PostsWhile tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes are not the only crisis or disaster times that could require having an emergency water purification system available, they can be some of the most dire. If you met with an emergency or disaster situation, would you have access to clean drinking water to meet your needs until the situation had passed? Clean drinking water will be a priority in an emergency or disaster. Start by trying to have an adequate supply of drinking water available in the house. Then come up with other sources in case you run out or if the community water supplies are turned off or contaminated. The following list will help you plan your water supply needs.
Find Clean Water Sources
Immediately upon finding out that an emergency is coming make an effort to stockpile as much clean drinking water as you can.
- Buy ice and bottled water. Ice can be used to help keep food cold in case of a power outage. As the ice melts, it will give you a source of drinking water.
- Fill containers and freeze water in your refrigerator or freezer.
- Fill large bowls, pitchers, serving dishes, and other clean vessels with drinking water.
- Thoroughly bleach the bathtub, rinse it carefully and fill it with water.
Finding Hidden Safe Water Sources
Do you know where to find sources of safe drinking water in your house? These could be sources you generally would not make use of but knowing where they are could save your life. After all, it might take a while for an emergency water purification system to get up and going.
- The water in the tank of the toilet, not the bowl, is safe to drink ONLY if chemical treatments haven’t been put into the tank and the tank has been cleaned. Drain all water retained in the home water pipes. Put a receptacle beneath the faucet and expel the air pressure within the pipes by turning on the highest faucet in your home. Then release the water from the lowest tap into a jar. If you are on one floor, just empty the water in all faucets into a container.
- Shut off the power to the hot water unit and let it cool. This might take several hours. With a container under the drain valve close to the bottom of the tank, open the valve and drain the water into the clean container. A few of these sources of water might need to be sterilized before drinking. Store chemical purification tablets in your emergency materials kit in case of need.
Safe Water Resources Outdoors
There may come a time when water from your home is not accessible at all. How would you look for drinking water outside of your home? Here are some of the really basic sources of water from outside sources:
- Water left in a coiled rubber water hose.
- Rain water collected in a hunk of plastic or clean container.
- Melted snow that has been warmed prior to drinking. One question you need to consider is whether the possible drinking water should be disinfected prior to drinking, especially if you find an outside source of water. Learn what there is to know about purification methods and avoid drinking water you are not certain is suitable for drinking.
Take Precautions
Take special precautions with standing accumulations of water or water from streams, rivers, or lakes. Water from some free flowing source might not be as clean as it seems either. Bacteria could be lurking in the water ready to make you very sick. You might even die from drinking contaminated or “non-potable” water. Knowing the way and where to obtain safe drinking water following an emergency might help you survive. While many of these abnormal sources may not sound too exciting now, in an emergency you will be relieved you know about emergency water purification systems.
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