Preparedness Kits - Home Water Supply

When preparing your house and family for emergencies water has to be your top priority after warmth. The average person uses 30 gallons of water per day however for your emergency supply of water you should calculate on 1 gallon of water per person per day for 30 days. (don't forget your pets either). This allows 1/2 a gallon for drinking, 1/4 of a gallon for cooking and 1/4 for sanitation.

For a family of four that makes 120 gallons which may seem like a huge amount but with careful planning and following some of the tips below it need not be such a daunting task.

Step 1 - Locate the Sources of Water in Your House

The first step to creating an emergency water supply is to be aware of water in your house. Your hot water tank is the the most obvious source where you can get water. This can be quite a simple process - just follow the steps below.

Things You Will Need

1) 2x5 gallon buckets with lids

2) Flat ended screwdriver

3) A length of hose (3 or 5 ft) - available from your garden center or Walmart

4) T shirt or piece of cloth

5) Household bleach in a dropper

6) Large wooden spoon

Steps to Empty the Water from Your Hot Water Tank

1) Switch off the electricity or gas running to your hot water tank.

2) Allow water in the tank to cool.

3) Turn off the water inflow into the water tank

4) Attach the length of hose to the outlet at the bottom of the tank.

5) Open the cold tap at a faucet somewhere in the house

5) Turn the screw above the outlet with the flat ended screw driver and the water should flow out.

6) Capture water in one of the 5 gallon buckets.

7) The water from the tank may have sediment in it so you should filter the water through the T shirt or cloth into the second bucket.

8) To be on the safe side you may want to purify the water with household bleach which contains chlorine. have the bleach in a dropper (available from wholefoods). You should add 16 drops per gallon and then stir in. Allow the water to sit for an hour before drinking.

If your local water supply has been contaminated and you did not shut off your water immediately before you could be affected or have any doubt about this then do not use these water supplies in any circumstances.

To make up your supply of water (1 gallon per day per person (and animal) for one month) you may need to get a larger storage container either 55 gallon plastic drums or a larger 275 gallon container. These can be fairly pricey new. The alternative is to buy second hand barrels or containers. There are people that sell these usually on Craiglist. Be very specific with the seller about how he has cleaned them and what they contained before. Do not assume they will be alright but do a little bit of research about the previous contents and if in any doubt then buy new ones. They will be invaluable if you end up needing them.

Make sure that you have a plan to get the water out of the barrel or container. There are some great siphons available that you can shake in the water and the water will come out fairly easily. Make sure that any siphon or wrench that you need for your barrel are kept always right by the barrel. You cannot assume that in an emergency that you will be able to go somewhere else in the house to get what you need.

There is a liquid available called 7c that will preserve water in a barrel for up to 5 years, if you are not going to use this then you should rotate your water every 6 months.

Locate natural or outdoor sources of water. You may have to rely on these at some point. You need to have a plan of how you could carry this water. A wheelie bin lined with plastic would be a good solution. You will also need to learn different makeshift ways of purifying water - these can be fairly simple and cost effective - it is just a question of learning how. Read my article linked below for more information on this subject.

Pay It Forward - When planning how much water you will need try to plan for one extra person other than those in your family. This act may mean life or death to someone. Additionally in any emergency there is a lot of fear, by showing this act of unconditional love you are doing something positive in a time when there may be very little positive.