Water Storage Solutions for Emergency Preparedness Scenarios
In the likely event of an emergency or disaster, fresh drinking water will
become the most vital necessity of life and survival, and at the same time
probably the least accessible.
Water would become very scarce and any
available water would be at a premium - for what we take for granted now on
a daily basis, will become a priceless commodity in times of emergency or
disaster!
A Likely Scenario
Imagine for a moment trying to
exist without water. Water lines are busted and the supply of water has been
cut off. It may not be back on for days or weeks or longer. Under such
conditions the government agencies and rescue services would be overwhelmed
and most likely out of service. In a severe earthquake or some other
disaster, freeways, roads and overpasses could be destroyed or shut down and
multiple automobile accidents could hinder transportation and emergency aid
attempts. Assuredly, we would be on our own for some time before food and
water reached everyone. Chaos and riots are breaking out in supermarkets -
making it an ideal place to stay away from.
Ask yourself..... would
I ever want to be in a situation whereby I would be willing to beg for water
from a neighbor's precious supply! Probably not. Nor would you want to have
the situation reversed! Many could survive a week without food, but few
could live more than 2 or 3 days without water. Not only do you need water
for drinking, but also for bathing, cleaning, cooking, food preparation, and
sanitation. And don't forgets the pets!- what will they drink once they've
emptied the toilets?
Conserve and
Collect Water
There are, however, ways to help survive in such a
situation. Paper plates and plastic utensils are a start. This would save on
washing dishes. Water could be filtered and used from the hot water heaters,
using special filters to first screen out the sediment, rust & dirty water
that will have collected at the bottom of the tank. These will attach
directly to the water faucet valve or bib on the lower half of the tank. Water could also be drained from the lines in your
home, by slightly opening the upper most faucet to release pressure and
draining the water from the lowermost faucet in the home. And water could be siphoned from the
toilet tanks (not the bowls) and purified with tablets or a micro- filter.
And finally,
used water, say from bathing, brushing your teeth, or washing
dishes could be used to flush toilets, providing they're still
flushable.
If
you have any warning at all of an oncoming crisis, you should immediately
collect as much water as possible by filling up bathtubs, sinks and other
water containers that you may have around the house, before the water has
been completely shut down or is no longer flowing. The
Aquapod is prime for
such an occasion
- see right hand column.
Reconditioned
water drums, in our opinion, should never be used to store
drinking water, regardless of what others may tell you. Only brand new FDA
food approved plastic containers should be used for long term storage of
drinking water. Remember, anything previously stored in these drums could
still be present in the microscopic pores of the polyethylene plastic and
might provide an environment for bacterial growth. If you don't believe
that, then just ask yourself this question:
Why do companies, then, not
reuse these drums? Why do they sell them off very cheap, or give them away
once they've been used? This is true even when using them to store the same
substance as before. See also "Cleaning Water Barrels" below.
It
might be also be wise to ensure that your neighbor has one also - as you
will be hesitant to share when water becomes scarce! We believe that these
storage barrels are the single most important investment one can make at this
time. If you haven't already read these articles from the California
practice Shakeout which occurred statewide during this past November -
Some things to keep in mind about Water
Storage:
Most recommend storing at least 1 gallon of water per
person per day for at least 3 days. However, we believe a more realistic
length of time would be at least 2 weeks. It's better to be sure than sorry.
One 55 gallon water storage barrel will supply enough water to keep a family
of 4 alive for 2 weeks or or a couple could survive for a month. Again, the
most efficient and cost effective way to store water is by
55 gallon plastic water barrels. We can, however, provide 30 and 15 gallon drums, and smaller
containers, such as our 5 gallon
Sam Stackers for those who may live in apartments, or areas where space
is limited. Figure accordingly.
Take into consideration that age, diet,
physical condition, climate and nursing mothers could possibly need more
than 1 gallon per day. Summer months could also double the amount of water
needed. And don't forget the pets !
When using any type of water
preserver concentrate, it is recommended that once the drum is filled and
the preserver has been added, to tightly snug the bung caps and then leave
the bung caps sealed. Opening and closing the caps after treatment could
possibly hinder the effectiveness of the preserver's' ability to keep the
water purified. The only time you would need to open the caps is to
change the water after a period of time (5 yrs.), or to use the water in an
emergency....
hopefully, we will never have to do this!
There should also be at least one or two portable storage
containers around to use for siphoning from the drums. You might also want
to have at least one filled so that in times of emergency or evacuation it
would be ready to grab and go.
Remember, without the water preserver they
will all need to be rotated or refreshed at least every 6 months!
Water has a
shelf life of approximately 6 mos. After that, bacteria may start to grow
and the water may become contaminated to where it is unfit to drink.
Just like food, water needs to stay fresh and clean enough to drink. By
adding a water preserver concentrate to the plastic drums, the water will
easily stay fresh and germ free for a minimum of 5 years before you will
need to change it. And it will easily store outside, although not
recommended in direct sunlight without a cover, as the sunlight will tend to
deteriorate the plastic after a while. We can supply the preserver, bung
wrench openers and siphon hose pumps for use with these drums. One simple
search through the internet and I'm sure you will realize the significance
of our products and prices.
Of course we guarantee all our products.
If you happen to be using smaller containers such as milk cartons or thin
plastic water containers, be aware that not only is there is a chance that
the plastic from some of these containers could seep into the water after
sitting for some time, but they must be regularly rotated and constantly checked
for leaks. This is especially true of old milk cartons. Some containers
could crush, while glass containers could obviously break.
Be sure
the containers are FDA food grade for storage. Polyethylene meets or exceeds
all EPA requirements for safety, purity, strength and longevity. The blue color provides the water with ultraviolet protection, thus helping
to eliminate the growth of bacteria.
The polyethylene used to form the drums
is very rugged and will last for many years.
Keep in mind,
that water can become contaminated, if not protected by a water preserver, so
if you are storing water in barrels or containers without a preserver, you
may need to treat this water as it is to be used with some type of weater
purifier such as Chlorine Dioxide.
Finally, it is a good
idea to place these drums on areas where they will not be exposed to
constant ground water. If placing them on concrete, we might suggest raising
them off the concrete. This is to ensure that water does not stand for long
periods of time at the base where the lime from concrete can eventually etch
into the plastic. It's best to keep drums in an area where direct sunlight
will not be bearing down on them.
If drums are to be placed where they will
receive a lot of direct sunlight, a tarp or one of our drum covers might be
placed over them for added protection. This will not only help protect the
plastic, but will also help to lengthen the shelf life of the water.
Cleaning Your Water Barrel
First things first. The question
of storing long term water in a used water barrel is quite controversial.
Many believe it is fine to do so, if properly cleaned, and that anything that was stored
in the barrel previously
will become neutralized with bleach, vinegar, baking soda, etc. to where it will be clean
and safe enough to store your water
supply. This may or may not be the case, so we do not argue the method. If
you are fine with that, so be it.
I
personally would not want to
store my drinking water in any container that has been used before (for
anything else than water), and obviously there is no way to be 100% sure -
but that's just our opinion.
Secondly, if this were not the case, then why
wouldn't the food companies simply
recondition the barrels for more of the
same type of food, instead of
giving them away or selling them to
vendors at a very cheap price? I know this to be, since we have
been approached several times to purchase their used barrels. We have even
been given the opportunity to pick up used drums for free, just for the
taking. While these drums would be perfect for storing water for bathing,
dishes, etc., we believe that they would not be suitable for drinking, but
again that's just our opinion. And By the way, we would
never consider selling these drums as new, although they make
good storage for water that is to be used for anything
other
than drinking and can be purchased quite cheaply if you do a little
research.
That aside, new water barrels should be rinsed out thoroughly with a
hose before use.... using only a small amount of unscented bleach,
if
it makes you feel more comfortable. We do not feel it is necessary to use
bleach, when the barrels are new, but if it makes you feel more secure, then
have at it. You can do the same in between refilling every 5 years. Be sure
to rinse it out thoroughly. If using a preserver concentrate then you can
eliminate this process all together.
When you're
ready to fill the barrel, it is recommended to use a potable hose, such as
the ones used for RV use, rather
than a regular hose. This will will cut down on the bacteria count, and
chemicals that have leached into the hose from sitting in the sun. Some
hoses even warn that they may contain lead. Potable hoses can be purchased
at your nearby home center, Walmart, etc.
We Can Help
All of
our containers are brand new, FDA food and water approved, high density
polyethylene plastic and are ideal for long term water storage. We also can
provide an excellent
Water Treatment Preservative good for keeping water
bacteria free for a minimum of 5 years, a
bung wrench for safely opening
and closing the caps, and a good
siphon pump for
draining the drums or for siphoning for drinking water.
The Water
Barrels are not only perfect for family
survival storage, but are ideal for churches, shelters, offices, schools,
etc. But we can't promise to hold these prices forever. They are made from
polyethylene, an oil derivative, and their prices will rise dramatically,
should there be an oil crisis. Hurry, and stock up while they are still at a
good price. A small price to pay for peace of mind !