[UneasyRider]

I have been asked to explain prepping to non preppers on a blog item by item. While there are many people who could do a better job at this I agreed and would like to give accurate information so could you please take a look at this and offer your comments pro and con. TIA.

Water is the most important of all preparations. In general you can only live 3 days without it. So if the city water supply suddenly stopped where would you get your water? You may have an irrigation well if the electricity is on and your pump is working or you may take some from one of the many ponds and sources of ground water but these are most likely sources of viruses, bacteria and parasites that can do more harm to you making you sick and dehydrated than they can help you. So how do you prepare for a no water situation?

Buy bottled water by the case, I pay 11 cents per bottle at Sam’s Club in a case of 35 bottles. How much you keep is up to you, how much storage space do you have? I keep 5 cases per person or more and rotate it by drinking a bottle or two each day using the first in first out system. Bottles are good to have for drinking water and making friends with thirsty neighbors.

55 Gallon food grade barrels are easily stored in the garage and can hold water to cook, clean yourself and flush your toilets. Pay particular attention to flushing your toilets because in the summer when it’s hot in the house if you don’t have electricity the smell of your full toilets will not be welcome. Don’t forget that you will need a hand pump or siphon to get the water out of the barrels and that the water needs to be changed twice each year. When you fill up the barrels you will need a white (lead free) hose, your green garden hose will not do. If you buy used barrels make sure that you know what was in them before your water.

Ground water. If you run out of alternatives you can use ground water from that irrigation well or storm water runoff pond nearby. Can you get your water out of the irrigation well if there is no electricity? Will you be safe carrying water from a nearby pond? Well if you can get ground water you need to treat it before you drink it. You can treat it with fresh bleach at 8 drops per gallon, be aware that the active chemicals in bleach degrade by as much as 50% in a year so you will want to rotate your bleach or make your own from calcium hypochlorite a common pool shock if you know the correct proportions (google is your friend here). Either way you need to pre-filter your water through a coffee filter or other like method to eliminate the very small bacteria carriers that you will not see, and let it air out for 30 minutes so that some of the chemicals can evaporate, the longer the better as far as water taste is concerned.

You can also use a hiking and camping style water filter which can filter down to .2 microns and eliminate most but not all problems with your water but nothing beats boiling or pasteurization. Look into solar ovens which can bring water to a boil or pasteurize it for you at no cost but the oven, and work when set on a snow bank. Whatever else you do drink clean water.

[lawman800]

Tagged. No snow banks, wells, or lakes in los angeles... But I bought tons of water, bottles and jugs.

[1 old 0311]

Got a water heater? There is 40+ gallons. Also I THINK it was in Emergency Essentials where I saw a plastic bladder that goes into a bathtub and can hold, and dispense, 40-50 gallons without leaking out. There is 80+ gallons for the price of a cheap plastic bladder. Not a bad place to start.

[kirgi08]

Water was our main concern when we bought the bol,as you've seen we "think" we got it right.'08.

[lawman800]

How do you get water out of the heater?

[Free Radical]

Originally Posted by lawman800

How do you get water out of the heater?

There's a garden hose fitting at the bottom.

[wjv]

Originally Posted by Free Radical

There's a garden hose fitting at the bottom.

If you don't drain the silt out of the bottom of the heater 1-2x per year, expect the first gallon or two to be undrinkable, but good for flushing a toilet.

Draining the silt out of the bottom of the heater 1-2x per year helps water heater last longer.

[kirgi08]

I wouldn't consider water heater h2o as potable,flush yes.'08.

[Unistat]

Originally Posted by kirgi08

I wouldn't consider water heater h2o as potable,flush yes.'08.

Would you use hot water from the tap?

[jdavionic]

Perhaps I missed it, but did you cite how much water to allocate per person, per day?

[jdavionic]

Just one other comment. It seems when people are considering food choices for short-term emergencies, some focus almost exclusively on MREs, or dehydrated foods (e.g., Mountain House).

While I would say that either choice is only a short-term solution (e.g., I'd rather have pounds of rice, beans, MREs, dehydrated foods, canned veggies, canned meats, ....), I would say it's important to point out that dehydrated meals obviously require water...which will need to be figured into your water supply plan.

[kirgi08]

Originally Posted by Unistat

Would you use hot water from the tap?

My system yes,we don't have a conventional water heater.'08.

[bdcochran]

I represented a commercial bottled water company.

1. never use a recycled large plastic or glass water bottle. People store PCP, gasoline and other substances therein. Think about how you would get those substances out -
2. the plastic used in water containers purchased off the shelf in grocery stores is not the plastic that you want to have your water stored in long term. Hint - this is why a blue plastic water container bought at Walmart or a sporting goods store is going to be more than buying some 1 gallon Albertson containers with water in them already.
3. consider constructing a solar water distillation unit. My handyman said that he took me lens and was building the frame in his garage. I may get it before shtf.

[Dexters]

As others have said people who live in a house have more water than they think:
- Water heater and the water in the pipes that drain into it
- Ice in the refrigerator
- Bottled water
- Fruit juices
- Gatorade
- Soda
If you have advance warning you could:
- fill up tubs
- fill up pots
- fill up all other storage

[UneasyRider]

Originally Posted by jdavionic

Just one other comment. It seems when people are considering food choices for short-term emergencies, some focus almost exclusively on MREs, or dehydrated foods (e.g., Mountain House).

While I would say that either choice is only a short-term solution (e.g., I'd rather have pounds of rice, beans, MREs, dehydrated foods, canned veggies, canned meats, ....), I would say it's important to point out that dehydrated meals obviously require water...which will need to be figured into your water supply plan.

Thanks, food is topic number two. I am going to write one each week for them. I started with water because it is so innocuolus and this is for non preppers.

[BORNGEARHEAD]

I've filled a few large bottles of water and keep them in the freezer as, 1. ice packs for any electrical disruption and, 2. drinkable/usable water.

[Warp]

Everybody should have, at minimum, a few gallons of drinking water per person specifically put back.

I have 14 Aquatainers in addition to the usual stuff you can find around a house. I wish we had more room and a basement but this is a good start. I also keep about 5 gallons in our primary vehicle (scepter container).

[TangoFoxtrot]

Originally Posted by UneasyRider

I have been asked to explain prepping to non preppers on a blog item by item. While there are many people who could do a better job at this I agreed and would like to give accurate information so could you please take a look at this and offer your comments pro and con. TIA.

Well done!

[RatDrall]

Calcium Hypochlorite is cheap, and has a loooooong shelf life. Anyone can buy a few bags at a pool supply store and store them in the buckets, with lids, that they will be using to make the bleach to purify their other water sources. I spent $10 for a 2.5 gallon bucket, a 5 gallon bucket, a lid, and a couple bags of the solid bleach granules.

I have 14 Aquatainers in addition to the usual stuff you can find around a house. I wish we had more room and a basement but this is a good start. I also keep about 5 gallons in our primary vehicle (scepter container).

A pic of how you store them, please? I have a few, and they dont stack as well as advertised...

[UneasyRider]

Originally Posted by TangoFoxtrot

Well done!

Thanks.

[1 old 0311]

Originally Posted by kirgi08

I wouldn't consider water heater h2o as potable,flush yes.'08.

Darn right. That water comes in on a 'special drinking line.'

[G29Reload]

What I want to know is, WHAT constitutes a "drop" of bleach? Isn't there a more accurate measure? How many tablespoons per 5 gals would be a better way. I dont have an eye dropper and wouldnt want bleach in if I did, the bleach would destroy the rubber bulb eventually.

[Warp]

Originally Posted by RatDrall

Calcium Hypochlorite is cheap, and has a loooooong shelf life. Anyone can buy a few bags at a pool supply store and store them in the buckets, with lids, that they will be using to make the bleach to purify their other water sources. I spent $10 for a 2.5 gallon bucket, a 5 gallon bucket, a lid, and a couple bags of the solid bleach granules.



A pic of how you store them, please? I have a few, and they dont stack as well as advertised...

They are advertised as stacking? No, definitely NOT stacked.

I have them all on the floor in the bonus room, which we basically use as the basement we never had.

[kirgi08]

Originally Posted by 1 old 0311

Darn right. That water comes in on a 'special drinking line.'

Depends on what type of system one runs,most folk don't even know howta "clean" their water system.There will be sediments and deposits in their water heater,thats why I tend ta avoid "using" that water as "potable".We have a well system and it's not a standard one.Our water has 2 different routes,look at it as arteries and veins.'08.

[RatDrall]

Originally Posted by Warp

They are advertised as stacking? No, definitely NOT stacked.

I have them all on the floor in the bonus room, which we basically use as the basement we never had.

Yeah, they said "stackable", but definately aren't.

I'm going to have to build a simple shelf, as I have a set amount of space for them, and I got just enough to stack up in a row to the cieling. I wonder if there is a polymer shelving system somewhere with just the perfect dimensions? Off to the hardware store, again...