How to purify water
Traveling in Africa, there is a risk from drinking water as it can be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other contaminants.
When planning an overland trip through any African country, think about your water needs. There are many approaches that can be taken to provide safe water for both drinking and sanitation.
Never take chances with the water supply, when visiting rural areas, bottled water should be taken along.
A traveler should not think that if the water is not ingested, he or she will be safe. Brushing teeth or rinsing out the mouth can be enough to cause severe diarrhea. Fresh vegetables should be washed in potassium permanganate and perhaps soaked in a warm water with salt added.
Waterborne Hazards When Traveling through Africa
The hazards from drinking unclean water include contracting a viral, bacterial infection and/or the possibility of being infected by parasites. Below are just a fraction of the types of waterborne diseases and infections lurking in unclean or stagnant water:
Parasites: Giardia, parasites that cause Bilharzia (snail fever), amoebas, guinea worms, dwarf tapeworms,
Bacterial infections: Diseases such as botulism, cholera, E.coli infection, Legionnaire’s disease and salmonella,
Viral infections such as gastroenteritis, hepatitis, respiratory infections that affect the kidneys, polio to name a few.
Water Purification Tablets
Water purification tablets typically contain silver ions combined with chlorine. Usually one tablet will purify one liter of water. A tablet should be left in the water for at least 30 minutes to kill bacteria and viruses and 2 hours if there is a danger of Giardia. These tablets are not expensive and ensures safe water consumption.
Travel Water Filter
A back packing water filter is ideal for hikers and campers. A camping water filter is portable, small and can remove some types of infectious agents from drinking water. A travel water filter comes in different forms:
Drip through ceramic filters made from stainless steel. They look like a flasks and weighs about 1 kg. (2 lbs). They work more or less the same as a Brita or Pur water filter, except they are much smaller.
Sports water bottle purifiers – They look just like normal water bottles for sportsmen, they are great for hiking backpacking, canoing or general travel and the filter is said to last for approximately 2 months or 160 refills per filter.
Pump/Filter Combinations: Pumps and pump/filter combinations usually use a technology such as Carbon blocks, ceramics, porous plastic elements or membranes to effectively remove protozoan cysts and bacteria. This type of pump may be suitable only for a group of hikers or campers due to the bulkiness and the added weight of the pump, the water is pumped by hand.
Other Simple Ways to Purify Water:
Boiled water is one of the best methods for making water safe to drink. Boil continuously for at least one or two minutes. Adding a small pinch of salt adds to the effectiveness and improves the taste.
Add a simple household bleach that does not have perfumes or additives. Five drops of bleach is enough to purify 2 liters of water. After adding the bleach, allow the water to stand for 30 minutes before storing or drinking.
Bottled water from a trusted source is a recommended as an alternative to tap water. Before drinking, be sure all bottled beverages have fully sealed caps. If seals are not intact, the bottles may have been refilled. Also watch out for the sell-by date, as old bottled water is also not good to drink.
If a traveler has run out of water and there is no bottled water available, a coke or beer with a sealed cap is a safer alternative than attempting to drink water from an unknown and possibly unsafe source.
Iodine – 5 drops per litre of water.
Potassium permanganate – Just add three or four crystals to one litre of water, leave for thirty minutes and drink.
Share on Facebook