AZ Prepper
10-30-2009, 07:43 PM
Water Storage
During an emergency, a sufficient supply of clean water may be your most important item. An individual can go a while with no food, but will not survive long with no water. Drinking water in emergency situations should not be rationed. Drink what is needed today and find more for tomorrow. Because of this, it is important to not only have sufficient water on hand, but also be prepared for purifying water that may not be clean (typhoid fever, dysentery and infectious hepatitis are diseases often associated with unsafe water). It would be smart to assume all water is unsafe and is in need of purification.
A minimum of 2 quarts and up to 1 gallon of water is needed per day per person, depending on their size, the weather and the amount of work being performed. Children, nursing mothers and ill people need more. Hot temperatures can double the amount of water needed. Because a 2 week supply is recommended per person, a minimum of 14 gallons of clean water per person is needed. This amount should be sufficient not only for drinking, but also for cooking, brushing teeth, hygiene care, etc. Keep in mind that a person normally uses over 140 gallons of water per day for drinking, bathing, laundry, dishes, watering lawns, etc. So 1 gallon a day is the bare minimum. If you have the means to store more than this, it would be wise to do so.
The containers that are storing your water should be food-grade containers. Never use containers that have held toxic substances. Some possible water storage containers are:
- Soda pop plastic bottles: high quality, food grade soda bottles recycled for water storage.
- Store-bought water bottles: very inexpensive and easy to rotate.
- Water cooler water bottles (2.5 and 5 gallon bottles): great for using with cooler and rotating often.
- Food-grade plastic buckets or drums: most used for soda syrup storage; up to 55 gallons for home storage.
DO NOT USE: milk jugs (they break down fast and allow impurities to enter), glass, toxic containers, etc.
The easiest way to store the larger part of your water is in the 55 gallon, food-grade plastic water drums. You can usually get used barrels from soda pop manufacturers for a fairly reasonable price. Because they use them to store the soda pop syrup, they will always have a slight smell and taste from the syrup. This could be a bonus or downfall, depending on how you look at it.
Besides the large water barrels, a family should store water in containers that are more easily transported. In other words, if you have to jump in the car and leave for a while, or possibly even leave on foot, the 55 gallon barrels and not going with you. Have some 2-liter soda pop bottles full of water and maybe even some 5-gallon water cooler jugs that can be thrown in the car. You may also want to have some store-bought water bottles ready to throw in a backpack, duffle bag, etc. for easy transport. So be prepared for longer term at home (55 gallon barrels) and also shorter term just in case you have to evacuate (soda pop bottles, cooler jugs & water bottles).
Preparation and Storage of Water:
- Containers for water should be rinsed with a diluted bleach solution (one part bleach to ten parts water) before use. Previously used bottles or other containers may be contaminated with microbes or chemicals. Do not rely on untested devices for decontaminating water.
- If your water is treated commercially by a water utility, you do not need to treat water before storing it. Additional treatments of treated public water will not increase storage life.
- If you have a well or public water that has not been treated, follow the treatment instructions provided by your public health service or water provider.
- If you suspect that your well may be contaminated, contact your local or state health department or agriculture extension agent for specific advice.
- Seal your water containers tightly, label them and store them in a cool, dark place.
- It is important to change stored water every six months. Labeling by storage date is helpful.
Other Water Sources:
- Melted ice cubes.
- Water drained from the water heater faucet, if the water heater has not been damaged.
- Water dipped from the flush tanks (not the bowls) of home toilets. Bowl water can be used for pets.
- Liquids from canned goods such as fruit and vegetable juices.
UNSAFE Drinking Water Sources:
- Radiators
- Hot water boilers (home heating system)
- Water beds (fungicides added to the water or chemicals in the vinyl may make water unsafe to use).
- Swimming pools and spas (chemicals used in them to kill germs are too concentrated for safe drinking, but CAN be used for personal hygiene, cleaning and related uses).
Treating Water:
If you are uncertain if water is contaminated or not, assume it is. Treat all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food washing or preparation, washing dishes, brushing teeth or making ice. In addition to having a bad odor and taste, contaminated water can contain microorganisms that cause diseases such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis.
There are many ways to treat water, of which none are perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods. Before treating, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through layers of clean cloth. Following are 4 treatment methods. The first three methods - boiling, chlorination and water treatment tablets - will kill microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals and radioactive fallout. The final method - distillation - will remove microbes as well s most other contaminants, including radioactive fallout.
1. Boiling: This is the safest method of treating water. It kills harmful bacteria and parasites. Bringing water to a rolling boil for 1 minute will kill most organisms. Let the water cool before drinking. Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring it back and forth between two containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.
2. Chlorination: Chlorination uses liquid chlorine bleach to kill microorganisms such as bacteria. Use regular household liquid bleach that contains no soap or scents. Some containers warn, "Not For Personal Use." you can disregard these warnings if the label states sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient and if you use only the small quantities mentioned in these instructions. Add 16 drops of unscented bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not taste and smell of chlorine at that point, add another dose and let stand another 15 minutes. This treatment will not kill parasitic organisms. If you do not have a dropper, use a spoon and a square-ended strip of paper or thin cloth about 1/4 inch by 2 inches. Put the strip in the spoon with an end hanging down about 1/2 inch below the scoop of the spoon. Place bleach in the spoon and carefully tip it. Drops the size of those from a medicine dropper will drop off the end of the strip.
3. Water Treatment Tablets: These "purification" tablets release chlorine or iodine. They are inexpensive and available at most sporting goods stores and some drugstores. Follow the package directions carefully. NOTE: People with hidden or chronic liver or kidney disease or thyroid problems may be adversely affected by iodized tablets and may experience worsened health problems as a result of ingestion. Pregnant or nursing women should also stay away from water with iodine. Iodized tablets are safe for healthy, physically fit adults and should be used only if you lack the supplies for boiling, chlorination and distillation.
4. Distillation: This involves boiling water and collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor may include salt or other impurities. Fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup hangs right side up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water). Boil for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.
Other Important Information:
- Carbonated beverages do not meet drinking water requirements. Caffeinated drinks and alcohol dehydrate the body, which increases the need for drinking water.
- If water pipes are damaged or if local authorities advise you, turn off main water valves to prevent water from draining away in case the water main breaks. Turn off all water outlets including taps or faucets, valves on pipes supplying float-controlled equipment such as flush toilets, air-cooling equipment, and heating equipment. Then, when water service is restored, your home will not be flooded as these flotation devices sometimes stick after they have been allowed to dry out. **When you close the main valve, the pipes will be full of water. To use this water, turn on the faucet at the highest point in your house, which will let air into the system. Then draw water, as needed, from the lowest point in your house, which is typically either a faucet or hot water tank. Also make sure to turn off the gas or electricity that supplies your hot water heater after closing your home water service valve, or when your water supply is interrupted for any other reason. Otherwise, if the limited supply of water remaining in your hot-water storage tank continues to be heated, an explosion may occur or electrical heating elements may burn out. And if no more water can reach the tank, continued heat may muddy the water through oxidation and make it useless for washing or drinking purposes.
You should check your water on an annual basis and change when necessary. If you find your water has gone "flat," simply pour the water back and forth between containers to aerate it or beat it with a mechanism to mix air back into it. You might also want to store some flavorings such as fruit drink mixes, punch, kool-aid, etc.
During an emergency, a sufficient supply of clean water may be your most important item. An individual can go a while with no food, but will not survive long with no water. Drinking water in emergency situations should not be rationed. Drink what is needed today and find more for tomorrow. Because of this, it is important to not only have sufficient water on hand, but also be prepared for purifying water that may not be clean (typhoid fever, dysentery and infectious hepatitis are diseases often associated with unsafe water). It would be smart to assume all water is unsafe and is in need of purification.
A minimum of 2 quarts and up to 1 gallon of water is needed per day per person, depending on their size, the weather and the amount of work being performed. Children, nursing mothers and ill people need more. Hot temperatures can double the amount of water needed. Because a 2 week supply is recommended per person, a minimum of 14 gallons of clean water per person is needed. This amount should be sufficient not only for drinking, but also for cooking, brushing teeth, hygiene care, etc. Keep in mind that a person normally uses over 140 gallons of water per day for drinking, bathing, laundry, dishes, watering lawns, etc. So 1 gallon a day is the bare minimum. If you have the means to store more than this, it would be wise to do so.
The containers that are storing your water should be food-grade containers. Never use containers that have held toxic substances. Some possible water storage containers are:
- Soda pop plastic bottles: high quality, food grade soda bottles recycled for water storage.
- Store-bought water bottles: very inexpensive and easy to rotate.
- Water cooler water bottles (2.5 and 5 gallon bottles): great for using with cooler and rotating often.
- Food-grade plastic buckets or drums: most used for soda syrup storage; up to 55 gallons for home storage.
DO NOT USE: milk jugs (they break down fast and allow impurities to enter), glass, toxic containers, etc.
The easiest way to store the larger part of your water is in the 55 gallon, food-grade plastic water drums. You can usually get used barrels from soda pop manufacturers for a fairly reasonable price. Because they use them to store the soda pop syrup, they will always have a slight smell and taste from the syrup. This could be a bonus or downfall, depending on how you look at it.
Besides the large water barrels, a family should store water in containers that are more easily transported. In other words, if you have to jump in the car and leave for a while, or possibly even leave on foot, the 55 gallon barrels and not going with you. Have some 2-liter soda pop bottles full of water and maybe even some 5-gallon water cooler jugs that can be thrown in the car. You may also want to have some store-bought water bottles ready to throw in a backpack, duffle bag, etc. for easy transport. So be prepared for longer term at home (55 gallon barrels) and also shorter term just in case you have to evacuate (soda pop bottles, cooler jugs & water bottles).
Preparation and Storage of Water:
- Containers for water should be rinsed with a diluted bleach solution (one part bleach to ten parts water) before use. Previously used bottles or other containers may be contaminated with microbes or chemicals. Do not rely on untested devices for decontaminating water.
- If your water is treated commercially by a water utility, you do not need to treat water before storing it. Additional treatments of treated public water will not increase storage life.
- If you have a well or public water that has not been treated, follow the treatment instructions provided by your public health service or water provider.
- If you suspect that your well may be contaminated, contact your local or state health department or agriculture extension agent for specific advice.
- Seal your water containers tightly, label them and store them in a cool, dark place.
- It is important to change stored water every six months. Labeling by storage date is helpful.
Other Water Sources:
- Melted ice cubes.
- Water drained from the water heater faucet, if the water heater has not been damaged.
- Water dipped from the flush tanks (not the bowls) of home toilets. Bowl water can be used for pets.
- Liquids from canned goods such as fruit and vegetable juices.
UNSAFE Drinking Water Sources:
- Radiators
- Hot water boilers (home heating system)
- Water beds (fungicides added to the water or chemicals in the vinyl may make water unsafe to use).
- Swimming pools and spas (chemicals used in them to kill germs are too concentrated for safe drinking, but CAN be used for personal hygiene, cleaning and related uses).
Treating Water:
If you are uncertain if water is contaminated or not, assume it is. Treat all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food washing or preparation, washing dishes, brushing teeth or making ice. In addition to having a bad odor and taste, contaminated water can contain microorganisms that cause diseases such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis.
There are many ways to treat water, of which none are perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods. Before treating, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through layers of clean cloth. Following are 4 treatment methods. The first three methods - boiling, chlorination and water treatment tablets - will kill microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals and radioactive fallout. The final method - distillation - will remove microbes as well s most other contaminants, including radioactive fallout.
1. Boiling: This is the safest method of treating water. It kills harmful bacteria and parasites. Bringing water to a rolling boil for 1 minute will kill most organisms. Let the water cool before drinking. Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring it back and forth between two containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.
2. Chlorination: Chlorination uses liquid chlorine bleach to kill microorganisms such as bacteria. Use regular household liquid bleach that contains no soap or scents. Some containers warn, "Not For Personal Use." you can disregard these warnings if the label states sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient and if you use only the small quantities mentioned in these instructions. Add 16 drops of unscented bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not taste and smell of chlorine at that point, add another dose and let stand another 15 minutes. This treatment will not kill parasitic organisms. If you do not have a dropper, use a spoon and a square-ended strip of paper or thin cloth about 1/4 inch by 2 inches. Put the strip in the spoon with an end hanging down about 1/2 inch below the scoop of the spoon. Place bleach in the spoon and carefully tip it. Drops the size of those from a medicine dropper will drop off the end of the strip.
3. Water Treatment Tablets: These "purification" tablets release chlorine or iodine. They are inexpensive and available at most sporting goods stores and some drugstores. Follow the package directions carefully. NOTE: People with hidden or chronic liver or kidney disease or thyroid problems may be adversely affected by iodized tablets and may experience worsened health problems as a result of ingestion. Pregnant or nursing women should also stay away from water with iodine. Iodized tablets are safe for healthy, physically fit adults and should be used only if you lack the supplies for boiling, chlorination and distillation.
4. Distillation: This involves boiling water and collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor may include salt or other impurities. Fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup hangs right side up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water). Boil for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.
Other Important Information:
- Carbonated beverages do not meet drinking water requirements. Caffeinated drinks and alcohol dehydrate the body, which increases the need for drinking water.
- If water pipes are damaged or if local authorities advise you, turn off main water valves to prevent water from draining away in case the water main breaks. Turn off all water outlets including taps or faucets, valves on pipes supplying float-controlled equipment such as flush toilets, air-cooling equipment, and heating equipment. Then, when water service is restored, your home will not be flooded as these flotation devices sometimes stick after they have been allowed to dry out. **When you close the main valve, the pipes will be full of water. To use this water, turn on the faucet at the highest point in your house, which will let air into the system. Then draw water, as needed, from the lowest point in your house, which is typically either a faucet or hot water tank. Also make sure to turn off the gas or electricity that supplies your hot water heater after closing your home water service valve, or when your water supply is interrupted for any other reason. Otherwise, if the limited supply of water remaining in your hot-water storage tank continues to be heated, an explosion may occur or electrical heating elements may burn out. And if no more water can reach the tank, continued heat may muddy the water through oxidation and make it useless for washing or drinking purposes.
You should check your water on an annual basis and change when necessary. If you find your water has gone "flat," simply pour the water back and forth between containers to aerate it or beat it with a mechanism to mix air back into it. You might also want to store some flavorings such as fruit drink mixes, punch, kool-aid, etc.