SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/scout-cloudy-water-filter-first

Your creek water is cloudy. What should you do before disinfecting it?

Filter it through a clean cloth or let it settle.

  1. Add sugar to clear it
  2. Filter through a clean cloth or let it settle ✔
  3. Nothing, cloudy water is fine

Why: Dirt in cloudy water can shield germs from disinfectants. Strain it through a clean cloth, paper towel or coffee filter, or let it settle and pour off the clear water, then disinfect.

Huh, didn't know that: For backcountry water, the CDC calls filtering and then disinfecting the next best option after boiling.

The dad joke
Why was the muddy water sad? It couldn't see clearly.
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Sources

  1. How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/index.html

Test yourself in the game

Outdoors & CampingDo most portable backpacking water filters remove viruses?Outdoors & CampingAfter adding bleach to disinfect water, how long should you wait before drinking?Outdoors & CampingYour only water at camp comes from a creek. How long should you boil it before drinking?

That's stuff everyone should know.