No Items in cart
Water Storage Tips
The Emergency Water Supply
|
"How much water should I store?" |
Answer: This is a highly personal decision, but you are urged to store at least three days worth of water for each family member … including pets. A minimum of 1 litre per person per day (for drinking purposes only) is the bare minimum for survival. For a family of 5 people and the dog, we suggest storing in excess of 40 litres, or two of the 20 litre collapsible water containers available from this site. |
|
|
“What should I store our emergency water in?” |
Answer: Any clean container that has not had bacterial products in (such as milk), or any that have had petrochemical, chemicals or other hazardous products. It is imperative the container is clean and preferably new and dedicated only for water storage. The new 20 litre (and 5 litre), collapsible units available from this site are ideal for emergency water storage. Rain water barrels are another alternative however care has to be taken in using this water for drinking purposes (refer to Water Purification below) | |
| “Why should we not store our emergency water in used plastic milk containers?” |
Answer: Milk is a bacterial product. As such any residual milk, with moisture and temperature will create a bacterial brew that could result in. Whilst most people would clean used plastic milk containers thoroughly they still have a rough surface when viewed microscopically and as such can cause problems. We therefore recommend NOT using these and using alternatives like the collapsible units available from this site. |
|
| "How long can water be stored before it should be rotated?" | Answer: This is one of the most difficult questions to answer. The shelf life of water depends on the original quality of the water, the temperature at which it is stored, how much light it is exposed to just to name a few. Many manufacturers of bottled water will include a shelf life on their product. As a rule of thumb if your storage is in a cool place, with consistent temperature, then checking every six months with replacement every 12 months is a good idea. Some say to change it out when you change your smoke alarm batteries, or when you do your spring cleaning. Placing a ‘jog the memory’ note on your kitchen calendar is also another good idea. | |
| "Some of the water I have stored tastes flat, what should I do?" | Answer: Stored water may eventually develop a disagreeable appearance, taste, or odour. The suggestion is to inspect your water supply at least every six months to see whether the containers have leaks or if any of the above problems have occurred. Under emergency conditions, water that tastes flat can be aerated by pouring the water from one container to another to another about three or four times. (If you are suspicious about the water’s quality, and have no other alternative for drinking, you can attempt to purify it. (refer to Water Purification) |
|
| "How can the shelf life of water be increased?" | Answer: To increase the shelf life of water stored in translucent containers, group the containers together in dark plastic bags to keep them out the light. Be aware that polyethylene plastics can be permeated by hydrocarbon vapours also so store your water supply away from gasoline, kerosene, pesticides, or similar substances. | |
| “Where should I store our emergency water?” |
Answer: It is a good idea to store water in two different home locations, in case you are unable to access one stash. For example you may have approximately half stored in your basement close to an outside wall, while the other half could be stored in an upstairs chest freezer. These frozen containers of water also help to improve the efficiency of a half empty freezer, and in the event of a power outage will help to protect the food from thawing. After an earthquake, the containers can be used to provide you with a ‘chiller’. | |
| "We live near a stream that runs year round. In the event of an emergency could we take drinking water from the stream?" | Answer: Under serious disaster conditions, no water can be presumed safe for consumption. Typhoid fever, dysentery, and infectious hepatitis are diseased associated with unsafe water. Water purification techniques may be effective in removing some, but not all contaminants from water. The only way to guarantee a safe emergency water supply is to store it away yourself… before a disaster! |