How to Prepare an Emergency Water Supply
Water Bottles
The first item in any emergency survival kit should be water. An adequate supply of clean, drinkable water is a top priority during survival preparedness. The average, active person should drink approximately 2 quarts of water a day. If you live in a hotter climate you will need to drink more, as will children and nursing mothers.
Water may also be a part of your emergency food supplies, since it may be necessary for cooking. Water is also needed for hygiene. As a result, you should store at least a 2 week supply for each member of your family (remember, in case of evacuations, your portable survival kit should contain at least 3 days of water per person).
The safest and most reliable emergency supply of water is commercially bottled water. This water should be kept in its original container, and not opened until needed. Commercially available water should be stored until its expiration date.
If you are preparing your own containers of water, always use food grade water storage containers which are readily available from camping supply stores. If you are reusing containers, only use plastic 2 liter soda bottles. Containers that previously contained milk or fruit juice cannot be adequately cleaned to prevent bacterial growth. Also, cardboard containers are not designed for long term storage and may leak. Glass containers may break.
All containers should be thoroughly cleaned with dishwashing soap and thoroughly rinsed to remove all residual soap. Plastic soft drink bottles should also be sanitized rinsing every interior surface of the bottle (and lid) with a solution of 1 teaspoon non-scented chlorine bleach to 1 qt of water. After sanitizing, thoroughly rinse with clean water.
Each container should be completely filled with tap water. If your tap cater is chlorinated by your local utility company, tightly close the container, write the date on the outside, and store in a cool, dark place. If, however, your water supply is from a well or other untreated source, you will need to add 2 drops of non-scented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. You can also use commercially available water treatment (purification) products. These must contain between 5.25 and 6 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, or they should not be used. If you are not using commercially bottled water, replace your supply every 6 months.
Water is a critical resource in an emergency disaster survival situation. A top priority of your emergency preparedness should be to make sure you have an adequate supply for the longest possible time. This means not only having water, but making sure that it is bacteria free (properly chlorinated).
Emergency Water Sources in Your Home
A safe and secure water source is always a top priority when you are preparing for an emergency disaster situation. Unfortunately, natural disasters and emergency survival situations are not known for being predictable. If you should find yourself in an emergency disaster situation, without a supply of fresh water, you still have several options.
It is critical that you listen to local news reports (on a battery operated radio) to determine your water supply has been contaminated by broken water or sewage lines. If this is the case you must first isolate the water already in your home by shutting the main incoming water valve. You should know where this valve is located beforehand, and keep a suitable wrench nearby if required.
Your house still contains several sources of water such as in the hot water heater, pipes, and ice cubes. Do not use water from toilets, radiators, waterbeds or swimming pools/spas as they will contain chemicals/additives that are harmful to your health. To use the water in your pipes, first vent the pipes by opening a faucet at the highest level of your home. You can then obtain water from the pipes by opening a faucet at the lowest level of your home. Water can be drained from both the hot and cold pipes.
To use the water in your hot water heater, first make sure that the electricity is turned off. Even if there has been a power failure, make sure to shut/trip the appropriate breaker to insure it doesn’t start unexpectedly. Open the drain at the bottom of the hot water heater tank. In order to start the water flowing, turn off the water intake valve (plan ahead and label the valve so you know which one it is) on the tank and open a hot-water faucet. Once the disaster is over and all utilities have been restored, remember to refill your hot water tank before restarting it.
The last hidden source of water in your home is the ice in your freezer. In an emergency disaster situation, if power is expected to be out for an extended period of time, it is more important to have water to drink, than food to eat. You can either eat the ice before it melts, or allow it to melt into the cleanest, sealable containers available, such as empty commercial water bottles, if available.
Remember, a normal, healthy adult can survive up to 8 weeks without food, but only ~5 days without water. Knowing where to locate emergency sources of water within your home could be the difference in disaster survival situations.
