Originally Posted by
prathmann
I have one of the SteriPen UV sterilizer gadgets. It does require that the water be reasonably clear so the UV light reaches anything nasty in the water. Takes 90 seconds to purify a liter of water and is supposed to take care of both viruses and bacteria.
As I understand it, UV doesn't actually kill most bugs, it just neutralizes them and prevents them from reproducing for a certain amount of time. The idea is that they get through your digestive system before they can make more of themselves. So if you do UV, make sure you either drink or discard the treated water and don't leave it sitting in your bottles for more than a day or so.