Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

thruster_fuel69 t1_iwv0c3v wrote

Reply to comment by DocMoochal in Extreme heat will change us by SigmundFreud

We really need better water recycling. That's the only item on this list I have trouble planning for when the services shut down.

7

Advanced_Double_42 t1_iwvw3dj wrote

Water recycling can be done at home as long as you can boil water.

It can be done with just sunlight too if you have enough space and time.

1

thruster_fuel69 t1_iwvwemk wrote

Need to look into this more. Any resources you use to learn on it?

1

Advanced_Double_42 t1_iwvzioq wrote

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Distilled-Water

The first two setups are great if you have a stove or fire. Ice is not necessary, but will speed it up.

Personally, I would run rain-water through one of the first two setups, but it should be drinkable as is.

https://www.distilledwaterassociation.org/2018/08/08/how-to-make-distilled-water-easy-with-the-power-of-the-sun/

This can work too if you have no heat source, but will be much slower. It is essentially the 1st setup from WikiHow, but with tarps and the sun.

3

Straight_Ship2087 t1_iwxvnd1 wrote

To add to this, lookup "earthships". There is a ton of valuable energy in human waste, in both the form of fuel and fertilizer. There are plenty of ways to recycle water while preserving the valuable parts (and not dying of dysentery).

1

NotSoSalty t1_iwz5k61 wrote

Doesn't remove chemicals doing it that way. You gotta strain it through activated charcoal or something like that lest you end up drinking a life ruining chemical like lead or insecticide.

1

Advanced_Double_42 t1_ix88qjj wrote

Not just boiling a pot, distilling the water. Heat it to a vapor, then capture it and condense it.

1

NotSoSalty t1_ix89r8i wrote

Chemical contaminants that have a boiling point near water will contaminate your distilled water. Just boiling it isn't good enough. Even physical contaminates that are light enough to be carried by vapor will still be in your water. Boiling is only a single step in the water purification process.

It's better than nothing, but not a good long term solution.

If you were to live anywhere near fertilizer, boiling is not good enough.

I understand what you mean. Boiling water and capturing the water vapor ain't gonna cut it.

1

Advanced_Double_42 t1_ix8wj7c wrote

I mean humans used to just drink water from random wells, springs, and streams.

Distillation may not be perfect, but I'd argue it is more often overkill than insufficient in survival scenarios.

Maintaining a reverse osmosis system or getting access to chlorine/iodine to purify the water is a much harder and come with their own downsides too.

1