How Effective are CHARCOAL & Sand Water Filters? Let's find out!

This week we're making another simi primitive slash survival water filter. We're using a plastic bottle, some sand, charcoal, gravel, and some cedar boughs for this one. These sand and charcoal water purifiers have been used for thousands of years and they're actually very good at removing sediment and clarifying dirty water. Here I show how to make a DIY charcoal survival water filter, and use sunlight to sanitize the water. The lab results weren't exactly what I'd imagined though!
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[@nevisstkitts8264]

11:04 the solar disinfection (SODIS) method employed by the UN and international relief agencies specifies using PET containers between 1 and 2 liters for disinfecting clear water. They specifically recommend against using glass containers because they can block UV light. Food jars are sometimes produced with additional UV blocking to better preserve food quality. If the conditions are partly cloudy, then a full 48 hours is required f9r sterilization in a PET bottle. The observed difference between e coli and total coliform after UV exposure has been studied by various organizations. E coli and other coliform pathogens that have developed antibiotic resistance do so by producing additional proteins. It turns out that these proteins afford significant UV resistance, as well. Different coliform pathogens have varying UV resistance to begin with. Thus, the observed residual of e coli and total coliform after UV treatment demonstrates the effect of uv blocking by that specific jar, exposure to less than 48 hours, and the likely presence of antibiotic resistant coliform as a fraction of the original sample population. Take away: boil water and/or use chem disinfection when possible. Use PET for SODIS for at least 48 hours, tho IMO 72 hours is the way to go.

[@iKidTutor]

Great comment, good to know.

[@Eyes0penNoFear]

Fantastic info in this comment and I learned a lot!

[@ddoherty5956]

Thanks 👍

[@Ivanych_Milovadze]

Спасибо за грамотный комментарий! Именно об этом я писал Клэю под прошлым роликом. Только там я сильно сократил время воздействия УФ солнца. Точные временные рамки забыл, к сожалению... Простите! А вот то, что стекло не пропускает УФ - это очень важно! Всем известен эффект загара дальнобойщика. Тот водитель, который ездит с опущенным боковым окном, загорает от УФ только с той стороны, где без стекла светит солнце. А если окно со стороны водителя не открывать - никакого загара не будет! Ну и конечно, Клэй правильно здесь сказал - чем грязнее вода по прозрачности, тем хуже она обеззараживается Уф! По этому, так важно сделать воду перед обеззараживанием прозрачной! И ещё, если кто не знал. Некоторые бактерии и вирусы требуют для своей деактивации не просто кипячения воды, а длительной варки! В среднем - не менее 15 минут! Всем добра и здоровья!

[@PaulMacDonald-bc2nx]

This is great info ….

[@sonicplanet9193]

I'm loving the water filtration series Clay has going on. It's very kind of him to lab test everything for us, and it helps separate fact from fiction - potentially saving lives.

[@pawel_tips911]

Only partially I agree with you. Because Charcoal is a much better filter layer than sand, so I would use it more.

[@sonicplanet9193]

It definitely is. Have you seen his other vids? In one he used a freaking stick. A stick of wood. It took out all of the turbidity, and 99.99% of bacteria. A stick works better than either charcoal or sand, excluding the chemical aspect. I was blown away.

[@mattmarzula]

​@@sonicplanet9193It's informative and the lab tests are the extra step. I have a video from last year where I use multiple methods of procuring and purifying water. I did my own testing. I never posted it because it was from the Yellowstone River. Not a challenge and you could practically drink straight from it without issue. So I scrapped it. Maybe I'll do one of a dirtier source? Although it seems pretty derivative considering there's hundreds if not thousands of these videos.

[@justinw1765]

Yes, I'm enjoying these videos as well. Unfortunately though, soda lime glass is not a good container to use for UV disinfecting, as it blocks a lot of UV.

[@sonicplanet9193]

@@justinw1765 Good to know! What kind of glass would work best?

[@doug18d50]

A good step prior to pouring any natural source water into any filter is to let the water stand for an hour or more to allow suspended particles to settle out. That makes for clearer water to begin with and helps extend the life of the filter.

[@Br1cht]

A given for our grandparents but not today, good addition👍🏻

[@michaeldbhawker3556]

Yup I do that then run it through a paper coffee filter. Then a proper filter. It extends the life of the filter.

[@beansmalone1305]

Years ago, while camping with some friends several of us got Giardia infections. The only fresh water was from a small pond with a beaver dam and lodge, so we knew we had to be extra careful. We used iodine at double strength and boiling everything and still we got it. I've never been so sick. It lasted weeks. That stuff is no joke.

[@Viz1-txredisright]

Ouch! Sounds bad. Had good luck with bleach and boiling🤷🏼‍♀️ but maybe we were just lucky.

[@joshuataylor7582]

Need to sample the swamp water too. You need a baseline to tell you how effective it truly is. Thanks for awesome vids!

[@dustini93]

I believe he did on the first water filtration video he did a few weeks ago. It appears that he is using water from the same swamp.

[@dbsalzw]

Yeah this was done previously

[@growersmindset]

@@dustini93yes but the controls should be done every single time you run an experiment.

[@Master_Yoda1990]

​@@growersmindset but this wasn't an experiment, this was a demonstration. Not to mention if you take from the same source as the previous control in a short period of time the contamination of the source will be pretty negligible. If the natural source is contaminated, then it will stay contaminated for a long time.

[@robwoodring9437]

I feel like my eyeballs supplied me with a good enough baseline. 😂 How much nasty stuff was in that water? Yes. All of it.

[@mattmarzula]

I had a buddy send me a link to this channel because he couldn't believe how capillary action through a grapevine could filter water. We went to high school together and were in the same science classes. I reminded him about how we learned this as teenagers and the same thing could be done with a strip of cotton. It's amazing what people forget and then latch onto as if it will be the way to do things in some fantasy scenario. I don't know. I just like how the man pays for lab testing to prove the methods and talks the science behind it.

[@hatchet646]

Your last sentence just "floats". What's your point?

[@Master_Yoda1990]

​@@hatchet646 what do you mean "just floats"? He said that he "likes how he pays for lab testing to prove the methods and talks the science behind it."

[@hatchet646]

@@Master_Yoda1990 Okay let's say the second half of the comment to make it more clear. At one sentence he was explaining ohhhh how ppl forget stuff but when they re-learn it they think they will be using it in a "fantasy scenario hahaha omgggggg" . He thinks that getting lost in nature without water or a lifestraw at hand is a fantasy scenario? That sentence was the switch that made the reading of the last one feel sarcastic.

[@Master_Yoda1990]

@@hatchet646 yeah, but from my understanding he wasn't calling the video some fantasy scenario, but more of having ready access to a grapevine or clean cotton when you need it as a fantasy scenario.

[@duxdawg]

@mattmarzula A tremendously important point that you missed is xylem is a super fine filter, while cotton is very coarse. Thus while they both will transport water through capillary action, their effects upon the POTABILITY of water are EXTREMELY different. In other words, the ONLY thing the cotton will do for you is remove most of the sediment. Which means you still need to treat the water before drinking it. Xylem on the other hand makes it drinkable without any further treatment.

[@edwardenglish6919]

Your UV quart jar should be upside down with the lid down. The lid blocks light during the peak solar time.

[@danielkutcher5704]

I saw the video and came to the same conclusion, then read your comment. Logic is the best servant of the seeker of knowledge, and we must have had good teachers. My professor in "Earth Science" was influential in my ability to think without having to have an immediate answer to prove my cognitive abilities.

[@colingoede5705]

Exactly what I was thinking.. contamination from the lid due to lack of direct sun light under it.

[@harrkev]

Actually, nothing will help. Regular glass blocks almost all UV.

[@MarkLawsonY3K]

@@danielkutcher5704 In 1968, my Earth Science teacher (public school) said that God would not allow us to land on the moon that summer! So, it wasn't the teacher that formed my questioning brain. At best, they assist in your level of cog. abil. Peace

[@Khomjeeee]

That's what I was thinking! Metal glazed glass stops much but even cheap glass filters well ​@@harrkev

[@mycrosstocarry]

Sterilize the sand, pea gravel and rocks by boiling prior to building the filter and try again.

[@ivonad.4330]

How the sand can be sterilized?

[@mycrosstocarry]

​@@ivonad.4330 by boiling it in water, as stated in my comment.

[@LowHangingFruitForest]

Why would this matter if you’re just pouring water from the same source over the sand immediately after boiling it?

[@XxZigonxX]

Or just boil the water after filtering... idk why he didn't just boil it after lol

[@nielsoudegriep2900]

​@@LowHangingFruitForestif the last piece that filters the dirty water, it will leave dirt in the clean water, might work but idk

[@madamecampsalot6384]

I'm loving this series Clay! Thanks so much for providing all of the details.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Glad you like them!

[@mattmarzula]

​@@clayhayeshunterI appreciate how you take the extra steps of lab testing and explain the science behind water preparation.

[@survivalbert7017]

Very well done and explained - thank you! In addition to your future improvements, such as washing hands, a general rule: If you take samples, then always take the "middle" portion. This means pour out the top part and discard it. Pour more water into your sample container, but only to rinse it a couple of times. Finally, keep (roughly) the middle portion of the water. This is even a good hint in a survival situation: Take water, let it sit for some time, take some kind of straw, and carefully drink only the middle portion. This is because most dangerous things are either floating to the top or sinking to the bottom.

[@calebcothron3556]

Hi clay. These water filtration videos have been really informative and enjoyable. Keep it up! I suspect you're right about contamination. Dont be discouraged if you still get some after trying it again though! I work in the plant pathology field and so i deal with lots of microbes and cultures. When i am inoculating cultures on petri dishes i usually do so in a laminar flow hood or biosafety cabinet while weating nitrile gloves, and using tools/vessels that have been sterilized by autoclave/ethanol/flame and i will still occasionally get contamination. If get contamination in a sterile lab it will certainly happen in the woods

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thank ya

[@user-McGiver]

the thing that you did the other day, using a branch to filter water, we need to see more of it and understand it...

[@clayhayeshunter]

I’ll probably do another video that focuses on that specifically.

[@brianhowe201]

​@clayhayeshunter I'm still curious if it filters out viruses. Although to know that it works on bacteria and larger things is good to know. Also, does it work with any green wood? Better with some? Are others to be avoided?

[@adamsmith7885]

I was thinking about that branch too. That was awesome.

[@benchase7537]

@@brianhowe201 I would think that certain ring porous/diffuse porous woods with low tylosis counts would be the most effective. I also think vines would be a great candidate for a filter since people regularly harvest fresh water from them.

[@dougsamson3824]

Clay I believe the rim of the car you left in the sun is the issue. It was covered by the lid. Even if you had used chlorine to sterilize the water then put the lid on without sterilizing the lid and threads of the jar you would have some contamination present. That’s why you’re supposed to turn your canteen upside down with the lid loose to allow some of the water out when using water purification tablets. Just something to consider. Love the vids. Keep up the good work.

[@MarJin727]

Before I expose the water to the sun, I always put a few small pieces of flint into a jar of water,this not only purifies/refines it with minerals the water but also gives it a pleasant taste

[@misterdubity3073]

I once saw a carved stone water filter at a Hacienda in Mexico carved from solid limestone. It was like a big vase, 2 feet tall, 1 foot in diameter at the top, tapering to a rounded point at the bottom. Not sure how thick the stone was at the bottom. When filled it would slowly drip out the bottom into a container below. I wonder how well that cleared the water.

[@ianshand6094]

"I once saw a carved stone water filter..." It clears the water pretty well by all accounts, although I haven't tried it myself. Instead of a limestone vase you can use an unused, unglazed terracotta plant pot. You plug the hole in the bottom of the plant pot, put the pot in a larger vessel that supports the pot at its rim, fill the pot with water, put a lid on top, and the water slowly seeps through the terracotta into the larger vessel.

[@misterdubity3073]

@@ianshand6094 Theoretically, the clay used to make the terracotta could have contained lead or other heavy metals (probably true for limestone too).

[@theeastgate]

It’s actually not colony forming units the lab used to enumerate the results. The “MPN” you see with the results indicate that the “most probable number” method was used, such as multi tube fermentation method or more likely the IDEXX method.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks, best I could tell from my research it’s somewhat interchangeable?

[@chlarmusred5939]

Great series Clay- Thank you for showcasing it. My kids love it! We built a similar filter and ran into the same contamination issues. This may have been due to my 8 year olds excitement to pour the water. But, when you pour the water into the filter, the plastic coke bottle directs any rim spill-over into your catchment jar below. I switch to a pitcher and me doing the pouring…. No visual contamination (and finish it with a boil).

[@Ivanych_Milovadze]

Совершенно верно! Это очень распространённая ошибка при фильтрации. Бутыль с грязной водой не должна висеть над ёмкостью с чистой! Иначе очень велик шанс попадания грязи в чистую ёмкость. Лучше всего сделать сток с фильтра с помощью отводной трубки - вбок, к чистой ёмкости.

[@SadatayWadatah]

When collecting a sample try to do a stream to let the water flow for a couple seconds. This allows whatever contaminant could be at the lid, lip, and edges of the container be flushed away as much as possible. Insert the cup midstream. You can let the excess water flow out by tilting the sampling bottle towards the source which can help flush anything that might have found its way onto the lip of the sample collection bottle. This allows you to get a sample that best represents an equal distribution of everything in the jar. It’s very common to contaminate samples and the results end up confusing. Sometimes I can contaminate the inside of the sample bottle if my fingers accidentally touch the bottle’s lips or threads when closing up the sample. If you don’t mind try collecting it using a pair of single use exam gloves. Good luck! Great content, love to see this stuff!

[@thewarriorandthegarden1562]

you have done the best advertisement for this knife you truly have showed us how strong and versatile it can be in the right hands and thank you for the lesson

[@johnstott140]

Hi, great series of info on water filtration sterilisation. Not seen anyone backing this up with labwork. ( Hope that it's not to expensive) These really are some of the most informative bushcraft videos out there for a long time. I wonder what could be done to remove heavy metals from water. You have certainly got my mind going. Having not been able to get out having had some serious surgery's of late (64 years) it's been good for me to keep the mind on bushcraft. I don't think enough people give attention to their water over the years having enough has been the downfall to so many. And believe me as you get older you want to carry less and less. Many thanks John

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks John

[@waltwalters4144]

Thank you for doing these water filtration videos. I have been thoroughly enjoying them and learning so much

[@clayhayeshunter]

Glad you like them!

[@rafaellastracom6411]

QUESTION: Being that time is of the essence in a survival situation I wanted to ask you to consider filtering water with this method, which seems relatively fast, and then place a very hot rock (heated over a fire) into the container to see if a temperature just short of boiling would reduce the remaining bacteria to a level good enough for consumption. The leaving it out in the sun is great if you have the time. Boiling water may not always be an option as you need metal containers for that but getting some heat into the water may kill off a decent amount of the nasty stuff. Food for thought.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Interesting idea

[@Ivanych_Milovadze]

Этот способ кипячения давно известен! Камни, сильно разогретые в огне последовательно загружаются в любую ёмкость с водой. Благодаря большой теплоёмкости камни быстро заставляют воду кипеть. Их последовательно вынимают деревянными щипцами из воды, а на их место кладут новые раскалённые. Этот способ кипячения воды годен даже для варки похлёбки - супа, мяса, овощей, в ёмкости образованной вычещенным пнём! Пень стоит на месте, его нельзя повесить над костром. Но можно сделать в нём углубление ножом, топором, или даже каменным скребком, и пень превратиться в стационарный котелок! Бросайте в него камни, варите воду, мясо, или суп!

[@ChristopherKnN]

Reaching a temperature short of boiling would just act as an incubator. Many bacteria require a temperature exceeding boiling along with a specific amount of time, an autoclave, for example.

[@Ivanych_Milovadze]

@@ChristopherKnN Верно подмечено! Именно по этому я выше рассказал о способе кипячения воды с помощью раскалённых камней.

[@kirkstinson7316]

​@@Ivanych_Milovadze But watch what stones you use. Some will shatter explosively when dumped in the water

[@Johnbobon]

Interesting test. Thanks for demonstrating these techniques. I've always wondered what to do about drinking water if I find myself and my family in a tough situation.

[@catcalculator559]

It reminds me of that filter with cotton,sand,charcoal, and rocks. I learned about it in school very early like at the same time we were putting beans in humid cottons in little cups to see how they germinate

[@dbsalzw]

I love the simple test results, gives a pretty good idea of how well these filters and UV sterilization can work

[@vincentbarnett4222]

Wearing gloves, sterilizing the outside, putting the jar upside down in the sun because the lid is opaque (or using a clear cover), clean catch technique (pour a little and catch your sample midstream) are all things to try to keep your samples pure. Also, taking both the sun exposed and unexposed from the same filtered batch eliminates a variable. Just some thoughts. 😊 Love your content!!

[@sporkymail]

Glass blocks UV A I think the most damaging UV, try the UV sterilizing in a plastic bottle instead, and do a control by boiling to test your method, it's unlikely to be contamination when the results are basically identical. I think E-coli is sensitive to UV B which makes its way through glass. Great video btw.

[@Dirk_Mcgurk]

when you add Clay, it always works better

[@wisdomprepper]

But..but...Clay IS in the video. lol

[@hikingjoe4752]

@@wisdomprepperWHAT THE HELL!!!!! You cant go to any peaceful page on the internet anymore without encountering any of you freaks!

[@FractalNinja]

Hmm I've heard of some of those terracotta filters, essentially fired clay pots can hold water but they are slightly porous, stack a few of them and it's essentially like these charcoal filters, but harder to craft 🤔

[@ivandejanovic4963]

Thanks for going through all this Clay. Definitely something that you should have a basic understanding and knowledge of just in an off chance you get stuck somewhere for longer period of time.

[@VTwin4Christ]

Here is a thought for water filtration and killing bad stuff... 1 - Take copper tubing and coil it - Placing it on a black surface in a spiral. (like the old copper refridgerator pipe - used to be able to get 20' or so for 10 bucks from lowes) 2 - Dip one end into water source - small filter to prevent junk from getting into pipe. (low / cool end) 3 - Exit part of copper will emit steam that will condense into water (up hill - you want capillary drainage of what hasn't turned to steam. You could vent this into another tube or pipe to allow it to drop down into a container. You want to catch the condensation and allow it to fall from gravity. 4 - Convection should pull the water into the tube and allow it to flow. NOTE: you may have to prime the copper tubing with existing water for the convection to work correctly VS a dry run. Depending on if you prime the system with clean water or dirty water will matter. If primed with dirty water... You will want it to boil and vent for X amount of time before allowing your container to fill. I would assume that based on the boiling and heat... Just about everything would be killed form the water. USE CAUTION!!!! When in direct sunlight and air in the pipe can cause boiling water to shoot out one end! BURN HAZARD. Give it a shot... It would be interesting to see the results.

[@ewjorgy]

I am loving this series of water filtration ideas! Thank you for the excellent videos!

[@ssiiggyy1980]

Great information! And thanks for your feedback, especially when it didn't go the way you expected.

[@leadfarmer73]

You are the G.O.A.T brother ✌🏽thank you. Been a big fan from day one.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thank ya!

[@rafaellastracom6411]

Excellent, excellent series on water filtration. Much appreciated.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Glad you like them!

[@BayouGrove]

Loving this water filtering series.

[@alhumble8175]

Another excellent video. Thanks

[@simonphoenix3789]

It could also be that e coli is more susceptible to the filtration methods used here. maybe there were some cauliform bacteria in that water that were particularly resistant to UV light. It could also be that there were only a few that got through the filtration but the filtered water still contained enough nutrients for the surviving bacteria to multiply in the sample bottle by the time the samples were tested

[@guadalupeskitchen3734]

I love these, "Do everything with my Bowie" videos!

[@k00ey]

i'm enjoying these tests!

[@johnhunley602]

Great series on the water filtering and purification.

[@DavidJones-ly9bh]

Such knowledge is invaluable

[@rhysgriffiths9675]

Maybe you could try filtering directly into your sample jar to avoid contamination? Would love to see a comparison to unfiltered water too. Looking forward to the follow-up video.

[@SysterEuropa]

Excellent video. Thank you Clay!

[@stormraven4183]

Thank you so much for these water videos!

[@getsmart3701]

Great video sir, I'm learning a lot here...things I suspected or had read about seem to be based in some sort of fact, much to my joy. Thank you for taking the time and effort for this investigation. Respect.

[@shi-t]

Im excited for the next test.

[@AYellowPepper]

So from these results even after UV treatment you should still boil your water! But that sediment/coal filter is very good at removing "Stuff" and chemicals from the water!

[@Steve-bw4oh]

I had a 5gallon bucket on a tripod. It would filter out dishwater. Handy in a low water environment

[@nicholassanders527]

Thank you, very informative and thorough

[@to8860]

Great stuff as always!!

[@BushcraftExplorer]

Another great video - very educational! Thanks.

[@jerrywilliams3544]

If you can find moss put it on top it had red iodine in it as what you pour the water on it absorbs it like a sponge adds some iodine then sends it through the filter! Great video!

[@juanblankevoort428]

Great video very instructive

[@3passa]

Very interesting series of videos about one of the most important subjects when outdoors and no fresh water is in sight. Having the samples lab analysed gives the theoretical idea of filtering a solid base. Thanks for going all the way. I look forward to the second try to see where and how the contamination might have occured. Big thumbs up!

[@Couldhavebeensomeone]

Great way to filter pre boil to guarantee clean and good tasting water. A little patience goes a long way. Great work.

[@jbeachbob58]

Great stuff Clay. Down here in FL as well with a similar pond out back. I would go with boiling after filtration if able to, but in a crisis thanks for showing UV works. Just discovered the channel, enjoying it.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Right on

[@viraltikshortok1864]

You Really have survival skills, I was just commenting to a tactical brother that old school survival and a bow to hunt is the way to go if the shtf ever really happens. Keep it coming!

[@georgeclark7208]

It is possible there was some contamination based on your handling of the jars and whatnot, but in the wild most people would have handled the jars in a similar fashion so the exercise was probably fairly accurate.

[@claytonmilburn6763]

Excellent content as always Mr. Hays. Thank you for your commitment to putting out quality (vs. just quantity).

[@joshuadelisle]

Yes Clay! 👍

[@jimf1964]

You showed yourself washing some of the media in what looks like water from a pond or river. I hope you cleaned and dried all the media off properly before assembling the filter. That would not have changed the UV test very much, but could have affected the initial results.

[@clayhayeshunter]

I didn’t this time. I was trying to simulate conditions you’d find in the woods vs having clean water available to clean the substrate.

[@suecharnock9369]

I would have put that through a Milbank bag first. Just gets rid of the scummy bits! Good video. So few actually go on to show how effective these techniques and skills are! Thank you

[@johnsordillo6338]

This is pretty much how we treat water before disinfection. Something id add... pre filter, UV, then post filter. Then, disinfection (chlorine, UV, distill, or clay vessel are examples).

[@WeirdOneOz]

Thanks for going to the trouble and cost of doing the testing it was always interesting to know from actual real world experience.

[@growersmindset]

good use of controls and experiment! 🧪 🔬

[@jonathanwilkerson5905]

I like the education and information that you provide! People who are in the woods or in the water, now have a way to make drinking water

[@knownchild]

Your just re-creating a natural spring.. good job

[@hellsscoutact5379]

Very interesting. I tell people that they need to wash and or wipe down the outside of their containers. The threads cand dribble into the container. If possible have the final container as clean inside and out. Straws can be a problem to clean. Just saying. JMHO

[@woodsy3495]

Thanks Clay. This is very useful information, potentially life saving.

[@christianschmidt6463]

Thank you Clay for creating so many interesting and educational videos. It makes me forget that there are so many pointless posts. Keep going.

[@awyeagames]

You should test how effective is this sunlight uv treatment against boiling the water and against comercial water purification tablets. That would be an interesting video.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thank ya for the suggestion

[@zembalu]

Thank you very much! That is the first video I have seen with laboratory proof at the end.All the other stuff, and even advertisements for UV-devices, would not convince me.

[@LeeDaiYing]

I appreciated that you didn't mention Viruses and try to assuage our fear of bacteria too.

[@kirklunsford7530]

Thank you these videos are very helpful

[@cherokeecowboy7558]

Great vid! Thank you!

[@ravenrock541]

Luv this topic and methods!

[@JPMerolla001]

Thx much for going to such depth to create this video. I've always wanted to know how to create a multistage filter that actually works effectivly. Much appriciated brother. Keep up the great work.

[@mouthboehm]

Great video!

[@AberrantArt]

On the next test: can you also add a bottled water and / or tap water to compare? It would be cool to see.

[@nikaiwolf]

I did a similar science fair project for 3 years (adding more onto the previous year) to filter waste water from pumping oil from 1999-2002. Think I still have the floppy disks too.

[@jamiejohnson8176]

Good video and results I like the facts

[@opfor5092]

I learned I'm glad I live in modern times, and we have Amazon or Home Depot. Kidding. That was pretty cool and kind of relaxing. Thanks

[@OldToughDW]

Clay have you tried putting a pinch of baking soda in the water to neutralize the tannic acid?

[@clayhayeshunter]

I haven’t

[@ferencmartinovic6267]

These gravel-sand filters have some run in period during which you have a biofilm forming on the particles. Sometimes they can be seeded with selected strains. This biofilm often "eats" other bacteria and reduce the cfu count quite a lot. Using swamp water my biggest concern would be protozoa.

[@JuliaJulia007]

Very cool

[@Sythemn]

IMPORTANT NOTE: Common glass blocks most UVB rays (74.3% to 99.9%), a significant portion of UVA rays (56.8% to 99.9%), and 100% of UVC (the one that kills bacteria). You should try storing the water in a PET bottle to see if it kills more of the coliforms.

[@clint1261]

Great watch. I'd be interested in how well the filter cleaned the water. Would have liked to see how bad the pond water was as a baseline for comparison to the other two samples. 😁

[@vinceaaron8921]

pretty good for a first run sand filter. most sand filters take awhile to build a slime layer (schmutzdecke) on top before they really start to work. my worry would be is the sunlight enough to kill giardia and crypto.

[@loriekaczmarek9788]

Thank you

[@williamsmith8354]

Amateur here, but it did concern me how your apparatus was set up, in that it looked like any splashing or overrun or leaks down the side of your dipped container could easily run down the outer side of your filter and enter the cleaned water container. Then I saw your results and had this reasonable explanation already in mind.

[@DeeDee-fi4kq]

@Clay Hayes - Is it necessary to keep the sand and charcoal in separate layers, or can they be simply mixed together and work as good or better?

[@kirkboswell2575]

E-coli come in different strains. You are usually well adapted to the strain in your area - but not so much those in other areas. "Montezuma's Revenge" is mediated by a different strain of E-coli than what we have in the States. Travel frequently to other areas? You'll probably adapt. Travel once in a blue moon? Then I'd recommend that you "don't drink the water" while there. 😊

[@BigfootBeerandGear]

Learning a lot from your water filtration videos. Thanks Clay!

[@Dzajvik]

I thought that glass blocks almost all UV light, especially UV-C and UV-B, which are most effective at sterilization. Cool to see it working anyways. Love the series

[@verygoodverynice8295]

i love your videos!! I'm binge watching all the water filtration stuff, love it

[@mrmaldoon8362]

Awesome vid, like usual ❤

[@JPMerolla001]

I was asking for this video. Thanks Clay. I can't wait to watch it after work today.

[@pramilapriyadarshini3500]

I live in India and I have a sump tank which settles the municipal water...It then goes to a overhead tank which is painted inside with hydrated lime..it comes into the house where I just use 2-3 layers of folded cloth to filter into a big vessel which has 4-5 neem leaves in it....I haven't got it tested but I've been drinking this water for a couple of years and I rarely get a cold or fever

[@noahwiliams7214]

Add a layer or two of iron rust to chemically trap the arsenic. Rusty nails will work. Put them near the top so the sand will stop the rust from filtering through to your product

[@brianeaton3734]

Great vid… based on the sampling “error” or contamination, goes to show how careful you need to be when handling the filtered water .. have to be sure you are transferring to a clean vessel, or all your filtering efforts could be nullified..