"For many of us, clean water is so plentiful and readily available that we rarely, if ever, pause to consider what life would be like without it." --Marcus Samuelsson
What if it was the culinary water and suddenly it was gone?
When a disaster is eminent or occurring, water is the first thing to disappear off the shelves of every store in town and many times it runs out completely. We've all seen those images on TV when a hurricane is coming and the store gets cleaned out of everything. I'm not sure about you, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to be the one scrambling to find what I need at the last second.
Based on the results of the recent survey that I posted, it seems there is a LOT of need in our ward for water storage! So (even though I'm a little late and the month is mostly over) I thought it would be a good idea to focus this month on WATER STORAGE.
Many people, it seems, have the barrels for water storage, which is a really good start. But what happens when you need to leave your home?! Those barrels aren't going anywhere... If you have yet to start on your water storage (or even if you have but still don't have adequate amounts), here are some basics to get to started:
- You should be storing 14 gallons of water per person. This is just for drinking, and should last for two weeks. You will want to store more for food prep and hygiene. Also, plan to store extra for infants or the elderly. And don't forget your pets!
- Use only food grade containers. You can clean out any plastic bottle with a #1, 2 or 4 on the bottom, such as 2-liter soda bottles or juice bottles. Never use milk jugs! The plastic will go brittle and break, and there is always the chance that residue from the milk will get left behind in the cleaning process and contaminate the water.
- Water does not expire. Water that has been sitting can have a stale taste, but it doesn't "go bad". You can eliminate the stale taste with a water purifier or by pouring it back and forth between containers to aerate it. If you see anything growing in the water, chances are good it is contaminated, but that doesn't happen just from sitting too long.
- Boiling water is the safest method for treating water. Bring it to a full rolling boil and allow to boil for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
- Water should be stored in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Never store water bottles or jugs directly on cement--raise them off the ground with wood. Also avoid storing water near toxic chemicals like solvents, paint thinners or other cleaners. When deciding where to store your water consider the ramifications to your home if the containers were to leak or break.
- Consider the three stages of preparedness--walking away, driving away, or staying home. Prepare to walk away first, because the water you store for walking away can be used if you're staying home but the same is not true vice versa.
I am working on a possible group offering for water storage and hoping to hear back in a few days, so I will let you know! In the meantime, remember that water storage is really an easy thing to do and if you choose to use bottles you already have, it's practically free! The important part is to think about it before you throw those bottles away.
Here are some links with more water storage information in case you'd like to check them out:
Also, if you didn't get a chance to pick up the Water Storage Newsletter that I passed out in church a few weeks ago, feel free to download it here:
AND...last but not least...if you didn't get a chance to take the survey about your family's level of preparedness, it's not too late. I'm using the results to determine how best to help as many people in the ward work on their preparedness as possible, so the more participation I have, the better. Here is the link:
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