Water, Chlorine and how to make it safe post SHTF

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Lawless

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I researched making water safe with chlorine quite a bit a few months ago and I would like to share what I have found.

People have been using the old pool shock, calcium hypochlorite, to do this for some time and it works well except for how caustic it is. It is known to eat through about any container it is stored in.

The new chemical on the block is sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate. This is a MUCH less caustic and safe to store chemical chlorine compound. It is available as Clorox Pool and Spa Active 99 Shock at Walmart for $12.99. It is in a 3.5lb jug (get granules not tabs) and will treat a LOT of water. The jugs are easy to transport and store and are sealed and safe. Shock in bags is a bad idea as it is not sealed as well.

DO NOT STORE OLD POOL SHOCK WITH CALCIUM HYPOCHLORITE WITH THIS CHEMICAL.
IF THEY COMBINE AN EXPLOSION IS POSSIBLE!!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Clorox-Pool-and-Spa-Active-99-Shock-3.5-lbs/41465571#about-item


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Not too much info was out there on it except that it is accepted by the WHO that 1/4 teaspoon would treat 55 gallons. While that is great, the ability to make smaller quantities of water safe is a good thing.

To use granules on small amounts of water would require a scale and precise measuring so what is needed is to make a "mother" bleach solution. With the help of several other guys from arfcom we did all of the math and came up with the following.

To treat smaller amounts, you need to make a bleach solution with a known quantity of chlorine. Also, there needs to be a little fudge factor so the amount of chlorine is slightly more than necessary to keep us from puking and crapping from some bug. Easy to use measurements are also required in a grid down situation as complicated formulas will lead to mistakes.

To make the "mother" bleach solution use 1/4 teaspoon granules in 1 quart of clean water.

To disinfect water with this solution:

Use 1/2 cup (20 tsp) in 5 gallons
(1/2 cup is actually 24 tsp, but 20 tsp is plenty strong, 1/2 cup is used to make measuring easy.)
Use 4 tsp in 1 gallon
Use 1 tsp in 1 quart
Use 1/2 tsp in 1 pint

Let treated water sit covered for a few hours if possible and then inspect. If chlorine smell is present, water is safe. If no chlorine smell is present, treat again. Once water is safe, it can sit uncovered for a while to reduce chlorine smell and taste. These amounts are slightly stronger than the accepted levels the World Health Organization recommends. Slightly stronger is better than too weak.


Easy peasy. I have these instructions in a heavy ziplock bag taped to each jug of this we have. I also have a 1/4 tsp, 1 tsp and a 1/2 cup measuring spoons/cup zip tied to the handles of the jugs. These came from a set that Walmart sells for 88 cents. I just threw the rest away and kept the ones I needed. Make sure if you do this that you use plastic, not metal spoons/cups.

That's it people. No excuse not to have this around and a quality water filter setup. I use Monolithic's 4" filters and kits. They are .2 micron and the newest ones available from the NRA store also remove Arsenic and other heavy metals. I talked with the owner of Monolithic by telephone. He is good people and their products are top notch.

http://www.monolithic.org/water-filters
 
Do you remember from your research how the "mother" would compare to a jug of commercially available bleach? In a real SHTF situation, cleanliness will be a serious health concern and bleach will be king.
 
Mike V;n3392 said:
Do you remember from your research how the "mother" would compare to a jug of commercially available bleach? In a real SHTF situation, cleanliness will be a serious health concern and bleach will be king.
Click to expand...

You would have to make a stronger solution than the mother solution to equal bleach in a jug, but the mother solution will disinfect tables and surfaces well if left a moment to work. Bleach in a jug is way stronger than needed to kill common germs.
 
I could get a calculator and figure it, but did you come across anything that would have told you how much of the granules you would have to put in a gallon of water to approximate a gallon of bleach? Hell, it may even be cheaper to make your own regularly for just doing laundry!
 
I didn't Mike. Probably would be fairly easy to figure out.
 
I have a combination of water purification sources, but I still want to get that Monolithic bucket system.

Currently I have treatment tablets, bleach, Sawyer mini filters, katadyn hiker pro and a reverse osmosis system. Can't ever have enough for water treatment.

This is great info on the pool shock. I'll have to get some. I'm on vaca this week and I have plans to catch up on my prepping. Got lazy after the inauguration.
 
@Lawless
Would you as a general rule, run any stored water through a filter prior to consumption? - For example, I have a bunch of city tap water stored in aquatainers with an additional 5ml bleach in each 7gal jug. Run this through a Sawyer mini?
 
In my opinion, no. Not for safety but it could help any plastic taste. Simply shaking or stirring it to introduce some oxygen would help it to taste more fresh.
 
Here's our monolithic bucket system. Thanks lawless.
 

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I don't think you can use the new stuff as a fire starter though. A little granulated pool shock, a little brake fluid, a pretty exciting exothermic reaction.
 
Mike V said:
Do you remember from your research how the "mother" would compare to a jug of commercially available bleach? In a real SHTF situation, cleanliness will be a serious health concern and bleach will be king.
Click to expand...
Laundry bleach that you get from the grocery store is 5.25% (standard Clorox brand). The concentrated Great Value brand from Walmart is 8.25% NaClO.

Water obtained from a river or pond should ideally be filtered. If scooping water from a pond, etc., try not to disturb the bottom so as not to disturb and pick up dirt or other debris into your water container. Use a conventional water filter, or any cloth or such filtering material to catch the floating particles as you pour from one water vessel to another. If you cannot pre-filter a cloudy water source, let it settle in a container for a time, and then gently pour off or scoop the water near the top which will be clearer.

Water – Bleach Ratio For Purifying Drinking Water
(5-6% Sodium Hypochlorite)
numbers are ’rounded’

1 Quart water, 2 drops bleach
1 Gallon water, 8 drops bleach
5 Gallons water, 1/2 teaspoon bleach
10 Gallons water, 1 teaspoon bleach
50 Gallons water, 5 teaspoons bleach

Water – Bleach Ratio For Purifying Drinking Water
(8.25% Sodium Hypochlorite)
numbers are ’rounded’

1 Quart water, 1 drop bleach
1 Gallon water, 5 drops bleach
5 Gallons water, 3/8 teaspoon bleach (or three 1/8th teaspoons)
10 Gallons water, 3/4 teaspoon bleach
50 Gallons water, 3.5 teaspoons bleach


Note: If the water is cloudy, and if you still cannot smell any chlorine in the water after having let it sit for 30 minutes (there should be a hint of chlorine smell), the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) advises that you consider a 2nd round of treatment.

Note: According to the EPA, the maximum allowable ppm (parts per million) of chlorine bleach in drinking water is apparently 4 ppm. Most municipal water supplies strive for a residual chlorine level between 0.5 ppm and 2 ppm.

Note: Generally speaking, water that has a chlorine level of 4 ppm would smell VERY strong of chlorine, whereas a ‘hint’ of smell indicates a level well below that. A chlorine test kit is the only true way to know for sure.

Note: Bleach will lose its potency (fairly quickly) over time. Generally, 6 months to a year after its expiration date may result in half strength.

Note: It is widely recognized that there are 76 drops per teaspoon.
 
Lawless said:
Just remember, liquid bleach has a limited shelf life.
Click to expand...

But once you put the bleach in the water and sealed the container wouldn't the bleach kill all the hazards in the water and it would still be safe to drink?

For instance - A two liter bottle filled with well water and two drops of plain Clorox in the bottle should make it potable - right?
How long would the shelf life be of the bottle of water if it stays sealed and in a cool dry place?
 
SSgt75 said:
But once you put the bleach in the water and sealed the container wouldn't the bleach kill all the hazards in the water and it would still be safe to drink?

For instance - A two liter bottle filled with well water and two drops of plain Clorox in the bottle should make it potable - right?
How long would the shelf life be of the bottle of water if it stays sealed and in a cool dry place?
Click to expand...
I would guess that if sealed the water would be fine. My comment on liquid bleach and its approximately 1 year life span is regarding prepping. You can't store it for use in the future like the product in the OP which has a virtually unlimited life if stored properly.
 
It is worth noting that the more organic material there is in the water, the more chlorine is needed to be effective, so particulate filtration is important. Also, if you find that you have used too much, boiling for a few minutes will remove it.
 
There should be a faint chlorine smell post disinfection.

Once water has been treated and sealed, it should have an indefinite shelf life.

Sent from my SM-G530T using Tapatalk
 
IrishCannon said:
Just quoting to see if someone can answer this for me.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G730A using Tapatalk
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The main problem with iodine for purification is that cryptosporidium and to a lesser extent, giardia are resistant to it. Those two will be caught if you have a good filter though.
 
What @Climberman said. Best policy for fairly clear water is filter then chlorine. A 0.02 micron filter will catch cysts and other nasties that are resistant to chlorine. You can chlorine first but let it sit open until chlorine evaporates to avoid saturation of the filter charcoal with the chlorine.

Don't trust any open water source. That clear mountain stream could have stuff in it that would cause maximum poop response. In all seriousness, diarrhea is not something you want in a grid down environment.
 
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Lawless said:
What @Climberman said. Best policy for fairly clear water is filter then chlorine. A 0.02 micron filter will catch cysts and other nasties that are resistant to chlorine. You can chlorine first but let it sit open until chlorine evaporates to avoid saturation of the filter charcoal with the chlorine.

Don't trust any open water source. That clear mountain stream could have stuff in it that would cause maximum poop response. In all seriousness, diarrhea is not something you want in a grid down environment.
Click to expand...
So I have aquatainers that I filled and put 1ml bleach per gallon. Had planned to just filter that prior to consumption but you say I should let it sit first? How long for chlorine to evaporate?

In the future I'll just bottle, filter prior to consumption, add the chlorine and then put in some iodine to neutralize the chlorine after it has sat.
 
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IrishCannon said:
So I have aquatainers that I filled and put 1ml bleach per gallon. Had planned to just filter that prior to consumption but you say I should let it sit first? How long for chlorine to evaporate?

In the future I'll just bottle, filter prior to consumption, add the chlorine and then put in some iodine to neutralize the chlorine after it has sat.
Click to expand...

Chlorine will dissipate quickly with heat, reasonably quickly with agitation, and somewhat slowly if just sitting out. I'd boil, but you could pour it from one bucket to another and back again until the smell is mostly gone.

I've always wondered about the capacity of activated carbon to neutralize chlorine. My theory is that if you dry it out in the sun that the chlorine will escape as a gas and you'll be able to reuse the carbon indefinitely. Have never tested this.
 
At 1 teaspoon of bleach to 10 gallons of water, I don't see much need to go any other chlorine treatment route.

At 768 teaspoons per gallon, that's 7,680 gallons of water. Enough for me and mine by far.
 
Do you guys even worry about complete anal-retentive decontamination of the containers if you're using this treatment method for LTS?
 
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OK, I read through most of the posts, but it's late for me tonight and my question is this...

I have 2L and 1.5L bottles of water stored in a dark area of my house.
They were stored with Clorox added.
That was back in 2013.

Should I discard them and refill????
 
wolfpack65 said:
OK, I read through most of the posts, but it's late for me tonight and my question is this...

I have 2L and 1.5L bottles of water stored in a dark area of my house.
They were stored with Clorox added.
That was back in 2013.

Should I discard them and refill????
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that adding the drops of Clorox kills the contaminants that might be in the water and then once sealed it stores about indefinitely.
I have the same set-up. I use the square orange juice bottles and clean them out, then fill them with well water with a couple of drops of plain Clorox and store them in a cool, dry place. Some have been stored for years and I don't see anything growing in the bottles.
 
wolfpack65 said:
OK, I read through most of the posts, but it's late for me tonight and my question is this...

I have 2L and 1.5L bottles of water stored in a dark area of my house.
They were stored with Clorox added.
That was back in 2013.

Should I discard them and refill????
Click to expand...
Taste might be off, but will be safe. You can also kill most things in water with just sunlight in a clear bottle or jar. Few hours of bright sun will do it. UV rays are for more than just tanning.
 
So for the original 1 teaspoon to 55 gallon ratio.... That equates to 85.8 mg per 1 gallon for those of you wondering. Might make it easier to treat smaller amounts.

One ounce equals 28.3 grams. 21120 ounces equal 598,741.9284 grams.

Lots of math. I think I got it right. Feel free to check it.
 
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Ok,
let me ask a really dumb question.....

So, if vaccinations work by giving you a dead/ weakened form of a disease, then wouldn't drinking pond water that had been treated with this Shock stuff give me the same results? Over time wouldn't my body build up defenses to a lot of the microorganisms in the pond water?
Yes, I get this is TOTAL bro science. Just curious.
 
Spartan01 said:
Ok,
let me ask a really dumb question.....

So, if vaccinations work by giving you a dead/ weakened form of a disease, then wouldn't drinking pond water that had been treated with this Shock stuff give me the same results? Over time wouldn't my body build up defenses to a lot of the microorganisms in the pond water?
Yes, I get this is TOTAL bro science. Just curious.
Click to expand...
So bacteria and a virus are way different. Pond water will mainly carry bacteria and other "living" microorganisms. These cannot be vaccinated against. A virus however can be vaccinated against. It's a bit more complicated than that, but this is what it boils down to.

Remember: vaccines are for viruses and antibiotics are for bacteria and protozoa.
 
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