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Water Tap Filter

One of the cheapest and most useful ways to filter water for emergency preparedness is a simple, compact filter that screws onto a hose bib or faucet. Most models of this type remove bacteria, protozoa, sediment and microplastics.

“These are great if you have a hurricane or an earthquake or something else that puts you under a boil water advisory,” says Darrel Larson, international director for Sawyer Products. “Some people mount them on a five-gallon bucket. Then you can take it down to a lake, a creek or somebody’s swimming pool, fill it up and filter a liter of water per minute.”

Note: If using pool water, filter it, then let it sit outside for 24 hours so the chlorine dissipates.

And these really do work. After Sawyer deployed 130,000 filters in Liberia, waterborne sicknesses like diarrhea dropped from 36% of the population to less than 2%. These also last for years, even under constant field use.

Look for ones that accommodate various tap sizes and filter down to 0.1 microns, like Sawyer’s Tap Water Filtration System. Clean these filters regularly with a syringe (some models, including Sawyer’s, come with one) or similar device to flush water backward through them.

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Other Portable Water Filters

There are lots of portable squeeze, pump and gravity filters on the market popular with outdoor enthusiasts and people creating go-bags and other emergency preparedness kits.

If they have the word “filter” in the product name, they’re likely good for getting out bacteria, protozoa, sediment and microplastics. Just look for ones that filter down to 0.1 microns. If they have the word “purifier” they will likely also remove viruses. Most will not remove longer-term exposure hazards like pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals and fertilizers.

A few of the configurations travel water filters come in include:

Precautionary note: For all of the above filters as well as the tap filter, don’t let them freeze, or the filter fibers will burst. Also, using them in a place with a lot of airborne volcanic ash can compromise the filter.