The recent news in Texas about the lack of water supply in many areas can also happen to your city and/or neighborhood.
Today, I’ll share with you 3 tips on how to survive the lack of safe drinking water during emergency or disaster.
Nothing makes clearer the importance of water than a large disaster; clean, fresh water becomes more valuable than gold.
It’s easy to forget that without water, we just can’t survive. Sixty percent of our bodies are water.
In fact, for infants water makes up about 80 percent of their body, so it is even more vital they have access to clean drinking water.
Unfortunately, following large-scale disasters, it’s not unusual that water supplies may be cut off temporarily or be rendered unfit for consumption.
Everyone should know the following tips on how to survive the lack of safe drinking water in dire situations.
1. Preparedness is Everything
The advice comes over and over, but most people still are not ready when disaster hits.
You must maintain a supply of clean drinking water some place safe in your home.
You can survive a week without food, but even 1 or 2 days without water can be fatal.
In terms of how much water is needed to be stored, you need to drink at least two quarts or 8 to 10 glasses a day of water per person.
Enough water for all the members of your family for at least a few days is a good idea.
You can store water yourself in your own containers; anything glass and clean, thoroughly washed plastic containers with caps work well.
Seal water tightly in their containers and store them in some place cool and dark in your home. Make sure to change new water regularly; at least once every three months.
2. Finding Safe Drinking Water
If you run out of water during an emergency, or are trapped somewhere without ready access to clean drinking water, you’ll need to know what’s safe to drink, and what isn’t.
After a disaster, sources of safe drinking water in your home include:
- The water from your main water tank (make sure it is chemical-free)
- Water from your hot water tank
- Water trapped in your water pipes
- The water from your toilet tank (not the bowl)
Melt any ice cubes that you may have stored. Avoid using water from waterbeds as drinking water, since they are treated with chemicals unsafe for drinking.
You can use waterbed water for washing, though.
Outside your home try to locate streams, rivers, lakes, or other sources of fresh water. Do save rainwater that may fall for drinking.
Never drink floodwater; it is usually contaminated with bacteria and chemicals.
3. Purifying Water in an Emergency
If you cannot locate safe drinking water during an emergency, then any water you find that does not look clear, or which you believe may be contaminated, should be purified before drinking.
The best and easiest way to purify water is by boiling. Disease-bearing microorganisms cannot survive in high temperatures.
Boil the water for a minimum of one minute.
For improved taste, pour the water back and forth from one clean container to another.
If you’re unable to boil your water, treat it chemically before drinking. Household chlorine bleach can be used to treat your water.
Use an eyedropper to drop eight drops of bleach into each gallon of water to be treated.
Make sure the chlorine you use lists hypochlorite as its only active ingredient; any extra chemicals or fragrances will only further contaminate the water.
Stir the water and allow it to stand at least 30 minutes. When the water appears clear, it is likely safe to drink.
If it is still murky or clouded, put in eight more drops and let stand another 30 minutes.
If you enjoyed this, you might also like to read here the 3 overlooked causes of heat loss at home that make you pay more in your heating bills.
In addition, you can read here the perfect solution of energy source for a house, even if there is a power outage.
Thank you for reading the 3 tips on how to survive the lack of safe drinking water during emergency or disaster. I hope this helps.
Please share this on social media and to your family and friends in Texas or elsewhere who might benefit from this.
Until next time. May your entire household have a safe and enough drinking water at home. Take care of yourself and each other.
Photo credit: Nithin PA / pexels.com
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