Get Drinking Water

= Motivation = Clean drinking water is the single most important resource for any civilization, and indeed for any one person. While the human body is very good at storing nutrients, water simply cannot be stored in the same way. Most people can survive for a very long time without food, but only a few days without water. An adult person requires approximately 2.5 liters of liquids per day even in temperate weather. Only some of this water can be gained from the foods consumed. Without drinking water your health will quickly deteriorate.

Water is not only for drinking. Clean water can be used to clean wounds, wash dishes or food storage utensils, and for personal hygiene.

While it may seem like water is easy to find, looks can be deceiving. Water can unfortunately be an excellent carrier for disease. This guide will describe simple techniques to secure a small amount of drinkable water in a forest setting.

= Finding Water = When you decide where to settle, access to water should be one of the primary factors in your decision. Unless you are in a particularly dry area, it is usually not difficult to find water by exploring by foot. If you have not yet mapped out your immediate area, climb a height or hills that allow you to see far. You will be looking for noticeable shifts in the terrain or the forrest, or the type of forrest.

Recognizing Drinkable Water
Look for:
 * Running water.
 * Healthy lakes.

If you find a lake or a river that water will normally be drinkable. If there are significant environmental damages (radiation, chemicals, corpses) in the vicinity you will want to make sure you are above the damages. Follow the water against the stream until you have cleared the damages or find a safer source.

Avoid:
 * Stagnant, shallow water.
 * Water that doesn't move is likely to be the host of disease, illness and parasitic life forms. If the water is very shallow there is also a risk that bacterial reactions are occurring underneath the bottom mud layer. If your only water source is stagnant, read the section on purifying water.
 * Ocean water.
 * Ocean water is salty. If you drink salt water your body's averse reaction is likely lead to a net loss of liquid. Even only slightly salty water may lead to diarrhea. If you have the choice between salt water and no water, choose no water.
 * Human-made water holes (wells, tanks, defunct water purifiers, water towers) that haven't been cared for.
 * You should avoid these sources of water because there might be rotten wood, frogs, drowned rats, rust and other pollutants that make the water unsafe. If you must resort to using one of these sources, carefully inspect the water. You want the water to be clear and with little odor. Then proceed to the section on purifying water.

Purifying Water
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Storing Water
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= Other Notes =

Restoring a Polluted Well
If you find a man made well that has gone bad, you may be able to restore it.


 * Empty the well several times.
 * Repair the well cover. The cover is not visual decoration: it prevents pollutants from ruining your water again. Make sure to completely discard any old rotten or rusted cover.

Be aware that even once this has been done the original purity of the well may not be restored.