Hobbies And Interests

How to Build a Silt Separator

Silt, a type of soil found in water, has a smaller grain size than sand, so it feels soft and smooth but not as sticky as clay. Silt is easily picked up and carried by water currents, such as those in streams, which will disperse the particles. A silt separator can help remove silt, as well as sand and clay, from collected water. If you are trying to filter water for drinking or other purposes, separating the particles is the first step.

Things You'll Need

  • 2-liter plastic bottle
  • Plastic straw
  • Large grain gravel
  • Fine grain gravel
  • Large grain sand
  • Fine grain sand
  • Charcoal granules
  • Coffee filter
  • Cotton batting
  • Scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut out the bottom of the 2-liter plastic bottle.

    • 2

      Poke a hole in the cap wide enough to fit the plastic straw inside.

    • 3

      Slide the straw into the hole of the cap, pushing it in about halfway.

    • 4

      Place a lining of cotton batting around the straw, inside the plastic bottle.

    • 5

      Hold the plastic bottle upside down and add a layer of charcoal granules on top of the cotton batting. The layer should be about half an inch thick.

    • 6

      Add a layer of thin grained sand, followed by a layer of large grain sand. Follow these layers with a layer of thin grained gravel and a layer of large grained gravel. Each layer should be about half an inch thick.

    • 7

      Repeat Step 4 until the entire bottle is filled with alternating layers.

    • 8

      Place a coffee filter at the top of the separator.

    • 9

      Place the straw end of the separator inside a mug or jar. Pour water in, which will seep through the layers of sand and gravel, separating the silt and other particles from the water. Clear water will be collected by the cotton batting and drip through the straw.


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