d. Water Trailer Disinfection.
(1) Significance. If the chlorine residual is inadequate for any reason, your
unit has the capability to disinfect the water and make it safe to drink.
(2) Procedure. Get the jar of chlorine, a canteen cup, a spoon, and the 5
ppm test vial and you're ready to begin.
(a) Add spoonful of calcium hypochlorite to canteen cup.
(b)
Make a slurry.
(c)
Dump the slurry into the water trailer.
(d)
Wait ten minutes.
(e) Check to ensure more than five ppm chlorine remains. (If not, return
to step 2a).
(f)
Wait for a total of 30 minutes.
e. Boiling. Clear water can be made safe to drink by boiling it vigorously for at
least 15 seconds (at least 20 minutes if there is danger of infectious hepatitis in the
area). This method usually should not be used when chemical disinfectants are
available, because boiling does not protect the water from recontamination. If dirty
water must be used, part of the impurities in it may settle out and may be discarded if
the water is allowed to stand for a short time. In addition, part of the remaining
impurities suspended in the water may be filtered out and discarded. An emergency
filter may be made from a wool blanket or from local granular material (sand, pebbles).
6-4.
INDIVIDUAL WATER PURIFICATION
a. General. When small patrols or detachments are operating away from their
units and treated water is not available, each soldier must produce his own potable
water. To do this, he finds the best available source of water (para 6-2) and purifies it in
his canteen, using either the standard issue iodine water purification tablets or the
calcium hypochlorite ampules from the chlorination kit (para 6-3). Commanders should
ensure that all members of their units are supplied with water purification tablets or
ampules.
b. Use of Iodine Tablets to Purify Water in a Canteen.
(1) Before iodine tablets are used, they should first be checked for physical
change, as they lose their disinfecting ability in time. Tablets that are not gray in color,
which are stuck together, or which are crumbled should not be used.
MD0008
6-7