How reliable will your normal water source be in an emergency or
crisis?
Unless you have a water well, many people don't know where
their water comes from other than knowing the utility company name.
There are some important pieces of information you should know about your
normal source of water so you can create an effective water plan.
Is the water pressure at your house
created by gravity from water towers or pumps or both?
In the event of a long term power outage,
does the utility have an emergency generator to pump water to you and to
refill their storage tanks?
How long will their generator last with
the amount of fuel they store on site?
Is their emergency generator powered by
natural gas that relies on off-site distribution which could be
interrupted by an earthquake or attack?
In an emergency, would your water utility
ration water?
Does your water company have a plan for
emergency water distribution?
Where are the planned emergency
distribution points?
Your
Water Usage
Beyond the need for pure drinking
water, you use water for cooking, bathing, sanitation, washing clothes
and for your garden. Not all these water usages need purified
water and your toilet and garden water needs can use "grey water" that
is left over from cooking, clothes washing and bathing. While some
experts warn against bathing in a river, creek or lake due to possible
contamination from microorganisms, it is generally a safe practice as
long as you don't swallow the water unless the local population
routinely gets sick from swimming in these waters.
Your Water Plan
The printable WATER PLAN document is designed to help you
identify water sources and the volume of water you will need.
Other water plan elements include:
Water Collection
Water Testing
Filtering Water
Purifying Water
Storing Water
Recycling Water
Product Options
Water Collection
Once you have identified emergency sources of water that will allow you
to replenish your water stocks, you need a means for collecting and
transporting it to your home. Water is very heavy, about 8 pounds
per gallon. Humping water for even a short distance can be very
strenuous. Having a pre-planed method for collecting and transporting
water will be significant part of your survival plan.
Water Testing
Water that looks cool and sparkling clear can have very
dangerous micro-organisms and chemicals. Even pristine high
mountain streams can be highly contaminated by upstream organic sources
or naturally occurring arsenic runoff. You water plan must include
the ability to test the water quality so you know what purification
processes to use.
Filtering Water
Water filtering is simply a mechanical process of
moving water through a very fine material to remove any solid materials.
Filtering does not purify water, unless your filter is rated as a
purifier, it only makes the follow-on
purification process easier. Commercial water filters, from the
small wilderness camping style units to larger stationary filter
products will generally also filter out chemicals and other non-organic
pollutants. Not all commercially available filters are designed to
the same standards and will require filter element replacement at some
later time.
Purifying Water - 2 Ways
Heating water
to kill all those nasty bacteria, viruses and
invisible bugs that are swimming in your water is an effective measure.
Heating water to the
boiling point and holding it at that temperature for 20 minutes is all
it takes.
You don't actually have to even raise the temperature to boiling (165
degrees will do the trick) but most people can easily recognize when
water is at the boiling point. Chemically treating water after boiling will keep it safe for drinking during storage
Chemical Treatment
by itself, can be less effective than boiling unless you have a means
for measuring the effect of the treatment, however it is a widely used method
for purifying water. Household bleach (effective shelf life of
about 4 months) can be used (no additives or fragrances) can be used as
well as
