Water purification

[Mustang]

In response to a conversation elsewhere regarding water purification issues in a post-disaster environment, I thought I'd bring your attention to what is supposed to be the "next big thing" in water purification:

PUR Purifier of Water chemical water treatment packets

...the system consists of a packet containing a grayish powder composed of a variety of chemicals that collectively are capable of removing contaminates within minutes of being added to water. The main active ingredients of the powder are calcium hypochlorite (bleach), which can kill a wide range of deadly pathogens, and ferric sulfate, a particle binder that can remove impurities such as dirt and also disease-causing pathogens that aren't killed by the bleach. The packets can kill water-born pathogens that cause cholera, typhoid and dysentery; remove a variety of toxic metals, including lead, arsenic and mercury; and also remove dangerous pesticides like DDT and PCB. [Source]

One packet will purify 2.5 gallons of water in 30 minutes.  I saw a demonstration of this on CNN, they purified a pitcher of water taken from NYC's East River (read: NASTY).  Two-step purification process and Ashley Judd drank the output right there.

Available from Walmart, Target, REI, Amazon.com and numerous other outlets.

[raivo]

Can't let the Communists impurify our precious bodily fluids!

[lordmonar]

I can no longer sit back and allow communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion, and the international communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

[Mustang]

Okay, general...   

You people are weird.

[Gunner C]

Can't let the Communists impurify our precious bodily fluids!

Purity of essence, Peace on earth.  Quick, put POE in the CRM114! 

[Stonewall]

To prove the effectiveness of purification tablets, at SERE school the instructors had us pour out water that we got from a moving creek that was clean and tasted decent.  We then had to fill our survival resevoir with nasty marshy water, purify it and drink it.  Kind of nasty but I survived.