Quick Facts...
- The human body can survive for weeks without food, but only a few
days without water.
- In preparing for an emergency, store at least a three-day supply of
water for each member of your family.
- You can minimize the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity
and staying cool.
- Water can be purified for drinking by filtering and then either boiling
or adding household bleach.
Access to safe drinking water is essential. The human body can survive
for weeks without food, but only a few days without water. An interruption
of a community’s water supply could occur from a natural disaster
such as a hurricane, earthquake, tornado or a severe winter storm. The
contamination of water supplies due to terrorist activity is a remote
possibility that also warrants consideration.
To prepare yourself and your family take these simple precautions:
- Have a supply of clean drinking water stored in the event of an
emergency;
- Understand how to access water from hidden sources inside your
home;
- Realize the potential outdoor sources for drinking water; and
- Learn how to purify water correctly.
Stocking Water
In preparing for an emergency, store at least a three-day supply of water
for each member of your family. In case of a natural disaster or an act
of terrorism resulting in the contamination of your community’s water
supply, having a two-week stock of clean water is advisable. A normally
active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day, but
that amount can vary. Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need
more, and during summer you should double the amount of water stored.
You will also need additional water for food preparation and hygiene.
Storing at least one gallon of water per person, per day is recommended
when preparing for an emergency. An adequate supply of water for pets
should also be included.
You can store tap water in thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass,
or enamel-lined metal containers. Never use a container that has held
toxic substances because small amounts may remain in the container. Plastic
containers, such as soft drink bottles or one-gallon water jugs are best.
You can also purchase large food-grade plastic containers or drums that
are specifically made to hold water.
Fill the clean containers with tap water or with well water that has
been treated by adding two drops of chlorine bleach per gallon. Seal the
water containers tightly, label and store them in a cool, dark place.
Replace the water every six months. When storing the water in a basement,
keep the water supply on shelves and not on the ground. In the event of
a flood, storm water entering the basement could contaminate the stored
water. If the floodwater continues to rise, move the stored water to a
higher level.
Commercially bottled water can be purchased at most retail establishments.
Check the label for an expiration date. If none is given, bottled water
with the IBWA or NSF seal should have a shelf life of at least one year.
To improve the taste of water that has been stored for a long time, pour
it from one clean container to another clean container several times,
to put air back into it.
You can also store water for an extended period in the freezer. If you
lose electricity, the frozen water will help keep foods in the freezer
frozen until the power is restored. Leave 2 to 3 inches of air space at
the top of the container to keep it from breaking as the water expands
during freezing. Water will expand by 9 percent when frozen, so you must
leave about 90 to 100 ml of headspace in a one-liter bottle to avoid breakage.
Some glass containers may break regardless of the air space provided.
After opening a stored container, it’s important to practice sanitary
measures to keep it safe and to control exposure to bacteria. To reduce
the chance of water contamination, do not open more containers than are
needed at the time. If electric power is available, store opened containers
in a refrigerator at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or 4.4 degrees Celsius.
If refrigeration is not available and containers are stored at room temperature,
be extra careful to avoid introducing bacterial contamination into the
bottled water. Use water in opened containers within one or two days.
It is rarely wise to ration water, particularly for children and elderly.
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.
Indoor Water Sources
When your stocked water supply is exhausted, water can be found inside
your home. Indoor water sources include 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), but purify it first using one of the
methods described later.
Hot water tanks are the best source of indoor water because they hold
an average of 50 gallons. To use the water in your hot water tank, first
turn off the gas at the intake valve or turn off the electricity at the
circuit breaker, or unplug the unit. Place a clean pail or bucket under
the drain at the bottom of the tank to retrieve the water. The drain may
look very similar to an outdoor water faucet. Remember, the water
coming from the tank can be scalding hot. Turn off the water intake valve
(usually located above the water heater) and open a hot water faucet at
one of your sinks. This provides a vent so that water can flow from the
tank. Only after the water at the main water supply valve and the water
intake valve of the hot water tank are turned on and the hot water tank
is filled with water, should the gas or electricity be turned back on
to the hot water heater.
To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning
on a faucet at the highest level in your house. Then use a clean container
to obtain water from the lowest faucet in the house.
Before using any indoor water sources, be sure the water in your home
is safe to drink. If water is not coming into your home, or you hear reports
of broken water or sewage lines or that your community’s water supply
is otherwise contaminated, shut off the water coming into your home at
the main water shut-off valve. To locate the main shutoff valve, look
on either side of the water meter for the pipe coming up through the floor
at the lowest level of your house. The shutoff valve may be on this line.
If you are unsure where the main water shut off valve is, the local water
utility company can come and locate it for you at no charge. Locate the
water shutoff valve before an emergency so that you are not caught off
guard.
What if the water coming into the house is contaminated?
Never use the water in your pipes or your hot water heater if there is
any chance that contaminated water may have entered your home. Using contaminated
water for washing and bathing is also not recommended, but it may be used
to flush toilets.
If floodwater enters the house from outdoors or comes up through the
basement drain or toilets, never try to use the water, even after attempting
to purify it. The water could be contaminated with sewage, oils, industrial
or hazardous wastes.
If your water supply comes from a well, you may have a pressure tank
that can supply a small amount of water in an emergency. If the power
is out and you have a generator, you can continue to access water from
the well. If the wellhead has been contaminated with floodwater, the water
from the well should not be used for drinking, cooking or bathing until
the well is purged and disinfected.
If your home is equipped with a water treatment system, such as reverse
osmosis (RO), activated carbon or a water softener unit, the water coming
from the unit may still not be drinkable in some instances. Safety of
the water will depend on the contaminant concentration, the chemical properties
of the contaminant, the type and condition of the treatment system, and
the operating conditions. For instance, a reverse osmosis unit cannot
effectively remove some solvents and other volatile organic chemicals.
No one piece of treatment equipment removes all contaminants, although
using several different types of treatment systems together may be effective.
Activated carbon filtration or sediment filtration is necessary to remove
silt particles or chlorine that otherwise may foul the RO membrane if
it is used alone. Other treatment systems used in conjunction with RO
can also remove certain pesticides and organic solvents.
Even if your water treatment system is capable of purifying contaminated
water coming into your home, it may be in your best interest to prevent
the water from passing through the treatment system. Once a water treatment
system becomes contaminated, cleaning or replacing components could present
a serious exposure hazard. For example, a RO unit is effective in removing
Anthrax spores, but maintenance on the unit afterwards may be deadly.
Outdoor Water Sources
Once your indoor water is exhausted, some outdoor water sources can be
used in an emergency. Outdoor water must be treated before using because
it can be contaminated by a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria
and parasites that cause diseases such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid
and hepatitis. If it is possible that the water is contaminated with chemical,
biological or radiologic agents, never use the water. In this case, the
water purification treatments listed below will not make the water safe
to drink.
The following are potential sources of outdoor water:
- Streams, rivers and other moving bodies of water
- Ponds and lakes
- Natural springs
- Rain and snow
If you are using an outdoor water source, avoid collecting water with
floating material, an odor or dark color. To purify water collected from
outdoor sources, both filtration and boiling is required before drinking
the water. Be aware that chlorine is not effective or only somewhat effective
in controlling Cryptosporidium and Giardia found in surface
water. Boiling is usually the best way to remove these two pathogens.
Another method uses filters labeled as “absolute one micron filters,”
or those labeled as certified by an American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) accredited organization to ANSI/NSF Standard 53 for “Cyst
Removal”.
Rain or melting snow dripping from the gutters or downspouts of a house
can be collected in containers such as a barrel or a plastic tank with
a lid. Water collected in this manner will need to be treated before use
with the Water Purification Treatment listed below.
Water Purification Treatment
- After collecting the water in a container, let any suspended particles
settle to the bottom and gently pour the clear water off the top into
a second container. Filter this water using a clean piece of cloth or
coffee filter to remove any remaining particles.
- To disinfect by boiling, bring the water to a rolling boil and boil
for a least 1 minute. Boil longer at high attitudes or if the water
is from a source suspected to have Giardia or other protozoa (5 minutes
boiling time is recommended at 10,000 feet above sea level). Boiling
will kill disease-causing microorganisms present in water, but will
concentrate non-volatile chemical contaminates, so it is unwise to boil
for longer than necessary.
- Let the water cool at least 30 minutes. You can re-oxygenate the
water by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers.
This will improve the taste.
- To disinfect by chlorination, use ordinary household chlorine bleach.
Sodium hypochlorite with a concentration of 5.25 to 6 percent should
be the only active ingredient in the bleach. There should not be any
added soap or fragrances. One major bleach manufacturer has also added
sodium hydroxide as an active ingredient, which will not pose a health
risk for water treatment. Add 16 drops (1/4 teaspoon) of liquid chlorine
bleach per gallon of water, or 8 drops per 2-liter bottle of water.
Stir to mix. If you do not have a dropper, use the following table to
measure the correct amount of bleach.
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8 drops =
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1/8 teaspoon |
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16 drops =
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1/4 teaspoon |
|
32 drops =
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1/2 teaspoon |
- Let the water stand 30 minutes to give the chlorine time to kill
the microorganisms present. This method is not guaranteed to be effective
against certain encysted protozoa.
- If the water has a slight chlorine odor, you can use it. If it does
not smell of chlorine, add 16 more drops of chlorine bleach per gallon
of water (or 8 drops per 2-liter bottle of water), stir, let it stand
30 minutes, and smell it again. If it smells of chlorine, you can use
it. If it does not smell of chlorine, discard it and find another source
of water. The only agent used to purify 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 are not recommended.
- If the chlorine taste in the water is too strong after disinfection,
pour it from one clean container to another several times. This will
drive some of the chlorine off as a gas, lowering the level of chlorine
in the water and improving the taste.
Possible Terrorist Based Water Contamination
Recent fears of terrorist attack have changed public perception about
the need for emergency preparedness. Finding alternative sources of water
is difficult and purifying the water is time consuming under the best
circumstances. Preparing an adequate stock of safe drinking water takes
only a small amount of effort and money and can insure your family is
ready for most emergencies.
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