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Emergency Water Storage Preparedness

1st August, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Without water, an individual is only able to survive for three days. This makes water a vital facet of emergency preparedness.

In most homes, nearly twenty-five gallons of water per day is used by each person. This consists of water used for drinking, cleaning, flushing and cooking. Additionally, most of the systems which provide water to those homes are dependent on electricity. Even residences with wells often utilize electric pump systems. So, having stored water on hand is extremely important in case you end up without access to electric power.

It’s a good idea to have a week’s worth of water stored for your household. When you are careful in your water usage, you should be able to get by with two to three gallons of water per person in very warm environments. Half of this water is going to be employed for drinking. The other 1/2 is going to be used for cooking and hygiene. While you might not drink nearly this much water on a daily basis, keep in mind that other beverages are going to be limited. Furthermore, you’ll be adapting to life without having the benefit of items like air conditioning and electric fans. You will need to restore water lost through perspiration and breathing.

If you know in advance that you could suffer a loss of your water supply, use this occasion to fill up bathtubs, sinks, ice chests and every other container you’ve got that is strong enough to hold water without leaking. Separate your water into 2 categories: drinking and non drinking uses.

It is wise to prepare for at least 7 days without having water. Every member of the family should have 21 gallons of stored water. To be safe, you might wish to double this quantity. A household of five would require 105 gallons of water in storage. Twice that amount would be over 200 gallons. Translated, this would mean you’d need two to four, 55 gallon drums.

The weight of a gallon of water is under 8 1/2 pounds. This is a major consideration for storage and transportation. Quantities of water would be better kept on a strengthened cement floor as fifty-five gallons of water (excluding the weight of the drum) would weigh nearly 500 pounds. Most standard floors would not be able to bear this extra weight.

In case you are unexpectedly lacking water service, there are locations within your house which contain useable water. Most hot water heaters contain about 40 gallons of drinkable water. The tank part of the toilet also has water that’s useable for drinking purposes. Ice cubes in the deep freeze are another resource. Don’t discard the water found in canned products as it’s another valued way to obtain moisture any time every single drop counts.

In a rainstorm, water can be gathered using a child’s swimming pool or by placing a container beneath your downspout. On top of that, clean sheets and bedspreads can be left out to soak up the dew or rain and then wrung out over a storage container. Harvest non-drinking water from toilet bowls and waterbed mattresses.

Plan ahead to prepare for possible water shortages. Get imaginative with tactics to replace your stored water as soon as the faucet is turned off. Train yourself and your loved ones to reduce the use of the water you DO have.