Water preparedness

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WHY SHOULD I STORE WATER?    

Water is an essential element of life. You will not live past 3 days without water. Water is one of your most important preps. It is important to store water because in some emergencies like natural disasters your water source could become contaminated or even worse there is no access to water at all. You use water every day for various reasons. 

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I HAVE FOR SHORT-TERM STORAGE?  

The answer to this will be different for everyone. FEMA has a suggested guideline of I Gallon of water per person for 3 days. This would be a minimum amount of water and if you can store more that would be my suggestion. In a major catastrophe, it might take longer than 3 days for rescue units to get to you. If you can store at least 2 weeks' worth of water which equates to 14 gallons of water that would give you more time to be rescued. To not have so many water bottles in storage you can opt for two 7-gallon water containers to cut out on the amount of storage space needed. One gallon of water can be rationed out at half a gallon can be used for drinking and the other half can be used for light cooking and hygiene. I would suggest you store as much water as you can.   

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR A LONG-TERM WATER SUPPLY?  

If longer-term water is needed you have options to purify and filter your water source. I will go over 3 methods that are most commonly used.   

-       Boiling – Boiling water for at least 1 minute will kill viruses and bacteria but does not remove chemicals such as lead, fuel, or other toxins.        

-       Mechanical – A hand pump can serve as a type of mechanical filter device that will help to filter your water. Most of these types of filters work best if you pre-filter the water using a coffee filter or bandanna. Another type of filtration system would be a gravity-fed such as a Berkey water filter.       

-       Chemical – There are 3 chemical water treatment options. Be aware that these types of treatment only kill viruses and bacteria and will not neutralize other chemical toxins or hazardous substances that have leaked into the water supply due to an urban disaster.  

- 1.  Bleach  

- 2.  Iodine (Tablet, Crystal or Tincture)  

- 3.  Chlorine Dioxide   

Hopefully, you have realized how important water is for your survival and wellbeing. Remember you can only live 3 days without water. Prepare now to make sure you and your family will survive.