Water Treament Options

Treatment is essential to ensure that water collected from natural sources is safe to drink.

A Word on Viruses

It’s important to understand the difference between “purification” and “filtration”. Filtration removes all grit, bacteria, protozoa, and parasites, but it does not remove viruses. In non-polluted water sources (North America and most of Europe), this is not a problem as there are very rarely viruses in the water supply. In areas where viruses are a bigger risk, it’s necessary to “purify” your water. “Purification” specifically means that all bacteria, protozoa, parasites, and viruses are removed or destroyed.

Types of Water Treatment

Water Filters

Filtration is fast, convenient, and reliable. It removes grit from your water and doesn’t change its taste. However, as mentioned above, filters do not remove viruses.

Squeeze-style filters, such as the Sawyer Squeeze or Platypus Quickdraw, are versatile tools that can filter water in a variety of ways. You can connect them to a soft-sided pouch and squeeze the pouch to force the water through. You can also connect them to a water bottle or hydration reservoir inline and drink directly through them. Lastly, you can hang your water above the filter and allow gravity to do the work. Squeeze filters are light, compact, and simple to use.

Pump-style filters, such as the MSR Miniworks, are not recommended due to their high cost and weight, as well as their slow and inconvenient operation

Water Purifiers

Specialty water purifiers, such as the MRS Guardian or Grayl Ultrapress are available, but these options are generally much heavier and more expensive than regular filters. For this reason, they are only recommended in situations where purification is a real necessity.

Chemical Treatment

Chemical treatment is the lightest method of water treatment. There are many options for which chemicals to use, but most forms of chemical treatment are considered full “purification”. However, they also have several drawbacks:

• There is a waiting period before the water becomes safe to drink
• Some options add a foul chemical taste to the water
• The chemicals are consumed through use and need to be repurchased

Other

There are some other uncommon methods for treating your water:

• Boiling
• UV Treatment