Do you know how to be prepared with water before a disaster hits your city? I teach classes at various churches, subdivisions, and businesses on food storage and emergency preparedness.
I decided I could no longer haul all of my emergency items to these classes showing what is needed if a disaster hits my neighborhood. It took two full days to set up the photo shoot and we will be doing videos together sooner than later.
I am a visual person, so I hope these help you see what storing a few containers of water can do for you and your family in case of emergency.
We Take the Faucet for Granted
Sometimes we take for granted that we can walk into the kitchen and just turn on the faucet and water comes flying out. We have to be prepared for the day when those faucets don’t work. Maybe the water lines are down because power is lost, or the water is contaminated from an unknown source.
You may wonder why I talk about water storage so often, well it’s because we sometimes need a little nudge to get more water stored. I went to get my hair cut today and I asked the girl cutting my hair if she had any water stored at her home.
I didn’t want to be too personal, but she’s been cutting my hair for years and I’m old enough to be her grandmother. Sometimes I will ask her if she is prepared with water and food storage, etc. She said, “No, not yet.” She is newly married and living paycheck to paycheck.
Start With Cases of Water and Bags of Beans/Rice
I suggested she start with just a case or two of water and a few cans of beans and a bag of rice. It’s a good start and she can sleep at night knowing she at least has a day or two of water and a little food in her home.
The shop had a television showing the Hurricane Michael catastrophic events unfolding before our eyes. May God bless all the workers, the first responders, and families that are being affected by this terrible storm. They reported it’s a 500-year storm, unbelievable. It’s the worst storm in American history. My heart aches for all involved.
Of course, I then pointed out to the girl cutting my hair that where we live is far away from the ocean for any threat of a hurricane or tornado, but we have had a 500-year flood in 2013. I left it at that.
Please remember to always use a lead-free hose to fill your water containers if you fill them outside with a hose bib.
How To Be Prepared With Water
I suggest 4-gallons of water per person per day, some may think that’s too much. It isn’t for me, we need water to drink, cook, wash clothes, or at least wash our underwear. And we may have neighbors that have zero water in their homes.
I used to think I was ok since I have my water heater filled with 50-gallons of water. But we shouldn’t count on that water anymore. If it becomes contaminated from terrorists or some crazy group or just Mother Nature compromises the integrity of our water lines, we’ll be in big trouble.
Lead via Water In Flint, Michigan
We have seen it in Flint, Michigan for example what happened to their water based on bad decisions by the local government agencies. It was lead poisoning.
Calculate Water Needs
You can figure out the number of cases of water to buy for the needs of the people in your home for a week, 2 weeks or a month. Some cases come with 12-ounce bottles, 16-ounce or 20-ounce bottles. Those work great for water storage if a disaster hits. They aren’t the most cost-effective, but they work in a pinch.
WaterBricks
I love WaterBricks, the 3.5-gallon ones weigh about 26-27 pounds depending on how full they are filled. You need only 1/2 teaspoon of Water Preserver for this container and it’s great to know you only have to rotate them every five years.
Milk Jugs
Some people just fill washed milk jugs. They may leak after a bit, but at least you will have water. If you are lucky, they may never leak. If nothing else, you can use this water for personal hygiene.
55-Gallon Barrels
You can buy the 55-gallon blue barrels with a pump and fill them, but leave room for expansion if you get a freeze in your city. I have seen these at Walmart for less than $50.00 in Southern Utah. Please remember you need a Bung and a Siphon Pump. Check them out.
Berkey Sports Water Bottles
I have talked to you about the Berkey Sports Bottles, these are great for camping or traveling. In some countries or cities, you may need to be careful about drinking the water. These can be refilled up to 640 times with municipal water. Mark and I gave these as Christmas gifts one year to our family members.
LifeStraw
This is another way to purify your water with a LifeStraw. These are small and compact and will purify up to 1000 gallons.
Big Berkey Water Purifier
I have one of these and have tested it many times. The red food coloring test works, I never saw red water coming through the spout! If you have trouble testing it, please make sure all the filters are correctly installed. These are awesome and may save our life if our water becomes contaminated.
High Capacity Water Tanks
If you can afford the large high capacity tanks they are awesome. I finally saved the money to get one this last December. I bought one that holds 250 gallons for about $350.00. Yes, they are very expensive, but I can sleep at night knowing Mark and I have water. Lots of water.
