Choosing a Water Treatment
Which water purification method is best for you? Safe drinking water is essential for good health - but when you're travelling, how can you be sure the water you're drinking won't make you ill? Our water treatment comparison gives you the information to choose the best way to ensure your drinking water is safe.
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Tablets & Drops
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Filters & Purifiers
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Tablets and drops work through a chemical process. After adding the tablets or drops to the contaminated water, the chemicals neutralise the viruses, bacteria and other harmful organisms contained within.
Because of the way in which these products work, it can take upwards of 20 minutes for them to be fully effective. They can also alter the taste, smell and colouration of the water after they are added.
Unlike filters, tablets and drops will not remove particle matter such as silt or harmful chemicals from the water. |
At its simplist, these work by straining water through them. They trap and remove silt and particle matter, some right down the size scale to bacteria and water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
Some filters use activated carbon to further remove chemical and organic compounds to make water even safter and taste better.
Purifiers frequently incorporate an extra chemical stage to kill organisms too small to be filtered.
Many filters and purifiers can be damaged by high dirt loads or salty water. |
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Name
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Method
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Method
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Drops
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Fast, easy to use (15-20mins)
Leaves no smell or taste
Treats 120 litres
Effective against a wide range of hard-to-kill viruses
Recommended by SafariQuip |
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Tablets (30)
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Very safe and highly effective
Leaves no taste or smell
Better protection than ordinary chlorine tablets
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Tablets (72)
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Suitable for long term use
Efficient killing of organisms
Treats up to 72 litres per pack |
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Tablets (72)
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Removes colour / smell / taste from treated water
Treats up to 70 litres per pack |
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Filter
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No need for electricity or chemical treatment
Up to 80 litres of safe water per day
Used by many of the worlds major aid and relief organisations |
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Filter
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Very portable
Cleanable by back-flushing
Can handle dirty water |
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Purifier
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Very simple to use. Bottle stores 750ml
Up to 350 litres of drinking water per cartridge
No treatment chemicals left in the water
Low cost per litre
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Filter
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Very robust
Field-serviceable
Can handle dirty water |
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LifeSystems Iodine Tabs
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Tablets (50)
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Discontinued 2009 because of new EC regulations |
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Trekker's Well Purifier
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Purifier
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Discontinued 2009 because of new EC regulations |
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Pocket Well Filter
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Purifier
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Discontinued 2009 because of new EC regulations |
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