Often, people focus on the food and first aid side of preparing for a disaster first, but the truth is, water is more important. Without water, you will die within a week. Without safe water, you could end up so sick that you will not be using any of your food stores anyway.
You can only store so much water. The recommended amount per person, per day, is one gallon. If there are four people in your family, this means you will need 12 gallons of water to stay alive and healthy for 72 hours. You will need more if you want to wash up.
There are a few options when it comes to ensuring safe water in case of emergency.
Stored Water
Keeping water on hand is always a good idea since it may be difficult to find water immediately after a disaster anyway. Plan to keep enough on hand for at least 72 hours. Water tanks can be purchased that will hold more than this, or you can opt for 5 or 1 gallon jugs.
Water needs to be switched out every 6 months if you are storing it. Rotating the jugs should be easy once you have a schedule.
Water Filters
Filtering water allows you to turn any kind of water potable, as long as it is fresh. If you have a creek nearby, you can filter the water and drink it safely. There are a number of different filter options on the market, so you will need to choose the type that best fits your needs.
A drip filter will let you simply fill the main section of the filter, then leave it and gravity will cause the water to flow through the filter and out the bottom. Other types of filters allow you to speed the process up with a hand pump.
Whatever option you choose, make sure you have an extra filter cartridge on hand and check that the filter will remove everything from the water including bacteria and giardia.
Other Water Purification Methods
In a pinch, you can use a few drops of bleach to purify water. Add 8 drops of water per gallon of clear water, up to 16 drops for murky water and allow it to sit for 30 minutes, covered.
Boiling water will also render it harmless to the human body. Bring the water to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, adding 1 minute more for every 1,000 feet above sea level. This kills pretty much everything.
These methods will allow you to have safe drinking water in any emergency situation.
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