A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


January 18, 2012

Do You Know SODIS?

     Today, I'm going to give you some information that will be easy to remember and put into practice.  My husband, who is pretty knowledgeable about outdoor and survivalist skills, tells me that not many men know this practical, and often overlooked, method for purifying water.  This method is not complicated and easy for everyone to perform -- man, woman or child.
     SODIS stands for Solar Water Disinfection.  SODIS kills those nasty little pathogens that cause diarrhea, which in turn causes dehydration, which causes 3000 deaths per year in the U.S., and 2.2 million deaths globally.
     So what do you need to perform the SODIS method?  It's very simple:

1.  A clean, clear plastic or glass container, less than 3 liters.  Bottles that have contained water, juice, soft drinks, peanut butter, and salad dressings make good instruments for water purification.
2.  The sun
3.  6 hours

     That's it!  See why this is an easy method, and one you should keep in your Prepper hard drive?  And it's simple to put into practice.  You place the plastic bottles on their side for best results, and if possible, have a good supply of bottles on hand.  Rotating your supply of bottles will allow you to always have safe water available.
     How does it work?  SODIS exposes waterborne pathogens to ultraviolet radiation supplied by the sun.  This method was originally developed in India around 2000 BC.  I'm not sure what they used for a container, but we owe them a debt of gratitude.
     And what are the steps to the SODIS method?
1.  Fill your bottle 3/4 full of clear water, if available, or whatever water is on hand.
2.  Shake bottle for 20 seconds in order to dissolve as much oxygen as possible.
3.  Fill the remainder of the bottle and put the cap on.
4.  Place the bottle in direct sunlight for at least 6 hours, and preferably 8.  Placing the bottles on reflective material such as tin roofs, sheets of metal, or light-colored rock will improve the process.
5.  The water is now disinfected and drinkable with 99.9% of living organisms destroyed.
     Millions of people in undeveloped countries purify their water using the SODIS method every day.  SODIS can reduce dysentery by 20 to 50%!  When combined with proper hand-washing, the results were even better.

     While a simple method to conduct, there are things that you can do wrong:
1.  Don't use bottles that are too large.  Small bottles of one liter work best, and nothing over 3 liters.
2.  Don't use opaque bottles.  CLEAR bottles are a must!
3.  The method won't work in cloudy weather.  Make sure the sun is shining brightly!
4.  Any less than 6 hours will not adequately purify your water.
     So now I think you can see how valuable this method of water purification could be if you are faced with any emergency or situation where fresh, clean water is unavailable.  I highly recommend keeping a good supply of clear bottles on hand, and at least a couple in your Go Bag.  Just remember, Sun and Six Hours.....Simple.

John 7:38    "Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!  For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.' " 

5 comments:

  1. Thank you for this great idea! I have copied the material and added it to my survival binder. Keep up the great work.

    P.S. I found your site from the link on today's survivalblog.com (January 26/12)

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    1. Thanks for the comment! It's nice to know there are people out there creating survival binders! Way to go!

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  2. Uhn no, that is NO! Sunlight will NOT kill all the pathogens, a couple of drops of bleach will do the job.

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  3. Robert, I understand that it doesn't kill ALL the pathogens, but when it's all you've got, it's all you've got! When the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Red Cross recommend this method in developing countries, it tells me it's an acceptable method. And If you are in a SHTF situation and have bleach, then you don't really need SODIS, do you?

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  4. Hey Pam.. Couldn't find another way to message you so doing it this way.

    I put a link to this post on our website a few days ago. The hate mail came pouring in. One gentleman in particular was quite adamant that SODIS is a bad idea. I would attach a copy of the entertaining email exchange but it mostly contained cuss words. Thought I would share my "final word" to the guy just in case you are getting the same response from people.

    "I find it ironic that the people claiming SODIS is unsafe are perfectly content drinking water that contains chemical contamination. They depend on the local village idiot to properly treat their drinking water with various combinations of disinfectants, oxidants, pH conditioners, corrosion inhibitors, etc.etc. I drank city water once. I breathed city air once. Its not all good.

    When somebody offers up a different idea they get chastised. This is the result of a government controlled, corporate sponsored education system. There is a chemical solution for every problem. Medicine is the perfect example.

    SODIS is not something some fool pulled out of his ass. Of course it has limitations. I am not saying that we all should go put our water on the roof. I am not saying that we should stop drinking water from the municipal water supply.. I am saying that we should question tradition, educate ourselves, and assume responsibility.

    Do your homework before you call bullshit.."

    Dont expect you to post this as a comment,,,, just sharing.. I removed the link to this post.

    Hope you guys are doing well. Let me know a good time for me to show up Monday and I will bring a stove by..

    David

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