Some say just bring it to a boil and others say boil it 1 minute or 2 minutes or 5 minutes or 10 minutes! But they all agree that it is an effective way to disinfect water.
When Boiling Water for Drinking is Best
First, boiling drinking water is best when there is a water emergency. "Boil water" notices are given in local communities for various reasons. It may be that there is an equipment failure in the water treatment system or a power outage.
Or there has been a break in the pipelines or repairs are being made. If the water source has been flooded or some other reason to suspect the possibility of harmful microorganisms in the water supply, the town will recommend that it's citizens boil their water.
Boiling drinking water kills all microorganisms. This includes bacteria and viruses. It includes disease causing protozoans and parasites. This is why boiling is so good for disinfecting.
A second time when boiling drinking water is best is when you are traveling in other countries. What traveler does not know of "traveler's diarrhea"? We get this from contaminated water. This is why boiling the water is so critical when traveling. Though there are other options for disinfecting water as a traveler, probably none are as effective as boiling.
Thirdly, when you are a resident of a developing country which doesn't have treated water systems available for your use. You must insure the safety of your own drinking water. Boiling drinking water may be your best option. There are certain drawbacks, however.
Often those who need boiled water the most can't afford to pay for the energy to boil it. They may cook with charcoal or wood. They are already struggling to get fuel for cooking food and can't even consider the "luxury" of boiled water for drinking.
Why Boiling Water for Drinking Is Usually Not The Best Option
We've already mentioned the cost of boiling water for drinking. What may be prohibitive for poor countries, is possible in developed countries. Nonetheless, it is a real cost and there are so many other options to choose from. A second reason why most people don't choose this option is that it is so inconvenient. It takes time to boil water, and then it takes more time to cool off.
But even more important is the fact that boiling doesn't remove all health effect contaminants. We've talked about boiling as a means of disinfecting water, that is destroying the various kinds of micro-organisms that may be in it.
However, boiling water does not remove toxic metals or synthetic contaminants such as fuel oil or chemicals such as lead, mercury, asbestos, pesticides, to say nothing of sediment in the water. This is why boiling is important for emergencies but not for the long term supply of clean and safe drinking water.
How to Effectively Boil Water for Drinking
Many micro-organisms are killed before water actually boils; but because others take boiling some minutes to destroy, it is recommended that you boil your water for 10 minutes. This time should be extended for places at high altitude.
