How Does Distilling Urine Produce Potable Water?
There is a survival adage which states a person could live three weeks without food, but only three days without water. The search for potable (drinkable) water sources should always be a major priority for those who find themselves cut off from civilization. One of the ways potable water can be obtained in the wild is by distilling urine, although many people are understandably reluctant to pursue that method until it becomes a matter of true survival. There are several different methods for distilling contaminated water into potable water, each with their own pluses and minuses. Conceivably, a source such as human urine could be converted into steam by boiling it in a covered metal container over a campfire. The steam would be free of most impurities because any solid minerals would remain in the bottom of the container and bacteria would be destroyed by the heat. A length of tubing would capture the steam and allow it to cool back into liquid form. In the case of urine, the distille