12th Ed. Stumbles on Water Purification

[TAHAWK]

The misinformation in the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge pamphlet regarding purification of wild water has found its way into the new Handbook.

 

The 12th ed. states on page 267 that water can be made "safe for drinking" by boiling, commercial filters, or treatment with "water treatment tablets," illustrated by iodine and sodium hypochlorite tablets.

 

Had the text merely said "safer," the shortcomings are less. As it is, the information is seriously misleading, even without regard to chemical pollution.

 

Only one filter has been approved by the EPA to remove all biological threats, the Sawyer Water Purifier (.02 micron), and we have little field experience with it.

 

The chemicals shown are not safe to remove the threat of cryptosporidium, as we have known since 1993, or giardia. Both are very common in wild water, being carried by all mammels. Chlorine dioxide is safer, but takes hours to work effectively against the most resistent "germs."

 

A good commercial filter follwed by water treatment chemicals is very safe against biological threats, as is boiling.

 

This is commonly available information, obtainable in relatively few minutes by a Google search from agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control, Wilderness Medical Society, and The American Red Cross.

 

Some filters have some effect against chemical pollution, depending on how badly polluted the water is. Avoidance seems an overlooked topic.

[Hal_Crawford]

One of my scouts noticed that where it says there are three ways to purify water (filtering, boiling and chemical treatment) is next to a picture of a steri-pen, a forth method (UV exposure) that they do not mention in the text. Oops!

 

Hal

[packsaddle]

Thanks for pointing that out. And quite right.

Hal, I am not ready, personally, to trust the UV treatments either.

Edited part: I have made my own 0.01 micron filters before and I can tell you it takes a very long time to push water through those things. I'll just continue to boil (the water, that is).(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[TAHAWK]

The SteriPEN is next to the text for "Filtering" and the tablets are next to the text for "Treating." I'm not sure they know what a SteriPEN is.

 

Not that I'm a great fan of that method. It's delicate and not waterproof (Think kids.), a battery hog, and won't work under freezing.

 

Other BSA literature treats the subject both more accurately and less accurately.

 

Sigh!(This message has been edited by TAHAWK)

[Hal_Crawford]

Pack:

I don't have a lot of faith in steri-pens either. One of our scouts brought one on our high adventure trek this summer and it seemed to work which was a good thing when two filters stopped working and the third really slowed down. Water where we were was pretty clean so it might have been ok untreated. No way of knowing if the steri-pen actually did anything.

 

What I don't like is the cost, the fact that the water has to be clear and the fact that it relies on batteries.

 

I dislike boiling due to the time it takes to cool down to drinking temperature and the that it consumes additional fuel.

 

I dislike filters cause they clog.

 

I really dislike chemical treatment cause it isn't effective enough, it takes time and it often leaves a taste.

 

OK, I dislike everything.

 

Hal

[SSScout]

"BUY water? In seperate little bottles?? In a store??? Are you crazy? NOBODY would EVER do that!"

 

((this CocaCola VP is now selling propane in Arlen))

[GernBlansten]

Steripens? Sure. I need the extra protein of the dead bugs and floaties it kills.

 

My high adventure partner and I always have good natured debates on which filter is better. He has a Kadyne cartridge, I have an MSR ceramic.

His is fast. Filters a nalgene in a few pumps. Does hundreds of them between changes.

Mine is slow. Filters a nalgene in quite a few pumps, then stops and needs cleaning every 4th or 5th.

He says his is better because its faster and lasts longer. I say mine is better because its catching more poo, thus requiring more pumps and cleaning.

 

You want it fast, cheap and good? Pick two. Can't have all three.

[CA_Scouter]

Today's lesson:

 

Went on a short overnighter ( 7mi each way ) with a another adult and three scouts. We only need one filter, we say, its only one night. We only need one bottle of fuel, we say, its only one night.

 

Get to the campsite and I want to clean the MSR filter because its dirty. Unscrew the housing and... well you know they retain a little air pressure.. and POP! out comes the ceramic filter, I fumble it with my mitts and CRASH! it falls to my feet and splits into a dozen pieces. You shoulda seen the look on my face.

 

We haven't cooked dinner yet, we are in an area where fires are not permitted, and we have no water and a 7 mile hike out in the morning. Ach du liebe!

 

Fortunately I keep some water purifcation tablets in my emergency kit so we are covered, though we have to suck down the nasty taste.

 

Lesson learned: Don't cut back on your equipment because its 'just one night'.

 

Anyone want pie? Mine is 'humble'... ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John-in-KC]

For cooling boiled water, the traditional solution (and it helps with taste) is to pour between two pots. This also aerates the water.

 

[SctDad]

"Lesson learned: Don't cut back on your equipment because its 'just one night'."

 

 

This lesson was best learned in the early 90's with some HIGHLY trained soldiers in a little country called Somalia. That was only a 3 - 4 hour mission. Betcha they all wished they brought enough for longer. ALWAYS PLAN for longer.

 

 

Another question I have is, how did we a kids in the 60's 70's and 80's ever live, doing things like drinking from the creek or the water hose, paying outside ALL day until the street lights come on. It is just amazing that we are alive today.

[TAHAWK]

"Another question I have is, how did we a kids in the 60's 70's and 80's ever live, doing things like drinking from the creek or the water hose, paying outside ALL day until the street lights come on [?] It is just amazing that we are alive today."

 

Point taken. But not all of the 60's, 70's and 80's kids are alive today. (You left out rigid-framed cars, no shoulder belts, and the ever-cool smoking.) Thus far, we have shown the ability to outbreed pathogens and diseases.

 

In the 1980's and 1990's, before water purifiation -- and safe dish-washing -- was well-understood, diarrhea was so common at a rather well-known Scout high adventure destination as to be a topic of mirth at opening and closing campfires. Yet the problem was unknown to those "paranoid" types who boiled drinking water and used a cold water chlorine rinse as "Step 3" (See 12th Ed. BSHB at p. 327.) (I suppose they could have used the "bug spray" story.)

 

In 1993 in Milwuakee, over 400,000 people became ill when sodium hypochlorite ("bleach") proved unable to kill cryptosporidium in the city water system. "Only" 100 died, but those who survived were typically disabled for days with diarrhea, severe abdominal cramps, and fever. DETAILS: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/331/3/161

Outside an urban environment, say on a two-week trek in the wilderness, that level of illness could be a problem, yes?

[BrentAllen]

At Northern Tier, we just used PolarPure or chlorine. No filters. Looking at the CDC web site http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/travel/backcountry_water_treatment.html,

 

I see that iodine or chlorine (PolarPure):

is not effective in killing Cryptosporidium;

has a low to moderate effectiveness in killing Giardia;

has a high effectiveness in killing bacteria.

 

Chlorine dioxide (KlearWater):

has a low to moderate effectiveness in killing Cryptosporidium;

has a high effectiveness in killing Giardia;

has a high effectiveness in killing bacteria;

 

Filtration:

has a high effectiveness in removing Cryptosporidium when using an absolute less than or equal to 1 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated "cyst reduction / removal" filter);

has a high effectiveness in removing Giardia when using an absolute less than or equal to 1 micron filter (NSF Standard 53 or 58 rated "cyst reduction / removal" filter);

has a moderate effectiveness in removing bacteria when using an absolute less than or equal to 0.3 micron filter.

 

None of us got sick at NT. I didn't mind the taste of the PolarPure. I will probably start using some chemical treatment with my Katadyn Hiker Pro filter (.3 micron).

 

Anyone using the KlearWater product?

 

From their web site:

Q. How quickly does KlearWater work?

A. KlearWater is fast. KlearWater's Chlorine Dioxide formula acts within a few minutes to eliminate most common bacteria (such as E-Coli), and viruses. For "tough" pathogens, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium a longer treatment time (15-30min.) is recommended.

 

That is about the same time for PolarPure.

[GernBlansten]

Yeah, one has to wonder that in the 5000 years we have walked the earth, that only in the last 30 years, we evolved to a point where we can't drink untreated water.

[sandspur]

CA_scouter:

 

I dont think you have anything to eat humble pie over.

 

Look at the facts: For a one nighter, you had no fewer than THREE redundant water purification methods.

 

A. The filter

B. Backup chemicals

C. Your stove (to boil water)

 

The same three I carry myself, although on my last two trips I have been experimenting with a lighter UV steripen in place of the filter (Ive had good luck with it so far by the way).

 

Two filters would, in my opinion, be overkill and unnecessary weight and expense.

 

The steripen, by the way, has been tested independently and found to be effective against bacteria, viruses and crypto. It has some downsides (can only treat 1 L at a time, the lamp is fragile and needs to be protected, water must be fairly clear and not full of particulates that would block the UV) but it is fast (90 seconds), light (about 6 oz) and so far, reliable (although some have reported problems). If you carry chemicals and a stove as backups (see above) so far, my experience has been good.

 

[Pack212Scouter]

I have used the SteriPen and been very happy with it, now we do carry Katadyn filters for backup and for turbid water filtering. In fact I find it superior to most chemical methods. It takes less than a minute versus 30 minutes + with chemicals. It has been tested as highly effective against typical biological contaminants including cryptpsporidium. It is also a pretty durable device and water resistant (not waterproof). I had someone actually close it in a bladder and use it that way (not recommended!) and while water was forced past the seal, the SteriPen remained operational and was dried out after the trip for no noticable damage. We use the kind that uses camera batteries which are smaller and lighter than AA's. With the CR123 batteries you get about 100 tradments or over 15 gallons of water. The AA version gives you about twice this.

 

UV sterilization, while new to backcountry, is hardly "new fangled." It's been uses for water sterilization since 1916 and New York City sterilizes over two billion gallons a day with it.