Purifying the Water Source

7/15/2022 (Permalink)

If you are in a storm that causes damage to your property/business please stay safe and call our SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville at (319)338-8550!

When powerful storms leave behind major chaos, you should always check your property for damage once it is safe. Even if your property isn’t directly affected, you might have to deal with some consequences of such extreme weather.

One of those topics is clean water and knowing what is safe to drink and what isn’t. We hope that you have a supplied storm shelter that you have stocked with water bottles, blankets, and nonperishables, but if you haven’t, it’s okay. We at SERVPRO of Iowa City/Coralville are here to tell you how to purify and store contaminated water. 

Finding the Perfect Container is the first thing you will want to do is find containers that have a narrow neck which would make it easier to pour. You should never use a container that has been used for cleaning supplies or other toxic chemicals. 

Ways to Purify Water

1. Boiling the water is one of the safest ways to kill germs, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. You will want to continue boiling for one minute for elevations 6,500ft or less and for three minutes for higher elevations. After that, you will want to let the water sit and cool before transferring it to a storage container. 
2. Using Water Purification Tablets

The other option we will discuss is using water purification tablets to help purify the water when you cannot bring it to a boil. How it works is the active ingredient is usually chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or Iodine. All of which deactivate harmful pathogens by rendering them harmless. We suggest purchasing a bundle and storing them in your storm shelter with a 3-year shelter life; these will be handy during storms and hiking trips; click here.