Purification tablets disinfect water from a tap, rain barrel or stream when a boil-water notice, a broken water main or an evacuation cuts you off from safe water. They kill the germs that cause waterborne illness with no stove, fuel or power, so they serve you at home and on foot.
Choose water treatment tablets that kill every class of germ and match how much water your family drinks. They are small and light, and they work with no power or fuel.
- Active ingredient: Pick chlorine dioxide, which kills bacteria, viruses and Cryptosporidium, a parasite that iodine handles poorly.
- Quantity: Stock enough to treat one gallon per person per day, or 56 gallons for a family of four over two weeks.
- Packaging: Choose tablets sealed in individual foil packs so an opened strip stays dry and strong.
- Shelf life: Store them cool and dark, and rotate your stock before the printed expiration date.
- Contact time: Wait 30 minutes for most germs and up to four hours for Cryptosporidium in cold water.
- Clarity: Strain cloudy water through a cloth first, because tablets work best on clear water.
