How to Filter Water With Clay Pots

Clay has been used throughout centuries as a means of filtering impurities from drinking water in many parts of the world. Today, even some third-world countries still use this homemade method as a means for creating safe potable water.

Supplies

• Dried clay pieces


• Water


• Corn husks


• Tea leaves


• Coffee grounds


• Plastic bucket


• 5-gallon plastic pot


• 4-gallon plastic pot


• 6-gallon plastic water receptacle and lid

1. Place dried clay pieces in a three-gallon bucket until it is 3/4 full. Break up about 1/4 pound of corn husks and 1/8 pound of tea leaves and 1/8 pound of coffee grounds and add them to the clay.


2. Combine about a pint of water to the mixture and allow everything to soak for 10 minutes.


3. Knead the clay mixture with your hands, mixing all the ingredients together until they are squishy. Work it until the mixture has the consistency of a modeling clay.


4. Drop the rough pot into the five-gallon plastic pot and mold it around the sides of the bucket. Remove any excess clay from the sides and drop it down the center of the pot. Place the four-gallon plastic pot inside the clay mixture, pressing it in as you mold the clay.


5. Turn all three vessels upside down. Remove the five-gallon pot.


6. Flip the clay pot and four-gallon bucket right-side up and remove the four-gallon bucket out of the clay pot.


7. Set the clay pot in the sun and allow it to dry undisturbed for at least 48 hours. It must be completely hardened before it can be used for water purification.


8. Set the clay pot into the six-gallon water bucket. There should be a lip below the rim to hold the pot in place.  Pour the water you want to purify into the clay pot, then place the lid on the water bucket. The water will seep through the porous clay vessel, leaving the contaminants in the clay pot.