getting water

I have recently seen and read about getting water from questionable sources, like stagnant water pools and the ocean. The way you do it is by digging a hole about 12 inches or so from a stagnant pool, or about ten to twelve feet from the high water mark on the beach. You dig until you hit water and then allow the hole to fill up. The water in the hole is clean enough to drink as the earth around it has filtered the water from the original source.

Now I read about the stagnant pool in the army survival manual and I saw this method on TV, but what about the ocean water? Has anyone seen anything about this method for salt water? The water in the hole in the sand is supposed to be clean and salt free. I was going to dig a hole the next time I go to the beach and give it a try, just as a test.

Thanks for the info!

Garrett

It isn't exactly salt-free. It's what is called "brackish" water, still with some salt in it. If there's a way to get rid of the salt other than boiling/collecting condensation, or using a special unit, I've never heard about it.

And even with the stagnant water thing, the water can still be contaminated, but the sand has filtered out the debris and algae. You could probably do the same thing by taking your shirt and putting it into a container (if you had one), putting a goodly amount of sand in the shirt, then pouring water onto the sand, letting it run through the sand and the shirt into the container. It would be filtered but not decontaminated, if there was a source of contamination.

(Yes, you could just use your shirt, but then it would have a large, green, smelly spot on it if you had to wear it again. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> )

Sue

In the UK the technique is known as digging a Gipsy well. It is mostly used as a means of filtering the turbidity and debris from the water. It DOES NOT render the water safe to drink nor will it desalinate sea water. It is also used in situation where there is no visable water source but there are strong indications of presence of water. That generally means in an arid or semi-arid enviroment. You dig the hole, as deep as possible and then cover it to prevent evaporation. Repeat as many times a you are able. You should, if it fills "quickly" disgard the first fill. The only practical ways to desalinate brackish water is by evaporation, either by boilng it and condensing the steam, or by the sunlight and poly bag solar still techniques . Either method is marginal but better than nothing.