We also equipped the life rafts with a reverse osmosis desalinator (mil version of Survivor 35) for producing freshwater from saltwater. Our testing has shown that these units will filter out microorganisms down to a 4 micron size which will remove giardia and cryptosporidium parvum but not E. Coli or Salmonella (0.2 to 4 microns). We're considering adding an additional filter (0.45 micron) to remove those germs. A disinfectant would be required to remove any viral contamination. As these RO units are designed specifically for desalinization, I don't know how well RO units for purifying freshwater would perform.

Regards,

Tom