An optional endless fresh water source using ocean saltwater?
Should our city utility infrastructure fail because of earthquakes or worse through terrorist destruction of municipal water well fields, we will quickly need to find a new source of fresh, clean drinking water to survive. If you own your own well it’s not a problem, but for city people who rely on the city water, it is a big problem as they will have to find fresh water and haul it home.
If like me and you live just a few steps to saltwater or if you own a 25 foot or larger boat kept at a dock in saltwater you’ll easily have all the raw salt water needed to make fresh water from using a Desalinator.
On my blog list, I follow a couple full-time sailboat cruisers, a great bug out vehicle by the way! I never gave much thought as to where they get all their fresh water from except they could go ashore and fill 5-gallon jugs from the marinas, or springs or have the boats fresh water tank filled at a marina. However small, island marinas would concern me because they may not take seriously the necessary steps to provide safe, bacteria and bug-free water.
Thanks to the blog ‘Zero to Cruising’ who is selling the catamaran, which I’d love to own, they listed the inventory of all items going with the boat. Reading that list is where I saw the Saltwater Desalinator used on their boat listed!
I never gave a Desalinator much Survival thought mostly because I never needed one and never knew anyone who uses one until recently. I thought they would be huge in physical size and cost a lot of money to produce enough water to be worthwhile.
If you live on a bug out boat used in saltwater or live close to ocean saltwater here’s a survival option, a Desalinator.
The photo below is of the Desalinator installed in the catamaran ‘Zero to Cruising’. This size makes 3.4 gallons of fresh water an hour, runs on 12 volts and is compact in size. This model may seem a bit pricey at $5,000.00 but to have all the fresh water you need it’s a deal.
The model shown in the photo is:
Katadyn E80 12VDC water maker.
Runs on 12 volts.
This E80 model makes 3.4 gallons per hour.
Link to the factory web site for specs, other sizes and more information:
Summary:
Your bug out location may have you on the shore of an ocean and on solid rock with no way of drilling a well. Having a Desalinator will remove the worries of having enough fresh water to live comfortably.
Using a Desalinator requires 12-volt power and I assume as a Prepper, you would have a small solar system or generator should the grid go down to run it.
That's a nice unit but I have to wonder how many gallons a filter is good for. A tried and true method is a distiller a variation of a moonshine still. while its a bit slower it is versatile .On land a solar distiller can be built for very little.http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/home/how-to-make-a-solar-still-ze0z1209zsch.aspx?PageId=1
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DeleteHow long will the reverse osmosis membrane (filters) last?
DeleteFrom the Katadyn owners manual:
“The two reverse osmosis membrane elements inside the membrane housing are expensive and delicate components of your system. When properly cared for, they can be expected to last for several thousand hours of use. However, improper use, maintenance or handling can damage or destroy them very quickly”.
At nearly $500 for replacement filters, it’s best to treat them properly. Using just 2,000 hours of life that is 6,800 gallons of fresh water or $0.07 a gallon.