Everyone needs to be drinking safe and clean water whilst they are on the move, so here’s an article I found on wwwnc.cdc.gov it explains all the safety points when choosing what water you should drink.

Drinking Safe and Clean Water: How to

Drinking Safe And Clean Water

In areas where tap water is not chlorinated or where sanitation is poor, there are several alternative methods for ensuring water is safe to drink. These include boiling the water, chemically disinfecting it, filtering it, using various combinations of the previously stated methods, or buying bottled water. Remember: if the tap water is not safe to drink in the area you are visiting, do not use it to reconstitute juice or to rinse fresh fruits and vegetables. Also avoid ice made from tap water.

Below we describe ways to make sure water is safe to drink.

Bottled Water

Bottled water from a trusted source is a recommended alternative to tap water. Before drinking, be sure all bottled beverages have fully sealed caps. If seals are not intact, the bottles may have been refilled.

Boiling Water

Boiling water is the best method for making water safe to drink. Boiling water as recommended will kill bacterial, parasitic, and viral causes of diarrhea. Adding a pinch of salt to each quart will improve the taste.

Directions for Boiling Water

• Boil water vigorously for 1 minute and allow it to cool to room temperature (do not add ice).
• At altitudes greater than 6,562 feet (>2,000 m), boil water for 3 minutes or use chemical disinfection after water has been boiled for 1 minute.

Chemical Disinfection

If boiling water is not possible, chemical disinfection with iodine (e.g., Globaline, Potable-Aqua, or Coghlan’s, found in pharmacies and sporting goods stores) is another method for making water safer to drink. Cryptosporidium (a parasite that can cause diarrhea) and other coccidian parasites (e.g., Cyclospora, Toxoplasma) might not be killed by this method. Cloudy water should be strained through a clean cloth into a container to remove any sediment or floating matter, and then the water should be treated with iodine.Portable Water Filters

Certain types of portable water filters can also remove some types of infectious agents from drinking water. However, most of the portable filters on the market do not effectively remove viruses, thus chemical disinfection of water is needed after filtering with such filters to make the water safer for drinking. Some portable water filters designed to remove parasites (Giardia/Cryptosporidium) have an “absolute” pore sizes of 0.1 to 1-micrometer and, therefore, may also remove most diarrhea-causing bacteria. Viruses are smaller than 0.1 micron and will NOT be removed by filters with a pore size of 0.1 or larger. To kill viruses that may pass through these filters, add iodine (as described above) to the filtered water before you drink it.

Note: Chlorine in various forms has also been used for chemical disinfection. However, it is not as reliable as iodine for killing disease causing organisms in the wide range of water-quality conditions that travelers might encounter

Risk for travelers

Waterborne disease is a risk for international travelers who visit countries that have poor hygiene and inadequate sanitation, and for wilderness visitors who rely on surface water in any country, including the United States. The list of potential waterborne pathogens is extensive and includes bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasitic helminths. Most of the organisms that can cause travelers’ diarrhea can be waterborne. Where treated tap water is available, most travelers’ intestinal infections are probably transmitted by food, but where untreated surface or well water is used and there is no sanitation infrastructure, the risk of waterborne infection is high. Microorganisms with small infectious doses can even cause illness through recreational water exposure, via inadvertent water ingestion.

Bottled water has become the convenient solution for most travelers, but in some places it may not be superior to tap water. Moreover, the plastic bottles create an ecological problem, since most developing countries do not recycle plastic bottles. All international travelers, especially long-term travelers or expatriates, should become familiar with and use simple methods to ensure safe drinking water.

Here’s also a great video on how to use the steri pen so you can keep Drinking Safe And Clean Water

So make sure your all being safe, by drinking clean water when your out on your travels, and if you like my post about Drinking Safe And Clean Water, then don’t forget to share and like with future travelers, by clicking the buttons below. Many thanks