Additional Water Sources

Hidden Water Sources in Your Home

If a disaster catches you without a big enough stored supply of clean water, you can use the water in your hot-water tank, pipes, and ice cubes. As a last resort, you can use water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl).

Do you know the location of your incoming water valve? You'll need to shut it off to stop contaminated water from entering your home if you hear reports of broken water or sewage lines, or a failure at the water treatment plant. To use the water in your pipes, shut off the incoming water valve. Let air into the plumbing by turning on the faucet in your house at the highest level. A small amount of water will trickle out. Then obtain water from the lowest faucet in the house.

To use the water in your hot-water tank, be sure that plumbing fixtures and the water heater are not submerged by flood. Turn the electricity or gas off, and turn off the water intake valve. Start the water flowing by opening the drain at the bottom of the tank and turning on a hot-water faucet. Do not turn on the gas or electricity when the tank is empty.

Waterbeds hold up to 400 gallons of water, but some water beds contain toxic chemicals that are not fully removed by purifiers. If used as an emergency water resource, drain it yearly and refill it with fresh water containing two (2) ounces (1/4 cup) of bleach per 500 litres of water. Do not add algicides or other additives (with the exception of chlorine bleach) if this water is to be used as a water reserve. Before use, this water should be boiled.

Other Sources of Water

If you need to find water outside your home, the only sources may contain harmful bacteria. Be sure to purify the water according to the instructions listed below before drinking it.

Some possible sources are: collected rainwater; streams, rivers and other moving bodies of water; ponds and lakes; and natural springs. Avoid water with floating material, an odor or dark color. Use saltwater only if you distill it first. You should not drink floodwater.

Public Water Supplies 

If your drinking water comes from a public supply (city or rural water system), you won't need to add a chemical disinfectant. Public water supplies are already "treated" with needed disinfectants and should be safe. An exception to this recommendation is if the system has issued an emergency "boil water" notice, in which case you would need to disinfect the water before drinking it. Although properly stored public water should have an indefinite shelf life, replace it with a fresh supply every 6 to 12 months for the best taste.

Bottled Water 

Before water can be sold as bottled water, it must pass tests to make sure it is free of harmful contaminants. Unopened bottled water should be safe to store without added chemicals. Although bottled water isn't necessarily better or worse than public water supplies, its convenience makes it attractive as a source of stored water. If you do plan to store bottled water for emergency use, get it before a natural disaster; you may not be able to get to a store afterward.  

Private Wells and Other Untested
Sources 

If the water you plan to store comes from a private well, spring, or other untested source, purify it before storage to kill bacteria that may be in the water. It is not necessary to purify water from a proven source such as a city water system or bottled water. Several methods to purify untested water are available. 

Please refer to PURIFICATION to determine the best method of purifying any suspect water

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