Survival Topics Boiling Water Article has World Wide Influence
More Articles Related to WaterThe watershed Survival Topics article “How Long do you need to Boil Water?” has caught the attention of organizations like the National Science Foundation and the US Environmental Protection Agency drinking water division and may very well lead to some important changes in the advice they give for safe drinking water practices.
It gives me great pleasure that a survival website created by one outdoorsman / survival expert can help the lives of thousands of people throughout the world and help save many acres of forestland from destruction.
About Boiling Water
Hitherto advice from a wide variety of official sources erroneously state required boiling times for water of from 3 to ten minutes or more, causing a massive waste of fuel resources throughout the world.
If you read How Long do you Need to Boil Water? you will see I advocate boiling water for a total of zero minutes in order to destroy disease causing organisms and make it safe to drink. I show that all that is needed is to get the water to a rolling boil (about 212F / 110C at sea level) and then turn off the heat source.
In fact, even before the water reaches the boiling point it has been rendered safe to drink – somewhere around 185 degrees F (85 C) is as hot as it needs to get. Even at high altitudes water boils at a higher temperature than that. Lacking a thermometer to measure water temperature, boiling is proof beyond doubt it has become hot enough.
A Little Boiling Controversy, then Acceptance
Response to the Survival Topics boiling water article met with some controversy as long-held beliefs were challenged. However I feel I was able to dispel any doubts with proper citations and a water boiling experiment I performed and documented from home.
I have heard through the grapevine that elements of the National Science Foundation are thinking of reducing the recommended boil water time to zero minutes as originally advocated by Survival Topics.
Using less fuel for the heating of safe drinking water will have a world wide impact in saving thousands of acres of forest from being turned into firewood, reduce fuel requirements in underdeveloped nations where firewood is often very difficult and time consuming to obtain, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Even in developed countries the reduction in home and camp firewood and other fuel use will have a positive impact on the environment. Stocks of fuel will last longer during emergencies when contaminated water must be disinfected by boiling.
Remember, when boiling water to make it safe to drink you only need to get it to a rolling boil. That’s it. You’re done. Turn off the heat and stop wasting fuel!
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Northern California
Good job, Ron! Kudos and congratulations! It hasn't been clear to me how long the boil time should be. How the NSF, the EPA and other organizations could have let this simple but important question slide past them without really looking at it, i don't know. Too much copying of inaccurate, old information, i guess.