distilling pond water

[Trigger Mike]

ever on my quest to prepare for the annual hurricanes and since I am on a well and the other day all but the pump went out, I found this still at walmart.  If I put it over a camp fire and grate and distilled pond or even rain water then would I still need to add bleach or send through a filter etc?

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Arksen-3-Gallon-10-to-12-Liter-Water-Alcohol-Wine-Distiller-Boiler-Kit-for-Home-Brewing-Stainless-Steel/710001780?sourceid=dsn_fb_72ca3c66-e440-408a-91fd-25f830a5004c&veh=dsn&wmlspartner=dsn_fb_72ca3c66-e440-408a-91fd-25f830a5004c

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Use an alcohol l still for distilling water?  Ok.  

 

If you do as directed, The water coming out of it will not contain anything that can be filtered out. The only possible germs would be those that can survive boiling and evaporation which I believe is none.  You do have make sure it is clean before you use it.

[Badlands Bob #61228]

Distilling water turns the water into vaper and then condenses back into water.  All of the impurities and germs are left in the origional container.   Most liquids will also turn to vaper and condense also.  You would be fine drinking pond water after you have run it through the still as long as it wasn't contaminated with something like gasoline or pesticides.

[Assassin]

Just make a dip tube for your current well. 10 foot stick of pipe with a check valve on the bottom with a rope tied through the top. You can pull a gallon or so everytime

you drop the pipe into the well, pipe can be 1-2 inches in diameter.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

44 minutes ago, Assassin said:

Just make a dip tube for your current well. 10 foot stick of pipe with a check valve on the bottom with a rope tied through the top. You can pull a gallon or so everytime

you drop the pipe into the well, pipe can be 1-2 inches in diameter.

 

That'd be rough in these parts ~ domestic wells are 500' deep and deeper.  Ma's arms would get a mite tired!  

[Assassin]

10 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

 

That'd be rough in these parts ~ domestic wells are 500' deep and deeper.  Ma's arms would get a mite tired!  

Just because the well is that deep doesn't mean the water level is that low.

Both my wells are 130-180 feet deep, water is only 24-30 feet from the top of the casing. 

It'd be good exercise and an opportunity to work on the old lady "bingo arms".

No worse than catching a nice catfish. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

The depth of the well is not the important thing. It’s the height of the water table.

 

for example my well is 800 ft deep but if the water level was 800 ft down, it would take me hours to draw eneough for a bath, because it only fills at less than a galllon a minute.  No it fills until the water gets to the height of the water table giving me pi r squared times 750 ftof water before my supply slows down with a 10 in diameter pipe.

[Dustin Checotah]

1 hour ago, Badlands Bob #61228 said:

Distilling water turns the water into vaper and then condenses back into water.  All of the impurities and germs are left in the origional container.   Most liquids will also turn to vaper and condense also.  You would be fine drinking pond water after you have run it through the still as long as it wasn't contaminated with something like gasoline or pesticides.

Most the gas or pesticides will distill first especially if they have a lower boiling point. Or if you run your still to high you can get carryover with things that have a higher boiling point. Maybe using something to catch rain water instead of the pond. The dip tube is a good idea if your well is not too deep.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

The reason they're so deep is the old 350' holes went dry.

 

I know a fella who had to go down 750'... and the water was terrible.  He had it tested, and was told they'd likely drilled into an area of rotted redwood trees.  Yuck!

 

Now he has an installation behind the house that looks like a small refinery.  Water is pumped and processed, with three outflows - smallest is potable, next is okay for watering and I think his pool, the largest share goes back into the ground.

 

Water is a scarce commodity in these parts.  Remember... our illustrious guv'nor has pretty much issued a statewide a edict limiting encouraging us to limit daily use of  55 gal/person by 2020, and 50 gal/person two years after that.  

[Trigger Mike]

My well is sitting on a cement slab. I don't think I can get to it

[Pat Riot]

Keep your still clean and you won’t have any problems with getting clean water, Mike.

 

Perhaps your still in conjunction with a water purification pump or system? That way you have a couple of options. Look at the number 1 item on this list.

https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-camping-water-filters.amp

 

[Badlands Bob #61228]

I guess it depends on just how much water you need.  If you just want to supply cooking and drinking water, then one of the water purification pumps/filters are a good choice.  I used one when hiking the Appalachian Trail.  You can fill up a quart water bottle in a few minutes.  If you want to take baths and water livestock, you'll need something else.

[Ramblin Gambler]

16 hours ago, Assassin said:

Both my wells are 130-180 feet deep, water is only 24-30 feet from the top of the casing. 

 

Then I don't understand how you're reaching water with a 10 foot pole.  Please explain. 

[Assassin]

1 minute ago, Ramblin Gambler said:

 

Then I don't understand how you're reaching water with a 10 foot pole.  Please explain. 

Pipe is attached to a rope. Drop it in the well, the check valve allows water into the pipe and just pull it out. Each pull will get a gallon or more depending on the diameter of the pipe. It's just for emergencies, not something I would use unless I had to in a SHTF scenario or extended power outage. It would beat filtering and boiling water.

 

[Ramblin Gambler]

 

3 minutes ago, Assassin said:

Pipe is attached to a rope. Drop it in the well, the check valve allows water into the pipe and just pull it out. Each pull will get a gallon or more depending on the diameter of the pipe. It's just for emergencies, not something I would use unless I had to in a SHTF scenario or extended power outage. It would beat filtering and boiling water.

 

 

OK I gotcha.  I thought there was a dipper on the end of the pipe.

 

[Utah Bob #35998]

The problem with pond water is possible contamination from agriculture runoff. The bacteria can be distilled out but not all the various chemicals.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

First, you will need to filter the water, and then distill.

Have a water test kit and test often.

Here is what you want to look out for.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/private/wells/disease/giardia.html

 

OLG

 

[The Shoer 27979]

4 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

First, you will need to filter the water, and then distill.

Have a water test kit and test often.

Here is what you want to look out for.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/private/wells/disease/giardia.html

 

OLG

 

Lumpy beat me too it, plus you do not need that still, to distill water.

[Dead River Den, SASS#915]

I use an item called an earthstraw to pump out of well then use a water filter(katyhadin) to filter the water, the earthstraw fits into any well caseing and is basically a hand pump that goes next to your installed  pump, i believe bison makes a heavier duty stainless one. They have larger gravity fed filters for more volumune, the earth straw works great, been using at an off grid camp for 5 years now even in winter, hardly ever run my generator to power regular well pump.

take care, stay safe

drd

[J.D. Daily]

If you live in an area where all wells have pitless adapter or well head is below grade in a pit with the pressure tank you will have to use an A frame to remove the seal; so, you can drop your home brew bailer.  If you live where there is frequent multi hour power failures buy a generator sized to run your pump refrigerator, and a few lights.  Also, have a licensed electrical contractor install a manual transfer switch & generator receptacle.  If you live in a flood plane all the none waterproof electrical equipment should be above the FEMA high water mark.  After experiencing one 2+ hr. power outage a year I did just that.

[Subdeacon Joe]

Best way to clean pond water is to make beer.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

11 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

Best way to clean pond water is to make beer.

I wonder what flavors are added from decayed leaves.

[Subdeacon Joe]

4 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I wonder what flavors are added from decayed leaves.

 

 

I think it was at UC Davis that a study (doctoral project?) was done on beer.  Took some really scuzzy and polluted water, made beer with it, and the brewing process removed the nastiness.  https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/how-beer-saved-the-world/

[Dustin Checotah]

58 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I wonder what flavors are added from decayed leaves.

Tannins.

 

[Trigger Mike]

But I could use this for the underground springs that start on my property and only show up after rain right? They flow toward a major pond

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Yes

[Sedalia Dave]

One thing to consider with wet weather springs is that the water can be as contaminated as pond water.  The water feeding a wet weather spring is almost always surface water that is blocked from travelling deeper into the ground by a layer of impermeable material usually made of rock or clay. Because these layers are relatively shallow very little natural filtering of the water takes place.

 

This isn't always true but it is something you should consider. Given today's plethora of chemicals, pesticides, and other things that end up in our drinking water; you should test the water from any source before drinking it.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

put the water in a clean barrel , add some corn , yeast and sugar , 

 

let it set for a week or so , then run it 

 

  ortta be just fine 

 

  CB 

[Ramblin Gambler]

The corn, yeast, and sugar acts as a natural artisan purifier.  Right? 

 

 

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

yep and it lowers the boiling point a mite , 

 

 so ya save on fuel cost 

 

  CB 

[Shotgun Willie Nelson]

I've got a few surplus bags of dehydrated water I'd be willing to let go at a reasonable price if anyone is interested....

[Ramblin Gambler]

I need something like that for my bug out bag.  How small does it shrink up when dehydrated, and what's the shelf life? I can vacuum seal it if that helps any.