Homesteading & Survival · Homesteading & Survival Courses

Safe Water at Home and in the Field

Store, treat and protect drinking water at home, find and make safe water when no source is present, and keep a household clean when the taps or sewer stop working.

Level: Beginner
Lessons: 19 lessons in 3 modules
Estimated study: About 19 hours
Format: Online, self-paced

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Before you start

Review the lesson outline and any lesson-specific preparation before you practise.

Full study requires active Academy access. This course can be audited independently of optional assessed programs.

About this course

For any household that wants a water plan it can actually use. You will calculate a reserve, judge sources, boil and disinfect water with CDC's exact steps and bleach doses, store and rotate containers, set up handwashing and an emergency toilet, and combine it all into a one-page plan. A final module covers the hard case: finding, collecting and making water when there is no tap, well or obvious stream, from reading the land and catching rain, dew, snow and ice to honest still yields, distillation, filters and solar disinfection. About 19 hours, with real practice at the stove, the sink and the map.

What you will be able to do

Calculate a water reserve for your household and a daily field need, and recognize dehydration early.
Find and collect water when no source is obvious, from terrain, rain, dew, snow and ice, with honest expectations for stills.
Make water safe with settling, boiling, CDC bleach doses, tablets, filters and solar disinfection, and recognize contamination none of them can fix.
Set up handwashing, dish cleaning and an emergency bagged toilet that keep waste away from water and food.
Write a layered water plan with confirmed backups, a field water card and a review date.

Course outline

Calculate how much water you need, judge where it comes from, and treat it by boiling, filtering and disinfecting with bleach.

Calculate household water needs1 hFree preview
Assess sources and chemical contamination1 h
Collect rainwater safely and legally1 h
Treat water by boiling1 h
Use filters and disinfectants correctly1 h

Store and rotate water, plan wells and springs with professionals, and keep handwashing, dishes and toilets working during a disruption.

Store and rotate potable water1 h
Plan lawful well and spring systems1 h
Set up handwashing and dish sanitation1 h
Manage toilets, waste and greywater1 h
Build a layered water continuity plan1 h

Find, collect and make water away from the tap, well or an obvious stream: reading the land, rain, dew, snow and ice, stills and distillation, then clearing, disinfecting, filtering and storing it so it is safe to drink.

Know your water needs and the signs of dehydration1 h
Read the land for water1 h
Catch rain and dew1 h
Melt snow and ice for water1 h
Solar stills and transpiration bags: honest yields1 h
Water you must never drink, and when to distill1 h
Clear and disinfect found water1 h
Filter, use sunlight and combine methods1 h
Carry, store and plan field water1 h

Related assessed programs

This course belongs to the following optional programs. Each has its own required course bundle, evidence review and separate fee. Each program page shows its approved fee and current registration status.