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1. Purify water by boiling – Place the desired amount of water in the pot, and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. Let the water boil for 1 to 3 minutes (at higher altitudes, your water should boil for at least 3 minutes). As the water boils, if any debris, residue or foam comes to the surface, remove. As the water boils, you may add a pinch of salt to improve the taste. Allow the water to cool before drinking.

2. Purify water with bleach – Use bleach that does not contain dyes or perfumes (i.e. such as lemon scented bleach). Check the label—in order to effectively kill bacteria, the bleach should contain 5.25% hypochlorite.

If the water is clear, using the eye dropper, add 8 drops of bleach to 1 gallon of water (4 drops to a half gallon). If water is cloudy, add 16 drops to 1 gallon of water (8 drops for a half gallon).

If you do not have an eye dropper, you can use a teaspoon so long as you use larger quantities of water, as follows: If water is clear, add 1/2 teaspoon of bleach to 5 gallons of water. If water is cloudy, add 1 teaspoon of bleach to 5 gallons.

3. Purify water with iodine tablets – Measure water to be purified and add tablets as per manufacturer’s directions. Allow water to stand for 30 minutes before consuming. Be sure to follow product directions precisely as using too much or too little of the product can be hazardous to your health. DO NOT use Iodine tablets for water purification if you have a thyroid problem.

**Please Note**: While chemical purification (using Iodine Tablets or Bleach) may remove most contaminants from drinking water (including Giardia), they may not fully remove Cryptosporidium (a nasty intestinal parasite) from the water. Only boiling will do this.

Worms In Your Tap Water? Headed To A City Near You  was originally published on blackdoctor.org

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