If water is stored under the right conditions, it can be safe for quite some time. Most experts recommend rotating you water supply every 6-12 months. Even though you may rotate you supply, the water may still go flat and lose its taste. There are two ways to deal with this. First, you can take the water out and pour it back and forth between two containers. This puts the oxygen back in the water. Second, you can add kool-aid or some other powder to get rid of the taste.
There are many places you can get water containers. I prefer a company based in Utah called Industrial Container. The website for their products is www.industrialcontainer.com. You cannot purchase them online, but you can view their inventory online and then you can call to make your purchase. They are very helpful and their prices are half of what you would regularly see at stores or other online retailers.
You need to make sure that your water storage is not directly on the cement floor. The plastic containers will absorb water from the cement floor that will contaminate your water. Place the containers on boards or wood pallets to avoid this from happening. Also keep your water away from harmful chemicals or odoriferous products because the plastic tends to absorb these odors.
To begin, you need to avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles. Some plastics, such as those used to make milk bottles, are biodegradable and will within a short time period begin to leak, so don’t use them. I would stay away from thick polyethylene plastic bottles that were used to store other liquids, such as bleach. If you clean them well enough you can use them, but you run the danger of drinking harmful liquids rather than water.
Empty two liter pop bottles make excellent containers. They are convenient in size and shape (even little children can carry them). Each bottle contains approximately one day’s worth of water for one person. They will not break if dropped or stepped on and will not burst if frozen. The drawback of such containers is that to transport or use the water will require multiple trips because they don’t hold enough water.
The best containers are containers made of polyethylene (heavy, hard plastic) with tight-fitting caps or tops. The dark- colored containers block out the sunlight and therefore control algae and bacteria growth. These containers come in sizes of 1, 5, 7, 30, and 55 gallons. I would recommend storing the bulk of your water in a 55 gallon drum. Since water weighs 8 pounds per gallon, this will be hard to transport. I also recommend using the 5 or 7 gallon containers in case you need to transport your water.
The important thing to remember is that no matter what container you use you need to thoroughly clean them before filling them with pure water.
There are several other sources of liquid if your water is turned off – water drained from the hot water heater (most tanks contain 30-60 gallons of usable water), toilet tank (not the bowl), melted ice cubes, canned fruit and vegetable juices, and liquid from other canned goods. However, your supply of extra pure water is by far the best resource.
The best answer is to store as much drinkable water as you can.
According to FEMA, you should have a two week supply of water for emergencies. The average amount of water needed to survive one day is ½ gallon (2 quarts) of water for drinking. This is based upon the average sized person being in the average climate. FEMA also recommends having ½ gallon (2 quarts) of water per day for cooking and sanitation. That is 14 gallons of water per person. A family of four would need at least 56 gallons of stored water for their two week supply. This stored water does not include the water in your water heater, pipes, pool, aquariums, etc.
Even though 14 gallons is recommended that can change based upon several factors: hot environment, physical activity, nursing mothers, ill or elderly person, and children. Each one of these will require more water than normal, maybe even double.
The main reason why water storage is so essential is because of how dependent our body is upon water. You can survive for 4 to 6 weeks without food but it is impossible to survive more that 3 or 4 days without water. Because water is so essential, it is imperative that you not only have stored water, but also have a way to treat unclean water.
The public water company uses all possible methods to make sure we have clean water. In an emergency this clean water could become unavailable. The water could become so polluted that it is undrinkable. You and your family might have to resort to your own methods to obtain water. This is the main reason why you should not only have your stored water but a method to make water drinkable.
Now is the time to prepare, not when the disaster strikes.
The simpler you make your plan, the better. The following outline is a basic plan that can be used for all emergencies. Even though each emergency is different and might require additional things, this will be the basics for you for all of those.
Inventory Home
Prepare all documents that prove ownership and establish value for insurance purposes. Begin by using a video camera or a camera to document all the contents of your home. Next list all the serial numbers, model numbers, original purchase cost, and date of purchase of your valuable items. It is important to make sure you keep two copies of these records. Keep one inside the home and another in a safe place outside of the home. Safety deposit boxes are great for protecting these documents and do not cost lots of money. Put the items you have in your home into a fireproof safe. Keep the originals in the safe, but make copies to be kept in the safety deposit box
Document Preservation
Prepare all additional important documents. Other important documents you want to keep in the safe could be: will, trust documents, personal and family records, cherished photos and keepsakes, business files, legal and financial documents, birth certificates, deeds, titles, cash (rainy day fund), duplicate keys, a record of bank and credit account numbers and phone numbers, financial portfolios, copies of licenses (vehicle, professional, marriage, etc…), family videos, and any other item that would be difficult to replace. Keep the originals in the safe, but make copies to be kept in the safety deposit box.
Have a portrait of all family members, writing a complete description on the back of each photo including height, weight, color of hair and eyes, and other physical characteristics. This will be especially helpful if you are separated from each other.
Evacuation Plan
Create an evacuation plan. This should include a map of the house. It should show every exit. Also include a safe meeting place outside of the home. This creates one place that all can meet up and be accounted for. Also label where the gas, electric, and water shut off lines are. You also need to contact your local schools, community, and local government to know what their emergency and evacuation plans are. You also need to hold practice drills for the evacuation plan.
Communication Plan
You also need to create a communication plan. This should include a person outside of the home all can contact if separated. This person should also be able to pick up your kids if needed, but make sure that there is a secret password that only you, the kids, and this person know. This will protect your kids from strangers that might take advantage of them.
Learn basic first aid and CPR
Utility Shut Off
All responsible family members should know the tools required and how to shut off gas, water, and electricity. If you do not know how to do this, then you need to call your plumber, electrician, or utility company to learn how to shut them off. The tools required to shut off utilities should be ready available.
Emergency Supplies
Prepare and know the location of the items listed below:
a. 72 hour survival kit
b. First aid kit
c. Fire extinguishers
d. Portable radio/batteries
e. Flashlight/batteries
f. Water
g. Food Storage
h. Tools
i. Blankets/sleeping bags
j. Cooking equipment
k. Sanitation supplies
l. Prescribed medications
An important part of this plan is to make sure you review it once or twice a year and make any adjustments that are necessary. It will also be helpful to make adjustments after any siginifcant changes. This could include your children changing schools, moving neighborhoods, or additions to the family.
The responsibility for preparing and responding to an emergency lies with the individual and the family, not the community or government. Both the community and the government have disaster plans, but they say it can take up to 72 hours before they will be able to get to those in need. This means you will need to have your or your family’s preparedness plan completed before a disaster strikes. Your family’s preparedness plan will not only reduce the amount of frustration, heart ache, and physical harm to your family, it will also limit the amount of property damage and loss.
