Water

Hands down the most important survival resource we need to have (next to our ability to stay calm and work through problems) is water. Without sufficient water intake you will be dead in a matter of days. It is with that though in mind that the idea of water storage takes on a whole new meaning. To help drive the point home all you have to do is look to news reports of municipalities putting a boil order in place because the water that’s coming out of the tap is dangerous to drink. Here’s the kicker, when I talk about boil orders I’m not talking about some third world or developing county, I am talking about locations right here in the United States.

So what would you do if your local emergency manger came on the news tonight and said that the water is not safe to drink? Most people would get in line for bottled water while others would ignore the warnings and drink the water and risk serious illness. We all know that we need water to live and in our modern society we have all become reliant on the fact that we can turn a knob and all the fresh drinkable water we can handle will come out of the tap. What if you turned the knob and nothing came out, what then?

If this were to happen there would be an immediate run on water, bottled and otherwise, at the local grocery store. Within less than a day the supplies would be gone so you will be forced to seek other options. There are places within your home that you can get water when the tap is turned off. The tank of your toilet is a good spot. No the water in the tank is not “Toilet water” it comes in from the water line to your home. If your house has a water heater you can drain the water from that. In a real survival situation you can crack open some pipes and access residual water inside.

Storage of water is the best way to afford yourself, and your family, a nice cushion should a situation like this arise. You can begin your water storage adventure very easily, the next time you go to the store buy an extra case of bottled water. You can augment the cases of bottled water by picking up some water containers. They can be found in any sporting goods store and usually range in size from 5-15 gallon and up depending on what you’re looking for. The recommended daily intake of water for an average adult male is approximately 64 ounces (1/2 gallon). It should be noted that this amount goes up when factors like stress, exertion, environment, and so on are taken into account. If you store 30 gallons (three 10 gallon cans) of drinkable water you now have, at the base line, enough water for one adult male to survive for 60 days.

One way to up your water storage, if you have the space, is to purchase 50 gallon heavy gauge plastic garbage cans. Fill the can from your garden hose and then to prevent bacterial and other growths from occurring treat it with household Chlorine Bleach (5-6% Sodium Hypochlorite). You will want to use approximately two-teaspoons for every 7 gallons of water. DO NOT USE SCENTED OR BLEACH SUBSTITUTE!

One of the neat things about storing water is that you don’t have to throw it out when it expires. That’s because water does not expire, it may evaporate, but it doesn’t have an expiration date. If the time comes and you feel that you want to re-purify your stored water simply bring it to a boil. Once the water reaches a hard boil any microorganisms that may have been in it will be dead (please note boiling water DOES NOT remove chemical toxins, only microorganisms). If your water has a “stale” taste to it simply pour it between two containers a couple of times. This will re-oxygenate the water and revive its taste.

There are a lot of things in our world that we can skimp on and get away with. Water is not one of them. You need it to survive during day-to-day operations. In the event of a survival situation or other emergency event your need for water will become even more acute, simply because it may not be as readily available as it was just a few hours ago. Plan now! Take the time to think about this, talk to your family about it, make your preparations now before a disaster or other event darkens your door. Once it happens it will be too late to start preparing. Be smart, be alert, be responsible in your actions and be safe.