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How to Drink Water From a Pond

Drinking straight from a pond is unsafe as the water can contain contaminants and disease-causing microorganisms. Ailments and diseases caused by drinking unpurified water include, but are not limited to, cholera, typhoid fever, E-coli and dysentery. However, in a survival situation it might be necessary to drink water from a pond. According to David O Cooney, author of "Purification of Wilderness Waters: A Practical Guide," by using proper precautions, you can treat water taken from a freshwater pond so that it is safe for consumption.

Things You'll Need

Coffee filter
Pan
Bleach
Empty bottle
Stove or campfire

Instructions

- 1
  Collect water from the pond in an empty bottle. Use a bottle that you do not plan to drink from later as the pond water will have contaminated it.
- 2
  Hold a coffee filter over your pan and slowly pour the water through it. This filters out any foreign debris that is in the pond water. Do not rush the process or let any unfiltered water spill into the pan.
- 3
  Place the pan over a hot stove or campfire and bring the water to a rolling boil. Allow the water to boil for two minutes before removing the pan from the heat source.
- 4
  Place one or two drops of bleach into the water as it cools. Do not use more than this amount, as just 1 tsp. of bleach will disinfect 10 gallons of water. Use bleach free of perfumes and dyes.
- 5
  Allow the treated water to cool for at least 30 minutes before consumption.

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