Emergency Water Disinfection

Small Amounts of Water

  1. For a quart of  water, boil for 2 to 3 minutes
  2. Add 3 drops of household 2% tincture of iodine to 1 quart of clear water, and wait 1 hour (add 6 drops for cloudy water)

Large & Small Amounts of Water

  1. Add sodium hypochlorite in the amounts shown. Ordinary household bleach contains this compound, usually at 5.25% strength. Add to correct dose mix and wait 1 hour. Treated water should have a distinct chloride odor. If not add more bleach and let stand 15 minutes.
Quantity of WaterClearCloudy
1 quart2 to 3 drops5 drops
1 gallon10 drops20 drops
5 gallons1/2 teaspoon1 teaspoon