Hi all,
It's been years since I logged in-
As a preparedness/survival instructor, I teach filtration, treatment, then a second filtration when possible.
The products I am familiar with use chlorine dioxide (either drops or tablets) to treat the water for giardia etc and I use a particulate filter to get the solids out. There are many similar brands on the market. I've been a fan of Aquamira products for years.
I also found this machine online that pulls humidity from the air to create water!
Home and Office : Atmospheric Water Generator : Drinking Water Dispenser | EcoloBlue? Life & Energy It is very cool technology. Or you may want to look at Berkey filiters
Berkey Water Filter Models Comparison Page These have been popular for years and use UV light/filtration to purify your water.
Then there is always bleach!
1) 1 Gallon water is disinfected by 8-16 drops of regular household bleach (visually about 1/4 of a teaspoon) - double that for cloudy water. Shake and let stand 30 minutes. One teaspoon will disinfect 5 gallons. Immediately after treating, water must initially have a slight smell of chlorine. If it does not - repeat the process.
2) Regularly used water from large tanks may be treated once or twice a month with 1 Oz. bleach per 200 gallons or 5 Oz. bleach per 1000 gallons.
3) Bleach effectively kills bacteria and viruses, stops smells and then breaks down. It's effective germ killing alkaline property is completely neutralized very quickly. It does not stay chemically active in tanks for more than a few days. Most germs require sunlight to grow. Store water in the dark.
When I travel I carry a one litre "sport bottle" that has a filter in the neck. I add a water purification tablet to it, and in 30 minutes I have safe drinking water from just about anywhere--including the tap, in the DR. Always remember, filters don't always kill "germs", you must understand the type of filtration you have to know the type of treatment required to make safe, clean drinking water.