I searched old threads but couldn't find one that discussed the best products for filtering and treating water in terms of cost and effectiveness.

I'm interested to find out best methods and products for these situations, other than boiling for 30 minutes:

- Tap water available but possibly contaminated.

- Water taken from a lake, its actual polution level not known but assumed low.

- Water taken from a creek/river, same for polution.

- Water taken from a ground source, water table contamination unknown.

- Melted snow and/or rain gathered in pails.

Brand names and company names helpful if you have them. Thanks for any and all input.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), November 18, 1998

Answers

Consider buying one of the largish carbon based full house filters from a Home Depot (maybe $40) and plumbing it to a reservoir source (old bathtub outlet). Use gravity to flow into a holding tank (55 gallon drum) then add appropriate bleach to the output. Should work for several thousand gallons unless you are using totally cruddy water. I've put together a rainwater catchment off the roof based on this idea.

You might also consider an initial investment in a water holding tank. www.watertanks.com is running a special $89 for 200 gallon soft tank.

-- R. D..Herring (drherr@erols.com), November 18, 1998.

Chris, here is a site that I just love. You can find information on just about everything. Scan down to "General Survival Skills" and check out Water. Then, don't miss "Water, Wells & Plumbing."

http://www.artrans.com/rmsg/toc.htm

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), November 19, 1998.

Chris, I work at a Home Depot in Plumbing dept. There are several water filter systems available for everyone. The one I am going to use in my new home is from Omni. It's a Whole House System type with four filters, one set of filters is for sediment and the other is Charcoal filtered. I have two systems like this with a pipe connection between them. There is now a new filter pack by Amteck "D250" that takes out even lead,Mercury,Asbestos,and alot of other creatures in water, Ah but it does leave the water to flow out to drink. Because it is a two pack used in the Reverse Osmosis systems I plan on using the filters, one in one cannister the final filter in the last cannister for final filtering of my spring water. Go take a look at them. The whole house system costs $29.00. The "D250 filter pack" is $34.00 + - some. But it filters alot of water for the time alotted. Sure hope this helps...

-- Furie (furieart@gte.net), November 19, 1998.