How not to make a water filter

Here at Grahamstown the water is not advisable to drink without boiling, bleaching or filtering it first. Therefore people just buy the heavy five litre bottles of spring water at Pick ‘n’ Pay. Yes, it is a mission to lug those bottles from town all the way to res but it is water and unfortunately it is a necessity. Well unless, that is, you prefer to take a juice bottle to dining hall and fill it up with the manky orange liquid they call juice. Yeah didn’t think so.

So one day my friend was telling me about this time when she went to a survival camp and they were taught to make a water filter to drink the watery liquid from the river. All you needed was a two litre empty coke bottle, cotton wool, sand and rocks.

· First you cut off the bottom part of the coke bottle.
· Then stuff a wad of cotton wool by the nozzle part.
· Then after the cotton wool, add the sand.
· Then after the sand, add the rocks.
· Then place the bottle in an upright position and were ready to go.

This procedure was relatively simple so I was psyched to try it. I followed her instructions carefully and was in glee with the results. Though all it was, was a pretty little water feature in my room and the real test was to try it. I filled it up to the brim and watched the purified liquid drip drop out of the cotton wool. When there was enough water to fill a glass I called my friend to try it. She gave me hesitant looks but took a brave sip nonetheless.

The Verdict: It tasted like sand…..

So there we go you guys, when you find other alternatives to this Grahamstown water saga. Please be sure to let me know. Hmmm I wonder if the bleaching thing really works?

This is the magnificent water filter in all its glory. Well really its more of a water feature then a water filter..