If the water contains sediment or floating material, strain it through a cloth before treating it. Water can be treated by boiling or by chemical treatment. Boiling Boil water at a rolling boil for 10 minutes to kill any disease-causing bacteria in the water. Add a pinch of salt to each quart of boiled water to improve the taste. If water cannot be boiled, treat it with chlorine bleach such Clorox or Purex.
Household bleach is a good disinfectant for water.
However, check the label to sure that the active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, is 5.25 percent. Do not use bleach which contains detergents. Mix bleach thoroughly into the water. Let it stand for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight chlorine odor.