Water & Air – Filter Systems News

The dead body of an Indonesian maid was found in the rooftop water tank of a residential building in Singapore, a few days ago. A Bangladeshi man has been arrested in connection with the case; he was seen choking her. It is believed that they were in an intimate relationship, and both were seen arguing on the morning her body was found. The case has been classified as a murder by the police, but the exact cause of death has not been determined.

All of those details seem trivial, however, in light of this significance: her corpse may have tainted the drinking water of 700 residents. One resident reported seeing white bubbles in her water while bathing her children. Doctors recommended boiling the water prior to consumption, in order to kill any bacteria or other pathogens present from the corpse, but I’m not sure that I could stomach the thought of drinking water tainted by a dead body, boiled or not.

Incidents like these are few and far between, so I don’t think that a mass manufacture of water filters designed to remove rotting corpse particles would be necessary. (We already have filters that will remove radioactive particles – perhaps they will filter dead body remnants as well…) I’m curious, though, as to what our readers would do in this situation. Boil the water and drink it? Purchase bottled water until the tank is cleaned and sterilized? Buy a Katadyn emergency water filter? Or move out of the building altogether?

With news of more frequent natural disasters, dead bodies found in residential water tanks, and reports of a potential zombie apocalypse from the CDC, now might be a good time to get prepared for the days ahead. We suggest you start by reviewing our post on “How to Survive the Apocalypse with Filters Fast,” as well as our article on Emergency Water Purification.

Less than a fortnight ago, we wrote an article on “How to Survive the Apocalypse” using many of the air and water filters that we sell. In it, we wrote this sage advice:

“Don’t wait until it’s too late, folks. If you call us the day after the apocalypse, we probably won’t be working. Play it safe and stock up on these filters now, so you’ll know how to survive the apocalypse when and if that day comes.”

We hope some Boston residents heeded our advice.

Sure, we didn’t coin the term “aquapocalypse” that is making its rounds in articles, tweets and status updates across the Internet, but all of the advice we gave on how to survive the apocalypse still stands.

So, how did the Boston aquapocalypse occur? A collar connecting two major water pipes ruptured on Saturday. The water being sent to many Boston-area homes was not safe as a result, and state officials urged residents to boil their tap water. The water was reported to be safe for bathing in and doing dishes, but not consuming.

As a result of the water crisis, many residents of Boston and its surrounding cities made a run for bottled water at stores. The demand for the bottled water was so great that many consumers fought over the liquid.

While it’s not a funny situation by any means, it is ironic that Concord, MA — about 18 miles away from Boston — has banned the sale of bottled water, starting in 2011. Adding further to the irony of the situation is that the aquapocalypse should come during National Drinking Water Week.

The writers of Universal Hub, a blog about all-things Boston, chose to make light of the situation as well. Adam Gaffin, the founder of the blog, worked with designer Holly Gordon to create an “I Survived the Aquapocalypse” logo. You can wear your survival like a badge of honor on a t-shirt, or you can purchase a coffee mug or mousepad bearing the logo.  

The term aquapocalypse is pretty humorous, and we have to admit that our “How to Survive the Apocalypse” article was a bit tongue-in-cheek. But there’s no denying that many of the emergency water filters we wrote about in that article would be put to good use in Boston right now.

Prahlad Jani brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, “reduce, reuse, recycle.” This 83-year-old holy man’s body is his recycling bin, according to a recent news article. Claiming to have lived the past seven decades without food or water, Jani was taken in for observation by Indian doctors on April 22, and since then has had no food or water and has not passed urine or stool.  His body has remained in perfect health since then, showing no signs of dehydration, hunger or fatigue.  He is still active enough to climb stairs and several tests on his brain reveal that it resembles that of a 25-year-old.

Jani claims to be a “breatharian,” a person who can live on “spiritual life force,” since receiving a blessing from a goddess at the age of eight.  He says that drops of water, or for him, drops of a magic elixir from the goddess, filter through a hole in his palate, sustaining him.  In addition, he is able to produce urine in his bladder as well as reabsorb it back into his body, at will.  Ordinarily, a person cannot survive without urinating, but it appears that Jani is able to filter and re-circulate the water that makes up 90 percent of his body at any time.

Here we have waste reduction and recycling in its simplest form.  Or maybe it isn’t so simple.  Scientists, of course, are baffled by this mystery, and as of yet, have no scientific explanation for it.  The “spiritual life force” that sustains him didn’t stop at the blessing of the goddess.  At age 83, Jani continues to receive energy through spiritual meditation, adding a fourth “r” – “rethink” – to the famous phrase, “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

Jani is undergoing a series of medical tests over a period of fifteen days as scientists are hoping to find solutions for people in emergency situations who must go without food or water for long periods.  Last week we gave suggestions for how to survive the apocalypse with six of our best emergency filters.  Can we add Jani, the human filter, to our list?  Only time will tell, so stay tuned for an update.  In the meantime, while you wait for a miracle blessing from a goddess, those six filters still come highly recommended.  For Jani and his fellow “breatharians,” we recommend the 3M N95 Respirator Mask in case of emergencies; since meditation involves breathing, they’ll want to make sure they aren’t inhaling air pollutants.

With volcanic eruptions and earthquakes seeming to occur every week (a 6.2-magnitude earthquake just hit the Samoa Islands within the hour), it’s no wonder that the web is abuzz with searches like “How to Survive the Apocalypse.” Opinions vary on exactly when and why this apocalypse will occur. Still, there are survivalists and other prepared people out there who want to know how to survive the end of the world as we know it.

To do so, you will need access to two essentials: clean air and clean water. Since almost every product we sell involves air or water filtration, we thought we’d compile a list of a few air or water filters that just might help you survive the apocalypse.

Six best Filters Fast products to survive the apocalypse:

1. Katadyn Expedition Water Filter System  – This system carries a high price, but in the end times it will be worth every penny. The Katadyn Expedition will filter out bacteria, cysts, algae, protozoa, sediment, dirt, spores, and some virus-carrying particles. With a 26,000 gallon capacity, you can go quite a while between filter changes. There is a reason Katadyn filters are used by militaries, relief organizations, survivalists and adventurers the world over.
2. 3M N95 Respirator Mask – 10 Pack – Though little is known of the benefits of wearing masks or respirators to control the spread of pandemic flu and sickness (such as H1n1 virus, aka Swine flu), the Center for Disease Control notes that 3M respirators are designed to protect against very small particles, which could contain viruses. Should the apocalypse be accompanied by plague and pestilence, you’ll want to have a few of these respirator masks around.
3. Katadyn Micropur MP1 Emergency Water Tabs - If you find yourself away from your “home base” during the end times, you will want to keep these Katadyn water purification tabs on hand. A single emergency water tablet will remove bacteria, cysts and some viruses from a quart of water.
4. Katadyn Pocket Microfilter – As the name might imply, the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter is a more lightweight, portable survival water filter than the aformentioned Katadyn Expedition. It has a lower capacity than the Expedition and doesn’t remove quite as many contaminants as its big brother, but it will remove most waterborne bacteria, protozoa and cysts from a water source. Do not leave your home without the Katadyn Pocket Microfilter.
5. Whirlpool Whispure Air Purifier – This one’s a bit of a luxury, but if the apocalypse was a result of or results in airborne disease, it could prove very beneficial. Most are astounded to know that a home’s indoor air quality is usually far worse than the outdoor air quality, since the air often gets trapped inside with little ventilation. So while this Whirlpool air purifier is most adept at removing dust, dander, pollen, mold spores, smoke, fabric fibers, allergens, and other contaminants from your air, it can also remove particles as small as 0.3 microns. Particles that might be carrying viruses. This HEPA air purifier is only 22 lbs., so you can take it with you should you need to relocate. It’s also one of the quitest air purifiers on the market, should you be concerned with lawless, post-apocalyptic people finding your location.
6. Klean Kanteen 40 oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle - All of that clean, filtered water will be for naught if you can’t take it with you. A Klean Kanteen water bottle allows  you to do just that. And because the bottle is constructed of stainless steel with no liner, you don’t have to worry about BPA (Bisphenol A) leaching into your water, as you would with many plastic bottles.

Don’t wait until it’s too late, folks. If you call us the day after the apocalypse, we probably won’t be working. Play it safe and stock up on these filters now, so you’ll know how to survive the apocalypse when and if that day comes. And if that day doesn’t come in your lifetime, be thankful and take comfort in knowing that your home is stocked with some great survival water filters for camping or emergency use.