Emergency Water Storage

Facts:

-A normal active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day.

-Water is also used for food preparation and hygiene.

-The safest and most reliable emergency supply of water is commercially bottled water.

-Consider storing at least a two-week supply of water for each member of your family. Store at least one gallon per person, per day.

Choosing your own containers for Water:

-Use food-grade water storage containers.

-Chlorine bleach: When treating water you need to use fresh bleach from a newly opened or unopened bottle because its strength deteriorates with age and exposure to light. Use non-scented bleach.

-If you reuse storage containers, choose two-liter plastic pop bottles or any plastic containers with the PETE symbol on the bottom of the container.

-Plastic milk bottles will deteriorate in 3-6 months. Also, fruit and milk containers cannot be adequately cleaned, and there will be bacterial growth if you store water in them.

Cleaning:

-Use dish washing soap and water and then rinse completely so there is no soap.

-Additionally, for plastic soft drink bottles, sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water. After sanitizing the bottle, rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Filling:

-Fill the bottles to the top with regular tap water. (If your water utility company treats your tap water with chlorine, you do not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean.) Water from private wells need to be treated with chlorine. Use the following amount of bleach to purify water...

2 drops per pint

8 drops per half gallon

16 drops (1/4 tsp) per gallon

1 teaspoon per 5 gallons

4 Tablespoons per 55 gallons

-If there is a slight chlorine odor, it means the water is probably safe. To get rid of the smell, pour the water back and forth between two clean containers or let sit in open container for a little while and stir it periodically.

-Tightly close container using original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your fingers. Write the date on the outside of the container so that you know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place.

-Replace the water every six months.

-Mixing the water with kool-aid or other powdered drink sources can help mask the chlorine taste.

Some hidden water sources in your home:

-Hot water tanks, pipes, ice cubes

-Toilet flush bowls and tanks, radiators, water beds, swimming pools or spas should NOT be used due to chemicals that may be found in them