P1 Week 2: Water Pollution

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P1.2.5 Clever Ways to Clean Water

Homemade water filtering 

You can filter water at home using simple tools and materials. Here's how:

Purification tablets

The easiest Way

Purification tablets are an easy and portable way to make water safe to drink, especially in emergencies. These tablets contain chemicals like chlorine or iodine that kill bacteria, viruses, and parasites in water. To use them:

  1. Dissolve a tablet in a specified amount of water (check the instructions).
  2. Wait for the recommended time, usually 30 minutes to an hour, to ensure effective purification.
  3. Shake the container to distribute the chemical evenly.

While effective, they may leave a taste in the water, but it's safe to drink!

 

Cloth Filter

The First Line of Defense

You can easily remove dirt, leaves and sand that come from rivers or unclean storage. Grab a clean cotton or muslin cloth and pour the water through it.
Sand and Gravel Filter

The Dirt Detective

Captures finer particles like sand and dirt effectively. Layer gravel, sand, and (for bonus points) charcoal in a container. Pour water through it, and watch it come out clearer.
Charcoal Filter

The Taste Fixer

This filter is handy when the water comes from agricultural land where pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers were used. Even treated tap water contains chlorine, so it is better to filter it. Charcoal absorbs chlorine, organic chemicals, and some heavy metals. It improves taste and smell.

Crush activated charcoal into a container and pour water through it.

Boiling

Bye-Bye Germs

When your water has creepy crawlies like bacteria, parasites, or algae, just give them the heat treatment! Boil water until it’s bubbling and rolling for at least one minute. Let it cool, and here it is, safe, germ-free water!

Solar Disinfection

The Power of the Sun

Let the sun do the work for you. UV rays to kill bacteria and viruses (effective for clear water). Fill clear plastic bottles with water (make sure it’s not cloudy).

Leave them in bright sunlight for 6–8 hours. The UV rays will zap bacteria and viruses, leaving you with clean water.

Always test and ensure filtered water is safe for drinking! Use these methods when you are about to die from thirst.

  • Which filtering method works when the water source is close to a factory and the water looks purple? Answer
  • Which filtering method works when the water source is the rain? Gravel filterAnswer
  • Which filtering method works when the water source is a small pond nearby and you can spot small moving animals in it? Answer
  • Which filtering method works when the water source is your tap but the water is yellowish? Answer
  • Which method should you use when your water smells like anything and there are rotten pieces of wood in it? Answer
  • Have you tried any of the methods?
  • Where can you buy purification tablets? Are they expensive?
  • Which method needs a lot of materials, and which is easy to make?
  • Would you trust water filtered at home to drink? Why or why not?
  • Do you know someone who doesn’t have clean water? How would you help them?
  • If you designed your own water filter, what would it look like?
  • How much water do you think you could clean with a small filter in one day?