Water Storage

Water storage is vital! You can live without food for quite a few days, but can't go long without water. Below I've posted a document I have on water storage. If you would like the information in a Word document, please e-mail me at lallissfamily@msn.com and I'll be happy to send it to you.


Having an ample supply of clean water is a top priority in an emergency. A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need even more. You will also need water for food preparation and hygiene. Store a total of at least one gallon per person, per day. You should store at least a two-week supply of water for each member of your family.

If supplies run low, never ration water. Drink the amount you need today, and try to find more for tomorrow. You can minimize the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool.

How to Store Water
Store your water in thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers. Never use a container that has held toxic substances. Plastic containers, such as soft drink bottles, are best. You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums. Do not use any containers that are not food grade quality. Milk cartons can become brittle and break down over time and are not recommended. Bleach bottles will also break down and should not be used.
If storing water in plastic soda bottles, follow these steps:
Thoroughly clean the bottles with dishwashing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap. Sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water. Swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces. After sanitizing the bottle, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water.

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

Commercially available bottled water is a convenient way to store water. Sports bottles 1/2 to 1-1/2 liter sizes are excellent for long-term storage if kept in a cool, dark place. These are especially convenient for 72-hour emergency use. The larger 2 to 5 gallon polycarbonate water bottles will also store very well for long-term use (5+ years). The one-gallon water containers similar to milk jugs are not well suited to long-term storage, as they will begin to disintegrate. If these are used, they should be used and replaced every six months.

Emergency Outdoor Water Sources
If you need to find water outside your home, you can use these sources. Be sure to treat the water before drinking it.
• Rainwater
• Streams, rivers and other moving bodies of water
• Ponds and lakes
• Natural springs

Avoid water with floating material, an odor or dark color. Use saltwater only if you distill it first. You should not drink flood water.

Hidden Water Sources in Your Home
If a disaster catches you without a stored supply of clean water, you can use the water in your hot-water tank, pipes and ice cubes. As a last resort, you can use water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl).

Do you know the location of your incoming water valve? You'll need to shut it off to stop contaminated water from entering your home if you hear reports of broken water or sewage lines.

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.

Ways to Treat Water
Note: Water from a chlorinated municipal water supply does not need further treatment when stored in clean, sanitized, food-grade containers.

In addition to having a bad odor and taste, contaminated water can contain microorganisms that cause diseases such as dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis. You should treat all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene.

There are many ways to treat water. None is perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods.

Two easy treatment methods are outlined below. These measures will kill most microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals. Before treating, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through layers of paper towel or clean cloth.

Boiling: Boiling is the safest method of treating water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes (do not exceed 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% sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, colorsafe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.

Add liquid bleach in the following amounts:

1 quart: 4 drops (Cloudy Water) 2 drops (Clear Water)
1 gallon: 16 drops/8 drops
5 gallons: 1 teaspoon/½ teaspoon
55 gallons: 4 tablespoons/2 tablespoons

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. Following treatment, remove the lid and leave the water exposed to air. This allows the chlorine to escape into the atmosphere. The water can be stirred or shaken at 15 to 30 minute intervals to speed this process. The process is complete when there is no more chlorine odor or taste.

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.

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: 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.

ION (Stabilized Oxygen): ION is a non-toxic solution of stabilized electrolytes of oxygen. The greatest value of ION is that it kills disease, infections and putrefying anaerobic bacteria while stimulating the growth and development of normal beneficial bacteria. It is stable and does not dissipate in water or other liquids, except in lemon juice. It has an indefinite shelf life, even after being opened.

Water Treatment: For safe drinking water in an emergency, when you suspect the water is contaminated, use 5 to 20 drops per glass, depending on how contaminated the water is. Let sit for at least 2 1/2 minutes. For water storage use 20 drops per gallon or 1/2 bottle per 55 gallon drum. To treat normal tap water, for drinking, 10 drops per gallon should prove effective.


Information taken from the following:
http://www.providentliving.org/
www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water
Handout from Alan Martindale of the city of Mesa Water Department