Be Prepared For An Emergency By Storing Water For Your Family
If you're concerned about your family running out of food during a civil crisis or after a natural disaster, then you're probably taking steps to stock up on food and survival supplies. One very important thing you don't want to forget is water. You can't last long without water, and many wild water supplies are so contaminated, you won't want to drink them unless you have a way of treating the water. Here's why you need to store water and how to do it.
Why Storing Water Is Important
If your city water supply is taken out, you'll run out of water quickly if you don't have your own stock. Water flies off store shelves when a hurricane approaches, and if the water supply is shut off after the storm, then you'll have to depend on water trucks to get a limited supply of water for drinking and cooking. This could be a dangerous situation for your family, especially if the water is off for an extended time.
Even if you don't want water stored all the time, it's a good practice to fill your emergency water containers when there is a risk of the city water supply failing, such as might happen when a hurricane hits. This ensures your family will have a safe supply of drinking water to prevent dehydration. It could also allow you to avoid violence by staying away from water lines filled with frustrated, hungry, and thirsty survivors.
How To Store Emergency Water
You'll need the appropriate containers for storing your water. They should be made from food grade materials so the water won't be contaminated from plastic. This is important because if the containers are exposed to heat in the summer if the air conditioning fails, you don't want plastic to leach into the water. There are several options for sizes and types of emergency water containers. However, you probably want to think in terms of large volume.
You can buy a water container shaped like a hot water heater that holds 100-200 gallons of water or you can buy small containers that hold 3-5 gallons. A tall container can be placed in a closet to keep it out of sight. It's often more difficult to hide several small gallon containers. However, some small water containers are shaped like bricks so they can be stacked on top of each other. Be careful about buying bottled water at the store and stacking the boxes on top of each other because the gallons on the bottom may rupture. Emergency water containers are typically made of much more durable material so they can be stacked and they can stand up to rough handling. Contact a water storage container company, like WaterBrick International, to see what your options are.
Deciding how much water to store can be difficult since you may have no idea how long your supply needs to last. Take into account the number of people who will use the water and if anyone has special needs. Also, consider if you need the water during the summer when the electricity goes out and the temperatures soar. You'll need more water than you may think to prevent dehydration from sweating.