Water does not need to be boiled to make it drinkable, killing most bacteria, only needing to reach 150°F for 15 seconds. Without a thermometer, boiling water for that long is more than sufficient to kill bacteria. A solar cooker or still and a good thermometer can help to pasteurize water effectively when gas or electrical stoves are inoperable during outages like natural disasters.
It has been known since the late 1880s, when Louis Pasteur conducted groundbreaking research on bacteria, that heat can kill pathogenic (disease-causing) microbes. Most people know contaminated water can be made safe by boiling. What is not well known is that contaminated water can be pasteurized at temperatures well below boiling, as can milk, which is commonly pasteurized at 71°C (160°F) for 15 seconds.
Water pasteurization - Solar Cooking
Bleach can also help sterilize water, which I remember doing when spending long periods out on remote expeditions with my father as a kid. We keep a stock of charcoal and iodine tablets which can also be used to purify water during a disaster. With the consistently bright sun in Texas, I have also considered using that free energy with a solar still to evaporate and re-condense the water, leaving behind contaminants.
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