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Water and Emergency Preparedness

Storing Water

Normally, active people need two quarts of water for drinking each day, but three to four quarts of water daily in hot weather. Children, ill individuals, and nursing mothers will require more. Food preparation and hygiene practices also require water. Plan on and store a two-week, one gallon supply of water, per person, per day. In addition, plan on a water supply for your pets; small pets require at least one quart per day

• Store water in clean glass, plastic, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers. Plastic containers like pop bottles are best. Food-grade buckets or drums are another option.
• Never use a container that has held toxic chemicals. Avoid containers that can’t be sealed, are at risk for breakage, and plastic milk bottles or cartons that are difficult to properly clean.
• Do not boil the water before storage unless it is covered while boiling; it could make contaminants be even more concentrated.
• Wash, sanitize, and rinse your containers before utilizing them for water storage. If you will be storing tap water, it might need additional treatment; contact your water provider for details.
• Water should be stored in a cool, dry place. Storing your water supply in a freezer could help keep your frozen food cold if power goes out in an emergency.
• Water weighs over 8 pounds per gallon; make sure that the shelves you will be using can handle the weight.
• Rotate your water supply every six months. Check the expiration dates on any bottled water as it may last longer.

Alternate Water Sources inside Your Home

Hot-Water Tank

Turn off your gas or electricity. Turn off the water intake valve. Open the drain that is located at the bottom of the tank, and then turn on a hot water faucet to start water flow. Refill the tank before turning electricity back on; leave turning the gas back on to professionals.

Pipes

Turn off the water intake valve. Let air into the plumbing by turning on the highest faucet in the house. Then, find the lowest faucet in the house, and collect water from it.

Ice Cubes

The ice cubes stored in your freezer can be used as a source of drinking water.

Do NOT use

Radiators, water boilers, water beds, toilet bowls, swimming pools, and spas. Do not use toilets flush tanks without treatment or if chemicals have been placed in them.

Outside Water Sources

Only use these if you have no stored water or water inside your home, and be sure to treat it before using it for drinking or food preparation because it may contain harmful bacteria

• Avoid water that appears dark, has an odor, or contains floating materials.
• Do NOT drink floodwater.
• Well water is generally the preferred source of outdoor drinking water. Natural springs, ponds and lakes, streams, rivers, and other moving bodies of water are potential sources. Flowing water is usually of higher quality than stagnant water.

Water Treatment

Contaminated water often contains microorganisms that can cause diseases including dysentery, cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis. Treatment via boiling or disinfection should remove most of these organisms, but will leave other chemicals like heavy metals and salts. Distillation should remove these materials and other types of bacteria. Before treating your water, let suspended particles settle at the bottom of the container or filter them out using paper towels, coffee filters, or cloth

• Boiling: This is the safest way to treat your water. Bring your water to a rolling boil for three to five minutes, and let cool before drinking. Adding oxygen back into the water by pouring it back and forth between clean containers can improve the water’s taste. Always keep water covered to avoid concentrating chemical contaminants and to prevent water loss.
• Disinfection: Household bleach can kill microbes. Be sure to only use regular bleach that contains 5.25% sodium hypochlorite, not bleach with added cleaners or chemicals. Add sixteen drops (1/8 of a teaspoon) per gallon of water, stir, and leave for 30 minutes, uncovered. The water should have a slight bleach odor; if it doesn't, add another sixteen drops and wait fifteen more minutes.
• Distillation: This process means boiling water and collecting the vapor that will not contain impurities. The American Red Cross’ distillation process is as follows: “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.”

Other Tips

• Liquids obtained from canned goods like fruit and vegetable juices are safe to drink.
• Don’t replace drinking water with drinking carbonated beverages or alcohol. These will dehydrate the body.
• Turn off the water intake valves if you hear about broken water pipes or broken sewage pipes.
• Reduce physical activity and try to stay cool to decrease the amount of water that your body needs.
• Do not ration water unless told to do so by the authorities; allow everyone to drink as much as they need.
• If the power goes out, a fireplace, fondue pot, charcoal grill, candle warmers, or chafing dishes can be used as a heat source.

For More Information

SLVHD Emergency Preparedness Bureau

American Red Cross

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Emergency Drinking Water Supplies by: Dorothy L. Miner, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Services