filter it. You can even use good coffee filters to filter out the gross particulates. Then you boil it for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Let it cool down in a covered container. The you can drink your rye and water. 😉
Although your content is pretty good most of the time, you shouldn’t have to tell people the hazards of drinking collected rain water with everything that they are spaying US with. Open fresh water streams as well could be contaminated with dead animals upstream. This is only naming a few of the water sources! YOU can’t teach common sense, you either have it or you don’t! Drink at your own peril. A few less idiots & morons are exactly what’s needed to thin out stupidity & the herd. If this offends anyone, tough shit! Get over it!!!!
I want to apologize to everyone on this page and to ask a prepper for lashing out at them like that. I should have known better and I am better than that. Just shows the level of frustration we’re all feeling. I’ll make a real effort to be better.
We are all frustrated, this website needs an edited button in this comment section for us to fix our mistakes, that being said.
We can only be prepared to what we can afford to.
The higher up union management are in it for Harris and the regular union rank and file most are in it for Trump. The dock workers with six figure incomes were probably coerced to strike by management but at higher incomes how much is enough?
Many fixed income seniors on social security are having piddly amount of increases to the social security fund compared to the union striking at the drop of a hat.
Prices increase, someone has to pay the piper, there is no free lunch. Then with have the illegal American replacement voters getting free social security, medicare and medicaid along with interest free home loans to buy our homes many of us are taxed out of home.
America first all others last until America rebuilds herself to that shining temple of freedom not by the United Nations agenda.
We are if Harris-Walz gets into office we will have the Chinese social credit system ruling America. The question is who is running Biden-Harris administration behind the scenes?
Our food chains are in jeopardy, most of the butchered meat is coming from foreign countries while environmentalist are shutting down our dairy and cattle ranches. For cows farting greenhouse BS gas.
Climate change is a indoctrinated global religion of forced control of the world’s population. They repeat the climate change baloney like most big pharma commercials do lately. The sheeple begin to believe the propaganda.
It shows like the lame stream media in these political debates holding back fact checking the opposition and letting their favored candidates let loose with uncheck lies on the public in broadcast TV channels. Tim Walz was bubble wrapped in the VP debate by two liberal bimbo news reporters, who were Democrap orientated.
Who will you vote for November 5th?
God help us bring America back again to basic Constitution foundations we had.
Well said, John. I can’t help but agree with what you’ve said. And as for where the real power is, it’s ALWAYS held by the shadowy, hidden figures in the background. They’re never seen and mostly unknown but their machinations are widely felt. As far as I know the ones at the very top are the extremely wealthy family with the Europanized version of the name “Red Shield”. They hardly ever come out into the open but their influence is felt far and wide. They’re well known for playing both sides against the middle. They’ve been doing it at least as far back as the Napoleonic Wars.
More ways to filter and purify water in this article would be useful.
The filter the Red Cross uses is a Katadyn Pro Microfilter. It can be used in any water except salt water. Not cheap but the best in my opinion.
You can make a sand filter in a bucket, pot, can or bag.
You can boil water in a plastic bag (plastic trash is everywhere.
You can use rocks in a fire to boil water in depressions in logs.
You can use chlorine or iodine to purify water.
In a pinch you can make a pit and cover with any moisture impervious material to collect condensation.
Ultimately you do the best you can with what you’ve got.
Drinking rainwater with some chemical pollutants will keep you alive and buy you time to find better water. You can detox later but you can’t live over 3 days without water.
Anyone else notice the part where the author said, “ Filtered by the Earth over millions of years, spring water has a reputation for being clean drinking water. ” The earth isn’t millions of years old!