Simple Water Filtration (Clean Your Own Dirty Water)

by Hydroelectric

148K1816

Intro: Simple Water Filtration (Clean Your Own Dirty Water)

In this practical, you will attempt to treat your own dirty water, make qualitative observations of the results at various stages and then suggest improvements. Read the practical, and identify the separation and purification techniques used.

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Thank-you!!!

STEP 1: Aim and Materials

Aim: To separate mud from water using filtration, but also purify the water afterwards.

Materials:
Dried Dirt (from the ground)
Bleach
x2 See Through Glasses
Water From The Tap
Spoon
x2 Filter paper
Funnel

STEP 2: Method (Part1)

(1) Mix the dirt and water into one of the clear glasses. Mix until water is brown.

(2) Fold the filter paper in half, and then in half again. You should end up with a cone shape. Place inside the funnel.

(3) Put the other glass onto a flat surface and hold the funnel over it. Fill the cone filter paper(inside the funnel) halfway full of dirty water.

(4) Watch it drip through the filter paper and funnel. Your other glass should be filling up with clean water.

STEP 3: Meathod (Part2)

(5) Once that has finished filtering, repeat steps 3 & 4, but using the other piece of filter paper. Wrince out the leftover dirty water and switch it with the glass full of dirty water, so that the glass of filtrated water is in your hand, and the other is underneath the funnel.

(6) Re-pour the filtrated water into the funnel and watch it drip into the clean glass.

(7) When done, add 2 drops of bleach (which contains chlorine) to your filtrated water. Stir for 1 minute.

STEP 4: Analysis

When we poured the dirty water into the filter paper, the dirt didn't go through the filter, but the water did. This is because of the tiny holes in the filter paper.

Extra Research:
Research the main arguments for and against the fluoridation of a town's water supply.

18 Comments

robot 1234 7 years ago

That is useful science for helpping people in africa.

sana rizwan 8 years ago

no i meant yes as in yeeeeees

i don't know if its safe to drink

sana rizwan 8 years ago

yes i am doing a project on this and this is perfect

ThinkD 9 years ago

is it safe to drink if so why

thermoelectric 14 years ago

Spelling Error: Meathod is spelt method

You're instructable would be a lot better and interesting if it had photos, it's just pretty boring just having to read everything. And you might have made the instructable but not followed it.

RulaA 9 years ago

man you are scientific and clever thanks dude

EmilyL3 9 years ago

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EmilyL3 9 years ago

This was vary helpful for homework

sgt_rock 12 years ago

Original Clorox Bleach is perfectly safe to add to the water....IF you let it dissipate first. I believe you're supposed to let the water stand 1 hour after adding. Purified water this way should not be stored more than a month.

spark master 12 years ago

1/4 cup standard bleach to 15 gallons of water go here

http://rvbasics.com/techtips/sanitizing-your-rv-fresh-water-system.html

=========================================
from another site

http://www.i4at.org/surv/bleach.htm
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Whether you use Clorox Bleach in an emergency or for everyday chores, it's always an environmentally sound choice. After its work is done, Clorox Bleach breaks down to little more than salt and water, which is good news anytime.

*Ratio of Clorox Bleach to Water for Purification

2 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per quart of water

8 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per gallon of water

1/2 teaspoon Regular Clorox Bleach per five gallons of water

If water is cloudy, double the recommended dosages of Clorox Bleach.

(Only use Regular Clorox Bleach (not Fresh Scent or Lemon Fresh). To insure that Clorox Bleach is at its full strength, replace your storage bottle every three months.)

**(Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution)

Mix 1 tablespoon Regular Clorox Bleach with one gallon of water. Always wash and rinse items first, then let each item soak in Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution for 2 minutes. Drain and air dry.

The Ideanator 14 years ago

Bleach? I wouldnt drink that. Personally though I'd add a little HCl, wait a minute then throw in some chalk to break up the remaining HCl.

skylane 14 years ago

 HCl can be VERY DANGEROUS stuff!  Even the fumes can damage your nose throat and lungs in a few seconds.

PUREX and CLOROX bleach used to have water purification directions on the (glass) bottles... years ago.  It was just a couple/few drops per gallon.  It would kill germs, bacteria, etc.  

Bleach  (sodium hypochlorite) is a very common, easy to find product and much safer than Hydrochloric Acit (HCl)

I have a hole in my sidewalk where a LITTLE BIT of diluted Muriatic acid spilled.  I'd immediatly poured a baking soda solution on it to neutralize it.... Dangerous, corrosive stuff, it is...

I'm not necessarily recommending the bleach, but if it were an emergency situation, I'd do it in a heartbeat...

The Ideanator 14 years ago

Well then I must be getting some really weak HCl from Home Depot because that stuff has gotten on my hands numerous times, not all over mind you, but enough to potentially burn off my fingertips and yet I don't have any lasting effects. I'm more concerned with the fumes and sprays. One of its uses is as a pool acid, or as masonry cleaner(such as concrete) In fact, I once poured some straight onto some of our sidewalk to see what would happen, all it did was bubble and turn yellow a bit, the sidewalk was unaffected.

Hydroelectric 14 years ago

OK, I'll have a look at the link and get back to you soon.