Food and water are two basic needs during and after a disaster. Because help may take weeks to arrive, you are on your own for the time being. In order to be self-sufficient during that time, you need both food and water storages. But while dehydrated or freeze-dried emergency foods just need some water to be edible, raw, or untreated, water needs to be purified and filtered first.
Think about your daily tasks and where water fits in. Water is more than likely needed for hygiene, cleaning, and cooking. An emergency situation is no different. Water, rather, may not come out of a spigot or faucet, but water kept in a storage tank can last an individual or family for several weeks, as long as it is conserved.
Portable and stationary water storage tanks are ideal – and necessary – for emergency preparedness. Made out of food-grade high-density polyethylene, water storage tanks hold between 14 gallons for an individual and 56 for a family. The barrels, as well, are blue, which blocks light out to prevent algae growth inside.
Much like food storage, a water storage tank needs to be kept in a cool, dark area inside your home. The barrel should never be placed in sunlight and must have a non-porous barrier between the bottom and the ground.
Take extra precautions with your water storage tank in winter. Because ice expands and can crack the container, the water storage tank should only be 90-percent full.
Water kept in a storage tank, however, is still in a raw state, and it must be treated before use. Even if algae does not form inside the tank, microorganisms or pollutants may still be present. When you need to purify your stored water, boiling, disinfecting, or ultraviolet light can kill microorganisms present.
For boiling, cooking equipment needs to be available, and the water must cool afterwards. The water still may have substances in it after boiling and will need to be filtered before drinking. Disinfecting involves adding iodine, chlorine, or bleach to the water; after the chemical is mixed in, the water needs to stand for 30 minutes. During this time, dirt and debris settles at the bottom of the container. Adding a chemical is a risk, however; too much bleach can be poisonous.
Ultraviolet light is another approach. Water enters the chamber of a purification device and swirls around a high-output, low-pressure mercury vapor lamp, which emits ultraviolet light. The microorganisms absorb the light, which disrupts their DNA and prevents them from producing. Like other purification methods, ultraviolet light does not remove dirt, debris, or chemicals, and filtration needs to follow.
Using ceramic, glass fiber, or hard-block carbon, filtration removes the remaining impurities. Out of these three, ceramic has the smallest pore size and removes the greatest amount of floating particulates. Glass fiber, on the other hand, is not as strong and should only be used for short-term filtration. Hard-block carbon, as well, reduces the amount of floating particulates, chemicals, and some pollutants but should not be a primary filtration method; rather, this material is ideal as a second- or third-stage filter for home or portable filtration units.
The average person uses 110 gallons of water per day, but in an emergency, this amount needs to be conserved. As soon as your water is purified, it can be used for cooking, bathing, and cleaning and needs to be recycled. Instead of tossing water after one use, keep using it until it runs out.
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