There are many stories of shipwrecked sailors who drink ocean water out of desperation. It’s understandable because, without water, humans will die within three days. If you were in a survival situation near the ocean, can you boil salt water to drink? No, boiling seawater will not remove the salt. Drinking boiled seawater will make dehydration worse.
You could find yourself without fresh water during a natural disaster or survival situation. Keep reading for more information on how to make seawater drinkable.
What Happens if You Drink Sea Water?
Your kidneys are capable of filtering some salt from the water you drink. Saltwater is about 3.5% salt, considerably more than our bodies can filter.
When you drink seawater, your body will try to excrete excess salt by creating more urine. This process will worsen dehydration.
Drinking enough salt water will cause salt water poisoning. Salt water poisoning will eventually cause organ failure and death.
How To Remove Salt From Seawater In The Wilderness
You must accomplish two main things to make ocean water drinkable:
Remove the salt
Sanitize the water
Sanitization can be accomplished by boiling the water for at least one minute. Water boils at 212 degrees F, killing bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. The boiling process will do nothing to remove salt from the water.
You can distill water using several techniques. One method involves boiling salt water and then collecting the steam. The steam will be pure water. The salt will remain in the container used for boiling.
Water purified using the distillation process will be safe for human consumption.
Making a Solar Still
Dig a hole approximately 3ft by 3ft.
Dig another hole in the center of the first hole. Make this hole large enough for a container to catch condensation.
Place the catchment container in the hole.
Cover the pit with a piece of plastic, tarp, or similar.
Secure the tarp using rocks or other heavy objects.
Place another rock or object in the center of the tarp.
The tarp’s center should hang close to the container to allow condensation to drip from the tarp into the container.
Secure the edges of the tarp to prevent moisture from escaping.
The solar still works by using heat from the sun to cause moisture in the soil to evaporate. Water vapor condenses on the tarp, runs down the inside of the tarp, and drips into the container.
The volume of water distilled will depend on the temperature and the size of the still. Warmer weather will cause more water to evaporate. A larger pit can also generate more water.
Distilling Water Using Evaporation
This process works on the same principles as the solar still, except you are using heat from a fire to evaporate the water. To do this, you need the following items:
Cooking pot with lid or heat-resistant container
Condenser or cooling tube
A container to catch condensation
To distill water using this technique, perform the following steps:
Fill the cooking pot with seawater.
Place the cooling tube into the pot above the water.
Place the lid on the pot.
Heat the water-filled container over a fire.
Once the water boils, steam will travel into the tube and condense into water.
This fresh water will drip out of the condenser tube.
FAQ
What is the best container to store water?
Check out our post on the best water storage containers here.
Does boiling water remove salt?
No, salt will remain in the water even if boiled.
Does boiling water kill everything?
Yes, boiling water will kill 99.9999% of all bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and other pathogens.
Can I make seawater drinkable?
Yes, you can distill sea water to make drinking water.
Is drinking seawater safe?
No, drinking seawater causes dehydration. Drinking too much seawater causes death.
Can you do anything to salt water to make it drinkable?
The only way to make salt water drinkable is through distillation.
What happens if you boil salt water?
Boiling salt water will sanitize the water. Boiling will not remove the salt.
Is drinking a glass of salt water good for you?
Drinking one glass of salt water probably won’t hurt you, but it will cause dehydration.
How much salt water can you safely drink?
A tiny amount won’t hurt you, but drinking salt water will cause dehydration and, in large quantities, death.
