The availability of fresh, clean water is a luxury in most parts of the world. Some populations struggle to find water at all, especially during times of drought. Even in the United States it wasn’t until the last century that cities began providing clean water for drinking in to most of the population. Prior to that water was generally used for crops, livestock, and cleaning, but not so much for drinking, unless boiled in coffee or tea first.
Today Americans rely on city or county water departments to provide drinking water throughout the country. Some people on farms or in rural communities may have their own well , but the majority of the population drinks water that has been filtered and purified at a treatment plant. These plants use the same basic filtering process as the home filters that are becoming more and more common.
One of the first things that people learn when camping or taking survival skills training is how to clean water obtained from lakes, streams, and rivers. They know to carry portable water filters or purification tablets to use in the wilderness. Others choose to bring water with them from home, especially when hiking or camping for a short period of time.
