How to Make Drinking Water Safe at Home

Unsafe drinking water can spread serious illnesses, including diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis A and polio. WHO estimates that at least 1.7 billion people worldwide drink water contaminated with faeces, and that contaminated drinking water causes around 505,000 deaths from diarrhoea every year. Treating and storing water properly at home is one of the simplest ways to protect your family.

How long should you boil drinking water?

According to the CDC, bring clear water to a rolling boil for 1 minute. At heights above 6,500 feet (about 2,000 metres), boil for 3 minutes. Boiling kills bacteria, viruses and parasites.

What if the water is cloudy?

Treat cloudy water before boiling:

1. Pour it through a clean cloth to filter it, or
2. Let it stand so dirt settles to the bottom, then carefully pour off the clear water on top.
3. Then boil the clear water as normal.

After boiling

• Let the water cool completely.
• Pour it into a clean, sanitised container and close it tightly.
• If boiled water tastes flat, pour it from one clean container to another a few times, or add a small pinch of salt per litre.

What boiling cannot do

Boiling does not remove harmful chemicals. If you think your water is polluted with chemicals, boiling will not make it safe to drink, so use another safe source.

How to store water safely

Clean water can become dirty again if it is stored poorly, most often when hands, cups or ladles are dipped into it. A good storage container should:

• Be made of strong plastic, ceramic or metal
• Have a narrow neck or small opening, so water is poured out rather than scooped
• Have a lid or cap that closes tightly
• Ideally have a handle, so it is easy to carry
• Never have held toxic chemicals such as bleach or pesticides

Label treated water as drinking water, with the date it was treated. Keep containers in a cool place, out of direct sunlight and away from chemicals. Covering stored water also stops mosquitoes breeding in it, which helps prevent dengue.

How to clean a water container

1. Wash it with soap and water, then rinse well.
2. Sanitise it with a diluted bleach solution: the CDC suggests 1 teaspoon of plain, unscented liquid household bleach in about 1 litre (1 quart) of water.
3. Swirl it so it touches all inside surfaces, and leave it for at least 30 seconds.
4. Pour it out and let the container air-dry before filling.

When to see a doctor

If anyone at home gets diarrhoea, start oral rehydration solution (ORS) straight away. See a doctor if there is blood in the stool, a high fever, repeated vomiting, or signs of dehydration such as very little urine, dizziness or unusual sleepiness. Children and older people can become dehydrated quickly. In an emergency, call Rescue 1122.