How can we get rid of the sediment in our drinking water?
"Well, I have bad news, and I have bad news," Tony explained as he hoisted our empty water jug over his head. He walked toward the canoes after having gone up to a small village in search of clean water.
"There's no water in the town. And they said there will be no clean water until we reach Santarem - three days from now."
Up until this point, we have been able to find clean water in small villages. We still treat the clean water with pills that makes it safe for us to drink. The pills also will treat the water from the river, but there is sediment that makes the water bad-tasting and un-desirable, even if it is safe.
So, we are faced with drinking treated river water for the next three days. Do you have any ideas how get rid of some of the sediment in this water? We have two 20-liter jugs, six 2-liter jugs, and several 1-liter jugs. Let us know your ideas!
Answer to yesterday's dilemma:
Students gave us many good ideas about how we can limit the amount of trash we produce. We will try to follow their suggestions and we will also collect our garbage and carry it with us until we find a large town where we can recycle it properly.
What is your favorite part of the Trans-Amazon Expedition?
Comments
Take a small towel and put a large bowl under it. Next, pour the water on to the towel and let it seep into the bowl. Most of the sediment should stay on the towel while the water goes through.
Posted by: abbie | October 21, 2008 8:32 AM
take the 1 liter bottles and use the pills
Posted by: david | October 21, 2008 9:05 AM
i think you should put the pills in the water, then put water flavoring in there to take some of the bad nasty pill flavor out. (if you have it) but if you don't have it put some tropical juice from the rain forestes fruits to put it in the water. If you can't do that then get two buckets and get a drainer and put it up to the bucket that first has the water and put the drainer on the top of it and pour the water into the
other bucket.
Posted by: jamie and sarah | October 21, 2008 10:13 AM
you could try not to drink alot of water
Posted by: blair | October 21, 2008 10:48 AM
We suggest you try to seperate the sediment somehow. Also, you could use fruit from the forest to "disguise" the bad taste.
Posted by: Mrs. Palmer's class | October 21, 2008 11:04 AM
We think you should strain the water with the top of a pot. Maybe you can put some holes in it somehow.
Posted by: Mrs. M's Third grade | October 21, 2008 11:42 AM
I think you should get a towel and poke a tiny hole in the towel.Pour it in their. If that doesn't work try getting fruit you know isin't poisonous and make fruit juice and you can hydrate on that until you get to Santerm. Hopefully you will get there before three days or stop at a couple houses that have fresh water. safe journey to all
Alex
Posted by: Alexandra | October 21, 2008 11:49 AM
Can you put the water through strainers, or tea bag paper, or let it set and settle and skim off the top?
Posted by: Newfane | October 21, 2008 1:14 PM
We suggest that you eat something when you drink the water to mask the taste, or put something in the water like orange juice to make it taste better.
Another student suggests that you use a screen to filter the water.
Another student suggests putting a small hole in one bottle and letting the water run from one bottle to another as a means of filtering the water.
Try to catch rain water with a bowl.
Boil the water.
Posted by: Mrs. DeCock's class | October 21, 2008 1:16 PM