Water Storage

Stored water for an emergency seems to be one of the most difficult items in putting together an emergency preparedness plan, yet it is one of the most critical needs.  The following is some helpful information to make the task a little easier.

• Store your water in thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers.  Plastic containers such as soft drink bottles are best.  You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums.
• Avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles.
• Never use a container that has held toxic substances.
• Store at least one gallon of water per person per day (two quarts for each person for drinking, two quarts for each person in your household for food preparation/sanitation).
• Store three to five gallons of water per person for 72 hours.

Seal water containers tightly, label them and store in a cool, dark place. Rotate water every six months.

Water Sources

Emergency Outdoor Water Sources:

• Rainwater
• Streams, rivers and other moving bodies of water
• Ponds and lakes
• Natural springs

Be sure to treat the water before drinking.

Avoid these water sources:

• Water with floating material, an odor, or dark color

• Flood water

• Use salt water only if you distill it first

Hidden Water Sources in Your Home

• Hot-water tank

• Pipes and ice cubes

• As a last resort, water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl)

Things to remember:

· If you hear reports of broken water or sewage lines, shut off your water valve to stop contaminated water from entering your home.

· To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the faucet in your house at the highest level. A small amount of water will trickle out. Then obtain water from the lowest faucet in the house.

· To use the water in your hot-water tank, be sure the electricity or gas is off, and open the drain at the bottom of the tank. Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake valve and turning on a hot-water faucet. Do not turn on the gas or electricity when the tank is empty.

Three Ways to Treat Water

There are many ways to treat water. None is 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 paper towel or clean cloth.

Boiling:

Safest method of treating water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.

· Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.

Disinfection:

· You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, colorsafe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.

· Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.

The only agent used to treat water should be household liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used.

Distillation:

While the two methods described above will kill most microbes in water, distillation will remove microbes that resist these methods, and heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals.

· Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt and other impurities.

· To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.

Some of the information contained on this page comes from the American Red Cross web site.  You can visit their official site at http://www.redcross.org