SODIS

Post Reply
fern
Patriot
Patriot
Posts: 1100
Joined: 05 Jul 2009 19:19
Location: PA

SODIS

Post by fern »

http://www.salvationandsurvival.com/201 ... sodis.html

Do You Know SODIS?
Today, I'm going to give you some information that will be easy to remember and put into practice. My husband, who is pretty knowledgeable about outdoor and survivalist skills, tells me that not many men know this practical, and often overlooked, method for purifying water. This method is not complicated and easy for everyone to perform -- man, woman or child.
SODIS stands for Solar Water Disinfection. SODIS kills those nasty little pathogens that cause diarrhea, which in turn causes dehydration, which causes 3000 deaths per year in the U.S., and 2.2 million deaths globally.
So what do you need to perform the SODIS method? It's very simple:

1. A clean, clear plastic or glass container, less than 3 liters. Bottles that have contained water, juice, soft drinks, peanut butter, and salad dressings make good instruments for water purification.
2. The sun
3. 6 hours

That's it! See why this is an easy method, and one you should keep in your Prepper hard drive? And it's simple to put into practice. You place the plastic bottles on their side for best results, and if possible, have a good supply of bottles on hand. Rotating your supply of bottles will allow you to always have safe water available.
How does it work? SODIS exposes waterborne pathogens to ultraviolet radiation supplied by the sun. This method was originally developed in India around 2000 BC. I'm not sure what they used for a container, but we owe them a debt of gratitude.
And what are the steps to the SODIS method?
1. Fill your bottle 3/4 full of clear water, if available, or whatever water is on hand.
2. Shake bottle for 20 seconds in order to dissolve as much oxygen as possible.
3. Fill the remainder of the bottle and put the cap on.
4. Place the bottle in direct sunlight for at least 6 hours, and preferably 8. Placing the bottles on reflective material such as tin roofs, sheets of metal, or light-colored rock will improve the process.
5. The water is now disinfected and drinkable with 99.9% of living organisms destroyed.
Millions of people in undeveloped countries purify their water using the SODIS method every day. SODIS can reduce dysentery by 20 to 50%! When combined with proper hand-washing, the results were even better.

While a simple method to conduct, there are things that you can do wrong:
1. Don't use bottles that are too large. Small bottles of one liter work best, and nothing over 3 liters.
2. Don't use opaque bottles. CLEAR bottles are a must!
3. The method won't work in cloudy weather. Make sure the sun is shining brightly!
4. Any less than 6 hours will not adequately purify your water.
So now I think you can see how valuable this method of water purification could be if you are faced with any emergency or situation where fresh, clean water is unavailable. I highly recommend keeping a good supply of clear bottles on hand, and at least a couple in your Go Bag. Just remember, Sun and Six Hours.....Simple.

John 7:38 "Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.' "
“Laws are made for the weak more than the strong.” Ben Franklin
Post Reply