How to Purify Water Without Using Chemicals

Water is synonymous with life. Without water, life cannot survive. As per the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking 8 glasses of water per day is considered healthy for an individual. Water keeps us hydrated and strengthens our immune system. But at the same time, impure water is detrimental to our health. Drinking impure water can lead to various health hazards like hepatitis B, cholera, etc. In this modern world of chemicals and contaminations, a large number of people have negligible or no access to clean drinking water. So, what options are we left with? Time to start purifying our water but without using chemicals. How do we do that? Read on to know.

Simple ways to purify water without using chemicals

More often than not, tap water turns out to be unsafe for drinking. It is likely to have unwanted particles that are unhealthy for the human body. Fluoride and chlorine are still added to tap water. Even after several treatments, contaminants still make their way to the water. Let us understand how we can purify water without using chemicals to safeguard our health.

Modern, reliable method of water purification

Today, the most dependable way of purifying water is by using water Purifiers. Think about it – almost every home you have visited, you must have noticed a water purifier, near the refrigerator or inside the kitchen. Even if you notice at workplaces, use of water purifiers is very common. Water purifiers have become the standard choice when it comes to providing the family with pure and safe drinking water.

Some other common methods used for purifying water:

1. Sunlight: Sunlight is considered to be one of the most natural ways to purify water. Fill clear water in a container and keep it under the sun for a minimum of six hours. Make sure the water does not have any sedimentation. The solar radiation and heat will kill the pathogens present in the water. This age-old practice uses solar energy to purify water. Avoid using a PVC container to keep the water out in the sun.
2. Boiling: This is a reliable and commonly used way of purifying water. Boil the water for at least five minutes to kill all the bacteria. While boiling, some chemicals will evaporate. Later, let it cool down so that the solid unwanted particles get settled down. Then one can take out the purified water from the top layer without stirring it.
3. Winnowing sieve: This is applicable for windborne impurities in water like hay straws, dry leaves, charcoal particles and likewise. The water is run through a winnowing sieve, which helps the thick particles to be left on the other side of the sieve giving you clear and filtered water. However, this process does not ward off germs or dissolved dirt or mud particles from the water.
4. Cloth: For this process of water filtration, all you need is a piece of cotton cloth. This piece of cloth is used as a medium of filtration. If the water contains plant debris, insects, coarse mud particles, etc., then this filtration process is preferable. If the water is odorous and muddy then usually, people mix wood ash of Sal tree in the same water and then filter it through the cloth.

Though all these methods can be used for purifying your water, but they come with their own limitations – the biggest one being that none of these methods help in cleaning all kinds of impurities. That is when you require a more advanced solutions for your water purifying needs.