How to Purify Muddy Water (2024)

Introduction: How to Purify Muddy Water

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One of the major problems we face during camping trips is finding clean water suitable for drinking and cooking. Even though you select a camping site near a water source, one can not be sure that the water is fit for consumption. Further, what can one do in the event of an unpredictable rain, muddying the entire water source...?

Do not worry. This Instructable will take you through the steps involved in cleaning and purifying the muddiest of muddy water and make it suitable for drinking and cooking.

Step 1: Chemicals Required

Aluminium Sulfate

Aluminium Sulfate, Shortly known as Alum, when added to raw water reacts with the bicarbonate alkalinities present in water and forms a gelatinous precipitate. This floc attracts other fine particles and suspended material in raw water, and settles down at the bottom of the container. The water over this sediment is almost clean other than some fine particles dissolved in it.

Alum is in a crystallized form which you can powder and store in a clean glass container.

Bleaching Powder Solution

Bleaching powder or chlorinated lime is used to disinfect the water from bacteria. The chlorine present in the bleaching powder solution kills almost 90% of the bacteria present in water.

Bleaching powder also known as Calcium hypochlorite is in a powdered form. Add one or two teaspoons of the powder in a glass bottle, add water and mix well. Use a metal cap for the container as it may corrode plastic cap.

Both Alum and Bleaching powder are commonly available in most of the grocery stores.

Step 2: Water Sample

Look at the water collected from the source after heavy rains. It is muddy and also contains lots of floating material. Now let us see how we can convert this dirty water in to clean drinkable water.

Step 3: Treatment of Muddy Water With Alum

Coagulation and Sedimentation

  • Here, I have collected the muddy water in a bucket, poured more water to overflow and brushed away most of the floating material with hand.
  • Using a fine cloth, filtered the muddy water into another vessel. The filtered water contains no floating material and less silt.
  • Took about five liters of water in a plastic bucket and added half a teaspoon of powdered Alum (that is about 50 mg which works out to 10 mg per liter of water) and stirred well.
  • This bucket of water needs to be kept still for about 6 to 7 hours so that the sediments get coagulated and settles down at the bottom.

Step 4: Draining Clean Water

Drain out Clean Water

After about seven hours, most of the dissolved particles have settled down at the bottom of the bucket. Drained out the clean water into another vessel very slowly without disturbing the sediment.

About half a liter of water is left out in the bucket with the sediments.

The water collected thus may still contain some fine dissolved particles, which can be removed by filtration. If you carry a small water filter during camping, you can fill this water after disinfection (next step) to get more pure water.

Step 5: Disinfection

Disinfection

The clean water we got by sedimentation still contains lots of bacteria, so it needs to be disinfected before being used. Here, I have used home bleach solution, which contains Chlorine.

The prescribed normal rate is about 2 drops of bleach solution per liter of water. So, I have added about nine drops into the water in the vessel and stirred well. This water may smell little bit of chlorine. Either keeping it open to air and intermittent stirring for about 30 minutes or using a portable filter to further purify the waterwill remove the chlorine smell.

The chlorination process kills almost 90% percent of the bacteria present in the water. Now I got about four and half a liters of clean water which I can use for cooking and drinking during my camping trip.

Step 6: Experiment in Plastic Bottles

I have carried out the cleaning process in a two liter water bottle. Here I have increased the Alum content to about 15 mg per liter of water. the outcome seems to be better than with 10 mg per liter of water.

Step 7: Foot Note

Some tips on usage of Alum and Bleach solution:

  • The prescribed dosage of Alum varies from 5 mg per liter for a relatively clear water to 85 mg for a highly turbid waters like industrial waste. However, the normal dosage for drinking water is about 17 mg per liter.
  • The dosage of bleaching solution as 2 drops per liter is suggested considering 60 to 70 percent of chlorine available in the bleaching powder. you can increase or decrease the amount by smelling the chlorinated water. More chlorine smell, add some clean water.Add a few more drops in case of no smell.
  • Keeping buckets of water mixed with Alum overnight will give you enough clean water in the morning for use.
  • Over-dosage of Alum may cause temporary dizziness, diarrhea and vomiting (but not dangerous). So, take care while adding alum.
  • Bleaching solution is corrosive. Take care not to get your skin or cloth in contact with the solution.

So, Campers, do not forget to add a little bit of Alum and Bleaching solution to your camping kit next time. It may come in handy when you are in the middle of nowhere with only mud to drink

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How to Purify Muddy Water (2024)

FAQs

How to Purify Muddy Water? ›

Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. The only agent used to purify water should be household liquid bleach.

What is the best method of purification of muddy water? ›

Cloth Filtration: Passing water through layers of cloth or fabric can effectively remove larger particles and sediment. Sand Filters: Constructing a sand filter involves layering coarse and fine sand in a container. As water passes through the sand, particles are trapped, and clearer water is collected.

How do you get clear water from muddy water? ›

Mud can be separated from water by filtration. Fold a filter paper and keep it in a funnel and pour the muddy water on it. Mud remains on the filter paper while clear water comes through the filter paper and gets collected in the beaker.

How do you make mud water drinkable? ›

Add 1 tbsp of mud to a mug. Add a bit of coconut-based creamer and honey, if that's your thing. Add 4-6 oz hot water and mix with the mud frother.

Can muddy water be filtered? ›

Another option for purifying muddy water is filtering it through coffee filters or other fine cloths that are capable of capturing the smaller particles. This process works by trapping the particles of dirt and mud in the coffee filter and allowing clean water to flow into a vessel beneath the coffee filter.

How to clean muddy water naturally? ›

Natural filters like rocks, gravel, and sand can significantly improve water clarity. These materials can trap smaller particles that cloud the water, helping to keep it clear. To install these natural filters, place them strategically around your pond, particularly in areas where water flows in or out.

What is used to clean muddy water? ›

This is done by using a filter paper having very small pores in it. When this liquid is passed through the filter paper, the sand particles are retained on it and what we get is clear water in the container. This process is called filtration.

Will Epsom salt clear muddy water? ›

There are four basic chemicals in addition to synthetic polymers that can be used to clear ponds with fish in them. These include agricultural lime (calcium carbonate), gypsum (calcium sulfate), alum (aluminum sulfate), Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), and synthetic polymers available under various trade names.

How long does it take for muddy water to clear? ›

If the water clears in about a week or less, the muddiness is from a mechanical disturbance. If the particles do not settle after a couple of weeks, the problem is likely clay turbidity.

Who can make the muddy water clear? ›

“Who can make the muddy water clear? Let it be still and it will gradually become clear.” That is a slightly modified version of a quote by Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher and father of Taoism.

Is mud water actually healthy? ›

Mud water also contains ingredients like cacao and cinnamon that are rich in antioxidants and help combat oxidative stress. Cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric are also included in mud water and have been associated with potential digestive benefits, including soothing the digestive system and reducing inflammation.

Does boiling muddy water make it safe to drink? ›

Boiling: Boiling is the best way to kill disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. The high temperature and time spent boiling are very important to effectively kill the organisms in the water. Boiling will also effectively treat water if it is still cloudy or murky.

How do you make a muddy river clear? ›

Floccing involves using a product like WaterTreats Clearwater Flocculant at a ratio of approx. 1-5mL per 100L of dam water. The flocculant solution has an opposing charge to the water and suspended material so it attracts the soil particles together and binds them.

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