by Buck Tilton

"Can I drink the water?" You've probably asked that question. You've forked over money for a trip to Botswana, or Belize, or Bora Bora, and getting sick ranks high, maybe at the top, on the list of things you don't want to do.

Amoebic dysentery, diarrheal diseases, and parasitic worms are associated with poor choice of water and food in many countries. In any area where water quality is in question, make sure you disinfect all water before drinking or brushing your teeth or mixing your cocktails--and you should know how to disinfect your water.

Boiling kills organisms that make people sick. In fact, the time it takes water to reach the boiling point, even at high altitudes, kills organisms. So by the time water has reached the point of boiling, it is safe to drink.

Filters differ greatly in their ability to disinfect water. Some filter out only protozoa, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Some filter out protozoa and bacteria. Only one filter makes a claim to remove viruses by filtration alone -- General Ecology’s First Need-- while others have an iodine-resin within the filter to eliminate viruses. Four filters have EPA approval as "purifiers," filters that eliminate everything that causes disease in humans: PUR's Explorer, Vogageur, and Scout, and SweetWater's Guardian+Plus. Be sure you know the type and effectiveness of a filter a client is depending on.

Chemicals can be added to water to kill harmful organisms. Iodine and chlorine are safest and most effective, but no chemical guarantees water safe from Cryptosporidium. In most cases, iodine is the preferred chemical because it stores better and reacts less with organic compounds in water. Iodine is commercially available in several forms including easy to use tablets, e.g., Potable Agua. If someone has povidone-iodine solution in a first aid kit, it can be used to disinfect water. The solution is best measured with a dropper. Eight (8) drops of povidone-iodine solution in warm clear water, and a 15 minute wait will give you a safe drink. In cold clear water, double the drops and double the wait (16 drops for 30 minutes). In cloudy water, double the drops and triple the wait. Use of a non-purifying filter plus an iodine tablet gives you an excellent opportunity to create pure water.

A few more reminders:

• Avoid milk, butter and other dairy products, and watch bottled drinks being uncapped before accepting one.
• Make sure all food is well-cooked and served hot.
• Eat only fruits with intact skins that are peeled shortly before consumption.
• Consuming bad water is not the only route to illness. Don't go swimming in lakes, ponds, and streams where there is any chance of acquiring the fluke that causes schistosomiasis. And you can't look before you leap--you've got to ask.
  
  

© 1999 Buck Tilton; All Rights Reserved