Water Our Most Important Storage Item

• WATER
  
  STORAGE
  Store at least 14 gallons of water per person—this is a bare minimum!
  
  The average individual must drink at least two quarts of water every day. Children, nursing mothers, the elderly and people in warmer climates need more. You can survive days or even weeks without food but very few days without water. (Many people store a ton of dried foods and no water to dehydrate them. Be sure to store more if you have dried food in your storage.) Don't forget your pets-- 1 gallon per day per dog and a pint per day for a cat. Additional water should be reserved for personal hygiene and food preparation. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security encourages individuals to store enough water to last a minimum of three days - bearing in mind that water is needed for drinking as well as for personal hygiene.
  
  “If you water is free of bacteria and if you keep it in clean, tightly closed containers away from sunlight, it will remain safe indefinitely.”
  Ensign October 1981, p. 71
  
  Water is extremely heavy—weighing 8.8 pounds per gallon. If you water is from a treated source to begin with, you do not need to do anything else before storing. It is best to store at least part of your water storage in portable containers. If evacuation becomes necessary, you can easily grab these containers and put them in your car. Consider purchasing a case or two of bottled water, gallon jugs of bottled water or a 5 gallon blue water container which can be purchased at camping stores. Put your soda bottles to good use by following these steps:
  Thoroughly clean the bottles with dish washing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap. Sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water. Swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces. After sanitizing the bottle, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water. (It is NOT recommended that you use juice bottles because the fruit sugars cannot adequately be removed from the bottles) The plastic they are made of will last much longer than any of us and are an inexpensive way to build up your storage. Never use milk jugs-the plastic is made to recycle and will disintegrate (along with your water) within a year. Government agencies DO NOT recommend storing drinking water in bleach bottles. They are a good idea for cleansing and other uses.
  
  
  
  Water Purification
  Another resource available to you may be water that you find in local streams, rivers, ponds, etc. and then purify. While you shouldn’t count on this type of water as your main source of fluids, it’s a good way to supplement what you have stored.
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  Ways to purify water include:
  Boiling for ten minutes. If you are counting on using this method, be sure to store lots of fuel and a cooking source.
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  Chlorine bleach. Be sure you use a product that has sodium hypochlorite as its active ingredient and does not contain perfume. Add 4 drops per quart (one teaspoon for a five-gallon container), then let sit open to the air. The resting time allows the chemical to work and excess chlorine to evaporate.
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  Iodine products such as purification tablets or Polar Pure.
  Use a water filter. Be sure to use a filter designed for camping and backpacking. The water filtration systems designed for home usage are meant to be used with treated water and do not filter out harmful organisms such as Giardia.
  
  ADDITIONAL WATER SOURCES
  
  Despite your best efforts to store water for an emergency, you may find yourself in need of more than what you have stored. In this case, there are additional sources in your home. These should be used as a ‘back-up’ or as a last resort. These should not be what you are counting on to serve as your main water storage supply.
  
  In order to prevent contamination to the water contained in your hot water heater and household pipes it is important that immediately after a major disaster you shut off the water valve that leads from the water main into your house.
  
  Hot Water Heater Tank
  Turn off the gas or electric supply to the tank. Close the water intake valve in to the tank by closing the faucet at the top of the tank.
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  Drain water into a container by opening the faucet at the bottom of the tank. Never turn the gas or electricity back on until the valve is reopened and the tank is full of water.
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  Drain water every six months, allowing water to drain until it flows clear. This process will ensure that the tank remains free of mineral and rust deposits and will also save on fuel!
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  Household Pipes
  If your home is multilevel, you can drain the existing water in the pipes by gravity flow, after the water line into the house has been shut off.
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  Open a faucet on the top floor and drain water from a faucet at the lowest level.
  Hot Tub/Swimming Pool/Water Bed Mattress This water can be used for hygiene purposes only. If consumed, this water can cause diarrhea due to chlorine content and can even cause permanent kidney damage.
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  Cube Trays
  
  Flush Tanks on Your Toilet (as a last resort)
  DO NOT use the water from the bowl
  DO NOT use the water if it has been chemically treated (using any of the dissolvable tables or bottles of chemicals that are placed inside the tank).
  It is recommended that for extra safety any water removed from the tank be purified.
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  If there is early warning of a disaster and you feel that water supplies may be disrupted; consider filling sinks, bathtubs, pots and pans and other containers with water to supplement what you have previously stored.
  
  
  Store water in more than one location so that if you are unable to access one area of your house (where your water is located) you will still have another source to turn to.
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  Store your water as close to the ground as possible. Make sure they are not at risk of falling and hurting someone or damaging your water supply.
• If you have extra space in your freezers, freeze soda bottles full of water. The frozen bottles help improve the efficiency of a half empty freezer and in the event of a power outage, they will help prevent other food from thawing out. After an earthquake or other emergency that can cause prolonged power outage, the frozen bottles of water can help provide an ‘icebox’ of sorts. Remember that water expands where freezing so only fill your bottles about 9/10 of the way full to prevent bulging and cracking.
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  Storing your barrel outside could have an effect on the life of the barrel. If possible, store in a shady place and cover it with a dark tarp. Although most sites recommend changing your water frequently, we recently changed some 12 year old water and it tasted just fine. It is more important that you store it—even if you do not get around to rotating or changing it. Do double check to make sure that it has not evaporated.
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  Store your water away from gasoline, kerosene, pesticides, etc. Plastic containers can be permeated by hydrocarbon vapors.
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  Choose your water storage locations carefully. Store your water where possible leakage will not cause damage to your home.
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  Water barrels should not be stored directly on cement floors. The plastic is porous and chemicals from the cement can eventually find their way into your water. Use a piece of plywood or similar material as a base for your barrels.
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  Save your dishwater and laundry water to flush your toilets.
  
  One last thought: store kool-aid, gatorade, or other flavorings for your water--especially if you have children and need help in getting them to stay hydrated.