INEXPENSIVE WATER FILTER

A guide to self reliant living

Miles Stair's SURVIVAL
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Miles Stair's SURVIVAL
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MAKING AN INEXPENSIVE WATER FILTER

It is entirely possible that you may have to use surface water for survival. Water from a stream, river or lake is not clean and must be boiled before use, but in a survival situation that may be all you have available. Water is heavy, and if possible it should be collected via gravity or siphon into some type of portable container which can also filter out any debris which may be present in the water.

	The filter bucket sans top. The nylon filter is in place inside the bucket and does not touch the bottom because I used a tall 7 gallon bucket. Note the filter is tied in place so it will not slide down. The outlet on the bottom of the bucket is a 3/4" ball valve with a 3/4" pipe nipple on the end, and a garden hose can be attached to drain the water when needed.
	The top of the bucket fitted with two 3/4" pipe nipples and a 3/4" 90 degree elbow. A hole is drilled in the top for one nipple and the unit secured with 3/4" pipe nuts. The top is then placed on the bucket to make a sealed unit. A garden hose can be screwed onto the nipple for water intake.
	The filter is a fine mesh nylon paint filter for 5 gallon buckets. It filters very well, can be washed and cleaned, and if used with care can last for many years. Before TEOTWAWKI, this filter bucket assembly has marvelous utility for filtering fruit juices before canning, raw honey before bottling, etc.
	These are the parts needed for the water inlet for the bucket top...a 90 degree elbow, two 3/4" pipe nipples, and two 3/4" lock nuts. The hole in the top of the bucket can be carefully cut out, then filed to fit, or cut with a Forstner wood bit.
	The secret to holding the filter inside the bucket. Using a 6 foot length of sash cord or cotton clothesline, a 3" loop is tied on one end and another loop tied 27" from the loop end. The cord is wrapped around the bucket, the free end is passed through the loop end, back through the middle loop, and then the cord can be pulled tight to cinch in the filter bag.
	The intake end of the garden house feeding the top of the bucket should have a coarse leaf filter. A gutter downspout leaf filter (far left) can be clamped to the end of the hose, or a 4-in-1 foot valve screwed to the hose as a filter. The foot valve has greater utility, but the downspout filter is much less expensive.
	It may not be possible to find water at a higher source for gravity flow. An inexpensive 2 cycle gasoline water pump can pump water up to 40 feet elevation, and need only be used for a half hour a day if the water is pumped into a storage tank when then drains by gravity flow to be used as needed. In the photo at left, I have stored a 3/4" brass foot valve on the water outlet simply to keep the impeller area clean, plus the foot valve is always with the pump.