Drinking Water

As a prepper, drinkable water is very important. After all, without it, we die. Many preppers store bottled  water, catch rainwater in storage containers, or store tap water. Other than rainwater, stored bottled water an tap water will eventually be used up. Water goes fast when it i also being used for cooking and cleaning as well as simply drinking.
It is best to have an alternative water source. I live in a place where I am fortunate enough to have a functioning spring house with an endless supply of drinking water. Most people do not have this. I also have a farm pond and a stream 1/4 mile away. Many people can identify a stream or pond within a mile radius of them. This water needs to be filtered to remove protozoa and bacteria. Portable water filters are available for sale. Some require you to pump the water from the pond/stream into your container. Others, only require gravity to work. When purchasing filters look for a pore size efficiency of less than .4 microns. This size is the most effective for removing toxicants.
Water purification tablets provide another good option. These tablets use iodine or other chemicals to kill harmful bacteria. These tablets unfortunately, have a limited shelf life. Purification tablets also leave an undesirable taste. The taste can be overcome by adding flavoring such as Kool-Aid.  Kool-Aid is one of my stockpile items.
Chlorine bleach, although not often used has the ability to kill bacteria and viruses. However, it is ineffective in treating harmful chemicals, radioactive particles, or all protozoa in pond water. For every gallon of warm clear water, add 8 drops of 5.25 percent strength liquid bleach. If the water is cloudy, add 16 drops per gallon. Wait at least one hour and drink the water if you can detect a faint smell of chlorine. If you cannot, add another dose and wait another hour. Chlorine is not healthy for humans so only use this method in emergencies.