Water Filtration with Minimal Supplies

On another thread I discussed the possibility of making a charcoal water filter for emergencies, but based on suggestions from other members, it might not be worth my time to construct such a filter due to the difficulty of making activated charcoal at home and the inability of charcoal filters to remove pathogens from water.

I am still interested in finding a water filtration solution that doesn't require expensive equipment that cannot be made at home. Is this still a possibility for filtering out water-borne pathogens and fertilizer residue from farm runnoff?

There are various potential dangers in drinking water …chemicals, heavy metals, pathogens, etc.   on a budget, boiling is the best bet I have found for pathogens.   Activated charcoal will help with suspensions, odors, etc.   the other issues get far more tricky on a home made, low budget, basis.   It is possible to get a reasonable result from a homemade system using food grade buckets and ceramic filter.  This system gets better but layering fabric sand, and activated charcoal before the water reaches the ceramic filter. For a commercial solution, Zero is reported to out a relatively inexpensive quality filter.   I have a Barkley that I does a reasonable job. The problem with the Barkley is that it is expensive, and the independent reviews I have seen are not as good as I would like.

If I wanted to set up a filter for emergency purposes I would go with a sand filter.

The trick might be how to set the filter system up.

A couple of stainless steel pans with one that will nest inside the other.

I would drill holes in the smaller pan.  Line the smaller pan with coffee filters and sand bought from a big box store.

I have no idea how many rinses would be needed to get the water clean enough to drink and then boil.

We have a reverse-osmosis filter system so this filter would only be needed if we had no electricity or if my well pump failed and we needed to use our rainwater system.

I would ask what is the source of your water?
Contrary to common opinion the collection of Rainfall for drinking water is pretty safe.
There are a few exceptions, but in those cases you may be living in a 'bad' area.
Water in 20,000L tanks has time for settlement to take place and also for oxygen to work with the surface of the water to clean it.
With first flush units, and a large volume of storage compared to consumption, many people worldwide live safely with no other treatment.
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