Desalination is the process of removing salt from water. Humans cannot safely drink salty water. If you do, you can get sick. All simple methods of removing salt from water follow a basic principle: evaporation and collection. This article includes several methods that can be used to boil brine and collect fresh water from its steam and condensation, from the pot and stove method, survival method, and solar method.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using a Pot and Stove
Step 1. Prepare a large pot with a lid and an empty drinking glass
The cup should be large enough to hold enough water.
- Make sure the glass you are using is short enough that you can still attach the lid to the pot.
- Pyrex or metal glasses are the safest choices, as some types of glass will explode if exposed to heat. Plastic cups will also melt or change shape.
- Make sure the pot and lid are suitable for use on the stove.
Step 2. Slowly pour the brine into the pan
Don't fill it too full.
- Stop pouring before the water reaches the mouth of the glass.
- This is to ensure that no salt water splashes into the glass during boiling.
- You don't want to put salt water in a glass, or your freshly brewed water will be contaminated.
Step 3. Put the lid on the pot upside down
This position allows water to evaporate and condense into water droplets into a drinking glass.
- Place the lid on the pot so that the highest point, or the handle, is pointing down just above the glass.
- Make sure the lid fits tightly around the gaps around the pan.
- If it is not closed tightly, a lot of steam will come out and reduce the amount of fresh water vapor.
Step 4. Bring the water to a boil slowly
You should boil the water slowly over low heat.
- Boiling water until large bubbles can contaminate the water by splashing salt water into the glass.
- Temperatures that are too hot can cause your glass to shatter.
- If the water boils too fast and is bubbling a lot, your glass may slide away from the center of the pot and away from the handle of the lid.
Step 5. Watch the pan as the water starts to condense
When it boils, the water becomes pure steam, leaving whatever was previously dissolved in it.
- After turning into steam, the water will condense into water droplets on the surface of the cap.
- These water droplets then flow to the bottom of the pot lid (the handle) and drip into the glass.
- It may take about 20 minutes.
Step 6. Wait a while before drinking the water
The glass and water are still very hot.
- There may still be some brine left in the pan, so be careful when lifting the glass of fresh water so that the brine doesn't splash into your fresh water.
- You may find that the glass and fresh water in it will cool faster if you remove it from the pan.
- Be careful when removing the glass so you don't get hurt. Use oven mitts or a pan to remove it.
Method 2 of 3: Solar Desalination
Step 1. Collect the brine in a bowl or container
Make sure not to fill it to the brim.
- You need some free space at the top of the bowl so the brine doesn't splash into your fresh water reservoir.
- Make sure your bowl or container is watertight. If it leaks, your salt water will drain out before turning into steam which can be condensed into fresh water.
- Make sure there is plenty of sun as this method can take several hours.
Step 2. Place a cup or smaller container in the center
Do it slowly.
- If you do this quickly, the salt water may splash into your cup. These salt water splashes will contaminate your fresh water as it collects.
- Make sure the rim of the glass is above the water.
- You may need to provide weights such as stones to prevent them from shifting.
Step 3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap
Make sure the plastic is not too tight or too loose.
- Make sure that the plastic wrap seals the edges of the brine bowl tightly.
- If there is a leak in the plastic wrap, fresh moisture may escape.
- Use a strong brand of plastic wrap so it doesn't tear.
Step 4. Place a stone or weight in the center of the plastic wrap
Place it right in the center of the cup or container in the center of the bowl.
- The stone will curl the plastic wrap in the middle, allowing fresh water to drip into your cup.
- Make sure that your stone or ballast is not too heavy, or your plastic wrap will tear.
- Make sure the cup is in the center of the bowl before continuing.
Step 5. Place the brine bowl directly in the sun
The sun's rays heat the water and make it condense on the plastic wrap.
- As condensate builds up, drops of fresh water will drip from the plastic wrap into the cup.
- This allows you to slowly collect fresh water.
- This method takes a few hours, so be patient.
- Once you get enough fresh water in the cup, you can drink it. This water is safe and does not contain salt.
Method 3 of 3: Turning Seawater Into Fresh Water for Survival
Step 1. Find a lifeboat or other debris
You can use parts from your lifeboat to create a fresh water system from seawater.
- This method is most useful when you are stranded on a beach without fresh water.
- This method was developed by pilots who were stranded in the Pacific Ocean during the second world war.
- This method is very useful, especially if you don't know how much longer you will be saved.
Step 2. Find the gas bottle from your lifeboat
Open it and fill it with seawater.
- Strain the seawater with a cloth so that it doesn't have too much sand or other debris in it.
- Don't fill the bottle too full. You need to prevent water from spilling from the top of the bottle.
- Take the water to a place where you can light a fire.
Step 3. Locate the hose and leak plug from the lifeboat
Attach the hose to one end of the leak cover.
- Both will create a tube to remove the fresh water vapor that condenses from the seawater bottle as it is heated.
- Make sure there are no kinks or clogs in the hose.
- Check to attach the hose and leak plug tightly. This is necessary to avoid fresh water leaking from the hose.
Step 4. Fit the top of the gas bottle with the leak stopper
Use a plug tip other than the one you used to attach the hose..
- This section will be the exit for the steam from the bottle to the hose and turns into fresh water when heated.
- Make sure to attach it tightly to avoid leakage.
- If you have string or tape, you can attach it to secure the two items together.
Step 5. Make a sand pile and bury the hose
The sand will help stabilize the position of the hose as long as fresh water flows through it.
- Leave the end of the hose open. This will be the part where the fresh water comes out.
- Do not bury gas bottles or leak plugs. You should leave it out in the open to make sure there are no leaks.
- Make sure that your hose is upright enough and that there are no kinks when you bury it.
- Place the board under the open end of the hose. Use this board to collect fresh water.
Step 6. Turn on the fire and place the gas bottle right on top of it
The fire will boil the brine in the bottle.
- When the water boils, the steam will condense at the top of the gas bottle and flow into the hose as fresh water.
- When most of the water boils, the condensed steam will flow through the hose and then into the board.
- The water contained in the board is water that no longer contains salt and is safe to drink.
- Make sure to wait for the water to cool before drinking it.
Tips
- This method of evaporation and condensation of water is called distillation. This method can be done using ordinary tap water whenever distilled water is needed.
- It may help to cool the lid while the water is boiling, so that condensation can build up more quickly. You can use cold salt water, and replace it when it's warm.
- The solar method takes longer, and may not be enough to produce a lot of fresh water quickly.
