Storing Water for Survival

What do you know about storing water for survival? Just like you should have a Home Security strategy, you need a survival strategy. Here, you will find all of the info that you likely have never thought about before, or information that might contradict what you have always thought was correct.

 

Water Storage Barrels – One way that you can store water for an emergency situation is to use storage barrels. These can sit in a basement or cellar, just make sure it is not heated. Why? Because heated cement/floors can actually facilitate the growth of toxins into the water. You can also place the barrels in a garage, but not directly on the cement. Instead, place them up on boards, as it can get warm in a garage. You should also have water in bottles that you can carry for easy handling.

 

Reusing Plastic Bottles – Another option is to fill old soda or juice bottles (don’t use a milk jug) with water for storage. In this case, however, you have to make sure that the plastic has a “PET” or “PETE” rating. If you are still considered about leaching chemicals from the plastic, you can treat the water before you drink it…don’t do this before you store it, because it won’t last.

 

Boil Water – You can also boil water to make sure it is safe to drink. Keep in mind that you don’t have to reach a full boil in order to kill the bacteria. You can heat up to 160 degrees for about 30 minutes, or 185 degrees for three minutes. This will burn less fuel, which you might need, than boiling it for a full 10 minutes, which is often recommended.

 

Pool Water – You can also drink pool water if you are in a bind. The FDA has said that pool water is safe to drink as long as there is 4 PPM of chlorine or less in the water. But most pools have a higher chlorine content.

 

River or Lake – If there is a river or lake nearby, you can also get water from there…just make sure to treat it with iodine tabs. Remember, if there is a big disaster and water isn’t available, most people will head to the closest body of water.

 

Other Tips for Emergency Water

 

Here are some more tips for storing emergency water:

 

·       Store the right amount – You want to make sure that you have enough water to last. Don’t just count on a month; a huge disaster could cause a water shortage of a year or more.

·       How much water does someone need? Generally, you should save one gallon of water per day, but this includes water for cooking, hygiene, and other unforeseen medical issues.

·       Food versus Water – Though food has the calories you need to survive, water is much more important that food. You can technically go weeks without food, or with very little food, but only a couple of days without water. Also, keep in mind that soda and sports drinks do not replace water.

·       The taste of water – You might notice that stored water has a bad taste to it. This is because the oxygen has leaked out. Before you drink it, pour it back and forth between two glasses to put more oxygen back into it.

 

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon.com author, CEO CreditParent.com, home security expert for Porch.com, and the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity and Personal Protection security awareness training program.