About the author

dmb062082

I am a blogger, father, and I can be a geek at times. Self sufficiency is really just a hobby I still have a lot to learn about. I created this blog.... umm. I honestly don't even know why anymore.

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15 Comments

  1. 1

    DorianGreer

    This is one of the best ideas I’ve heard in a (very) long time. It could actually make liquid chlorine, for water purification, obsolete. Do you mind if I ask where the “parts per” ratios came from? And how does one eventually verify the end product as drinkable (regardless of method)? Thanks.

    Reply
  2. 2

    CeliaHolmes

    I am confused, I was told pool shock had stabilizers and other thinks added that made them unsafe to use in purifying drinking water. Is there a special kind of pool shock to use for this purpose?

    Reply
    1. 2.1

      David Becker

      Yes there is. I linked you to it in the bottom of the article.

      Reply
  3. 3

    DorianGreer

    Well, not having definitive answers, I emailed the CDC. That might turn out to be an exercise in futility, but we’ll see. At present, this “very good idea” lacks too many concrete answers. I may bathe in my pool water if push comes to shove, but drinking it is an entirely different story. I’ll update with whatever they come back with – but I’m not holding my breath.

    Reply
    1. 3.1

      David Becker

      That’s fine. I could care less what the CDC tells anyone. Do you drink city water? You should probably pay them a visit and look to how they purify the water you drink. I bet it is chemically dosed. I’m close with a man who is in charge of treating his entire towns water supply who has confirmed this as being the exact equivalent of chemically dosing drinking water with a bleach or chlorine solution. This technique is far from new. Good luck fella.

      Reply
  4. 4

    CeliaHolmes

    Thanks, just got ahead of myself. I compared it to my pool shock and it does have less inert ingredients.

    Reply
  5. 5

    DorianGreer

    Do I drink city water? Very rarely; did as a kid though. Not sure why the attitude against the CDC (they are scientists specializing in disease control). Can’t think who else would know better. I know that city water is chemically treated. That doesn’t mean if you “chemically treat” contaminated water it is therefore safe to drink. The issue is “with what” and “how much.” My original question asked where did the “parts per” ratios come from? And how does one eventually verify the end product as drinkable (regardless of method)? I wouldn’t want to rely on “luck” for this. Safety is important “especially” when medical services are down. Is that unreasonable? Bleach is good (chlorine). The CDC gives exact dosages per quantity. But not using the “scented” kind because of the “other stuff” that’s not chlorine (additives). Does the pool shock contain additives (inert to the pool) but maybe not to the human body? I don’t know why these wouldn’t be worth finding out.

    Reply
    1. 5.1

      David Becker

      The granulated chlorine I linked to in this article contains the lowest level of additives and stabilizers on the market. As for the CDC saying something is good or bad, they ultimately do not decide for me. I do not have any hatred towards them… and I refer to them often! But in the end I do not care what they say. For example they (CDC) say not to pour peroxide on cuts or ever gargle with it. They often advise against holistic care methods such as using apple cider vinegar to treat things such as warts. Point being they are often very conservative and follow their own guidelines and no other. But who knows… they may endorse the use of granulated chlorine as many water treatment facilities use it.

      Reply
  6. 6

    David Becker

    And to answer your question our figures came from a representative of the “in the swim” company.

    Reply
  7. 7

    David Becker

    And lastly, I recently published this article and figured you would personally enjoy it: surviveourcollapse.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-water-contamination-and-purification/

    Reply
  8. 8

    DorianGreer

    I read your article: The ultimate guide to water contamination and purification. This is a very great and thorough article and covers all the bases.

    David, one of the reasons the pool shock is of great interest to me is because I have a pool. This could either mean a very good supply of water OR a very bad nightmare after 30 or so days without circulation and filtering if the power goes permanently out, (think: mosquitoes, algae, flies, roaches, rodents, etc.). Now, multiply this times a couple of hundred. You see, I live in a neighborhood where probably 50% of the houses ALSO have pools. The Calcium Hypochlorite solution could therefore cure two very big potential problems with one stone! So it’s a very important concept.

    But before I could offer this as a community solution, I damn well better be sure of it’s efficacy in terms of “how” to use it safely and that it is in fact as represented. (I am in no way questioning your integrity or the integrity of your sources. But the fact is, I am not a chemist or biologist and wouldn’t know a chlorite from a chloride.) Therefore to offer this as a solution on a neighborhood scale, should someone ever ask me how I know, I better come up with more than “I read it on a blog.” Agreed?

    I want my ducks in a row with verifiable sources willing to demonstrate the science behind the claim long before it’s needed. *Having the right verification behind this technique could make this article go viral.* It would represent a major shift in the entire prepper community, as clean water availability is typically No. 1 at the top of any prepper’s resources. A very tiny amount of Calcium Hypochlorite, and thus easily carried with you, can go anywhere virtually forever. That’s another reason it’s so important. But the “How To” and efficacy have to be right. Thus the reason for objective authoritative verification; the CDC. Again, I am in no way questioning your integrity. In fact I’m applauding your ingenuity. It’s a very important and positive shift in how we do things. (Just making sure you know where I’m coming from. Okay?)

    Reply
  9. 9

    David Becker

    Understood and thank you for your feedback and reinforcement. I can try and concrete my findings for you OK?

    Reply
  10. 10

    DorianGreer

    No need. The CDC got back with me sooner than I thought and was very thorough with their answer! Short answer “it’s a go;” long answer, “here’s how.” Here’s the sh*t (verbatim):

    Dear Dorian,

    Thank you for your inquiry about the use of dry calcium hypochlorite bleach for long-term storage of safe water.

    The activity in bleach is due to the chlorine, and so using dry calcium hypochlorite or liquid sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) will be effective given that the concentration of free chlorine after the water has been treated is sufficient to kill any pathogens. Note that parasites like Giardia and Cryptosporidium are more resistant to bleach solutions, and so a pre-filter step is recommended.

    To ensure that your drinking water supply is safe to drink you can measure the free chlorine directly, to ascertain that concentrations are high enough to prevent microbial growth.

    At 30 minutes after the addition of sodium hypochlorite there should be no more than 2.0 mg/L of free chlorine present (this ensures the water does not have an unpleasant taste or odor).

    At 24 hours after the addition of sodium hypochlorite to containers that are used by families to store water there should be a minimum of 0.2 mg/L of free chlorine present (this ensures microbiologically safe water).

    These concentrations and recommendations for treating and testing water for free chlorine can be found here:

    http://www.cdc.gov/safewater/chlorine-residual-testing.html

    Most of the calculations and concentrations available from CDC are based on household bleach, which is about 5% sodium hypochlorite. To use these calculations for a granular product, you will need to create a liquid stock solution (granules + water) of known chlorine concentration and then dilute to the recommended levels in the document linked below. Follow this up with free chlorine testing (i.e. using a pool test kit) to be sure your water is microbiologically safe.

    http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/safe_water/personal.html#make_safe

    Thanks again for your interest in this important topic,

    Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases
    National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
    U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    Atlanta, Georgia 30333 / USA

    My comment… sweet!

    Reply
  11. 11

    David Becker

    Awesome response. Thank you for sharing your findings.

    Reply
  12. 12

    DMag

    Please comment on proper storage for this as it is highly corrosive!

    Reply

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