Your Community

Emergency Preparedness

Guide Book

PREPARING AN EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY

     In a disaster, you might be cut off from food, water and electricity for days.  By preparing emergency provisions, you can turn what could be a life-threatening situation into a manageable problem.

Water:  The Absolute Necessity

     Stocking water reserves and learning how to purify contaminated water should be among your top priorities in preparing for an emergency.

     You should store at least a five day supply of water for each member of your family.  Everyone's needs will differ. depending upon age, physical condition, activity, diet and climate.  A normally active person needs to drink at least two litres (half-gallon) of water each day.  Hot environments can double that amount.

     Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need more.

     You will need additional water for food preparation and hygiene.

     Store a total of 4.5 litres (1 gallon) per person, per day.

     If your supplies begin to run low, remember - 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 Emergency Water Supplies

     You can store your water in thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers.  Never use a container that has held toxic substances, because tiny amounts may remain in the container's pores.  Sound plastic containers, such as soft drink bottles, are best.  You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums.

     Before storing your water, treat it with a preservative, such as chlorine bleach, to prevent the growth of micro-organisms.

     Use liquid bleach that contains 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite and no soap.  Some containers warn, "Not For Personal Use."  You can disregard these warnings if the label states sodium hypochlorite is the only active ingredient and if you use only the small quantities in these instructions.

     Add eight drops (1.25ml or 1/4 teaspoon) of bleach per 4.5 litres (1 gallon) of water, stir and let stand for 15 minutes.  Seal your water containers tightly, label them and store them in a cool, dark place.

Hidden Water Sources in Your Home

     If a disaster catches you without a stored supply of clean water, you can use water in your hot-water tank, in your plumbing and in ice cubes.

     As a last resort, you can use water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl), but purify it first.

     Water beds hold up to 1,820 litres (400 gallons), but some water beds contain toxic chemicals that are not fully removed by many purifiers.

     If you designate a water bed in your home as an emergency resource, drain it yearly and refill it with fresh water containing 57ml (two ounces) of bleach per 545.5 litres (120 gallons).

     To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the highest faucet in your house and draining the water from the lowest one.

     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.

     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.

Emergency Outdoor Water Sources

     If you need to seek water outside your home, you can use these sources.  But purify 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 odour or dark colour.  Use saltwater only if  you distill it first.

Three Easy Ways to Purify Water

     In addition to having a bad odour and taste, contaminated water can contain micro-organisms that cause diseases such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis.  You should therefore purify all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene.

     There are many ways to purify water.  None are perfect.  Often the best solution is a combination of methods.  Before purifying, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through layers of paper towel or clean cloth.

     Three easy purification methods are outlined below.

     These measures will kill microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals and radioactive fallout.

     Boiling is the safest method of purifying water.  Bring water to a rolling boil for one minute.  Let the water cool before drinking it.  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.

     Chlorination uses liquid chlorine bleach to kill micro-organisms.  Add eight drops (1.25 ml or 1.4 teaspoon) of bleach per 4.5 litres (1 gallon) of water, stir and let stand for 15 minutes.

     Purification tablets release chlorine or iodine.  They are inexpensive and available at most sporting goods stores and some drugstores.  Follow the package directions.  Usually one tablet is enough for one litre of water.  Double the dose for cloudy water.

More Rigorous Purification Methods

     While the three methods described previously will remove only microbes from water, the following two purification methods will remove other contaminants.  Distillation will remove microbes, heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals and radioactive dust and dirt, called radioactive fallout.

     Filtering will also remove radioactive fallout.  (Water itself cannot become radioactive, but it can be contaminated by radioactive fallout)

     Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapour that condenses back to water.  The condensed vapour 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.  Put the lid on the pot 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.

     To make a fallout filter, punch holes in the bottom of a large bucket, and put a layer of gravel with a towel cut in a circle slightly larger than the bucket.

     Cover the towel with six inches of clayish soil dug from at least four inches below ground level.

     Cover the soil with a towel, place the filter over a large container, and pour contaminated water through.  Then, disinfect the filtered water using one of the methods described above.  Change the soil in your filter after every 50 litres (3 gallons) of water.

Avoid Possible Damage To Water Treatment Equipment

Be prepared in case of a Power Outage

     When shutting off the water supply to the main house, remember to shut off all water-using appliances and equipment.  Any water-using equipment must not be exposed to temperatures below freezing.  Water, when frozen, expands and could cause fractures, thus damaging equipment.  In the case of all in-line water softeners, conditioners, filters, etc., they should be disconnected.  Our experience reminds us that NOT ALL insurance companies may cover such storm damage, so fore-warned is fore-armed.

Steps in Prevention:

• Detach the unit at the by-pass valve.

• Remove valve and timer from tank.

• Siphon and remove as much water as possible from tank.

• Fill with non-toxic antifreeze.  It can be purchased from any recreational vehicle dealer.

• It is relatively easy to shut down most makes of equipment BUT, when you are not sure, call a professional.

Table of Contents