Drinking water is the single most consistently found item in every survival kit, be it short-term or long-term. We can survive for extended periods without food and even with limited shelter. But we are living on numbered hours if we are without a reliable water source.
So it’s well established that we should maintain a good supply of drinking water for disasters. But there are several problems with storing water.
First, it’s bulky. A gallon of water occupies 231 cubic inches, so supplying a gallon per person, per day for a family of four would gobble up almost eight cubic feet, based on two weeks’ worth of water. The bigger the family and the longer the disaster, the more of your home is used up with water. There are solutions such as the Water Bob, that allows you to store water in a bathtub, but you need a few minutes notice in order to really take advantage of it (like a hurricane situation for instance).
Second, it does get stagnant. Store water for up to six months before replacing it. Even in clean containers and with a slight treatment of bleach, water can become bacteria-laden and unsafe.
So here you are, aware that there’s no city water available and having to come up with four gallons of potable water every day. What are your options for other sources?
There are options for using water from dehumidifiers or from the condensate pump that keeps your HVAC dry and happy. But these sources are limited and can be difficult to sanitize. You’ll certainly want those two devices in your home to maintain proper humidity, but they’re not geared for drinking water use.
It’s actually fairly easy to establish a grid-independent water source. The expense of a well or cistern can be prohibitive, but capturing rainwater, runoff, or water from a stream or pond can provide a source of water that will continue to exist just as long as rain can be had.
The best way to avoid the fluctuations of nature’s provision is to do your own version of what municipalities do. Many city water systems don’t rely on a flowing water source alone. They instead stockpile it in a reservoir or lake so that there is a backup supply if precipitation ceases.
So creating a pond, even a fairly small one, can provide a surprising amount of water for you. Ponds are generally measured in acre-feet, a unit that denotes enough water to cover a one-acre area to a depth of one foot. That’s 43,560 cubic feet of water, or 325,000 gallons. So even on a small scale–perhaps even a swimming pool–that’s a phenomenal amount of water.
The major provision you need for this type of water supply is pumping capability, plus power for the pump. There are a variety of pumps available out there, including some that can draw water down to a very low level.
And most likely, you’ve already included a generator in your plans. It will require only small amounts of electricity, on an infrequent basis, to keep your water flowing.
So with a good plumbing job, you can shut off the water meter and backflush through an outdoor spigot to pressurize your home’s pipes with no off-site water. That means water in all the usual places with no reliance on your municipality.
Water is critical for life. Don’t be content with shelves full of old milk jugs brimming with stockpiled city water. Create a sustainable source that keeps your home functional.
Most hose bibbs have a backflow preventer (vacuum breaker) built into them, which will prevent you from backfeeding pressurized water to the house’s plumbing system. Some older hose bibbs do not have this built in, but may have a screw-on vacuum breaker. This can be removed in order to backfeed. Please do not backfeed untreated water into the municipal water system! Check your plumbing system BEFORE you need to use this method to backfeed. Thanks, CCP
Hi, LB! Thanks for the very important reminder of how crucial water supply is to us all.
If you’ve read the news out recently on the Ogallala Aquifer (it’s drying up at an outstanding pace) and the effects it is having on lakes, streams, water tables, and farming in the western part of the U.S.; or, how much water China, Pakistan, and India (mostly China) are exporting daily for their people; the land China is buying up around the Great Lakes areas….
Unfortunately, a pond or lake reservoir is not feasible if you live within the city; BUT, you can still collect runoff in 55-gallon blue food-grade barrels; install spigots for ease of removal and use filtering system attached to the gutters (we have built these and taught others); you can connect as many of these together as you have room, but, do be aware they need to be gravity-fed, so a strong tower to hold them is recommended. My DH just cut legs from 4″ solid wood posts, used a slab of 3/4 plywood across top, and it holds the water-laden barrels very nicely; every time it rains, they fill. I just turn a spigot and run water into a bucket, then water my gardens. DO MAKE SURE YOUR SPIGOT IS FAR ENOUGH OUT from the barrel that you can slip the side of a bucket between the spigot and the barrel to catch water, or you will have a lot of waste. Not cool.
While you can’t always have a pond or lake, you CAN collect and run water into a cistern; again, if you’re in the city limits, you probably aren’t allowed to have one. Put up a six foot wooden privacy fence (these are always allowed), put in a well or cistern, anyway, run collectors from the roof into the cistern/well, and keep your mouth shut about it! Or just use the same 55-gallon blue barrels, dig a hole to literally bury them, and connect them with PVC pipe and plumbers adhesives. Much the same as a DIY waste system, only, it’s just for clean water. That’s my take on it, anyway. When IHTF, who will care?!
Water weighs about 8 lbs. per gallon, so, calculate that into storage capability. A water BOB will hold 100 gallons of water; these can be filled at the first sign of possible need, but, will your bathtub hold 800 lbs. without collapsing? A modern plastic one without sufficient support will not – the tub will crack.
You can store water for long periods in plastic or glass jugs, but you will need to be prepared to shock it before using. Leslie’s Pool Shock, 73% Calcium Hypochlorite (check your ingredients in pool shock – they’re not all the same) – a few grains (be careful!) in a gallon of water; shake; wait 30 minutes; if the water isn’t clear, do it again.
If you live in a high-sun region, just leave the bottles in the sun for 6-8 hours; this, theoretically, should make the water sufficiently sanitary for consumption.
Better still, keep good filters on hand, and run the stored water through a filter. My personal favorite is the ceramic water filter, but I only buy the ones Made in the U.S.A. (some are made in China). The instructions for how to build one of these filters from two food-grade buckets and a self-installed ceramic filter are easy to find online; the Baptist Men have a disaster relief ministry that is the “go to” for this information.
LB, you are so right….and now is the time to get serious about your water supply, folks. The situation is NOT going to get better.
Oh, shoot! I meant to bring up again that Lehman’s carries cistern or well pump systems that do not require electricity.
Something to remember. A hot water heater is a good source for a temporary water supply. Allot of folks don’t think of it, as well as the tank on the back of the toilets (it’s clean water). Also a good water filter and some purification tablets will allow you to use other sources.
Hey, John! Been wondering whereya’at!
You’re right about the water heater and toilet tank – just be careful not to scrape the sides of the tank when you remove the water; this is where most of the “nasty stuff” resides; it will be easier to clean for drinking without.
Gray water, water that has washed dishes or bathed people/pets, etc., is perfectly fine for flushing toilets, as well; clean water not required for flushing!
John –
Good to hear from you. Yeah – good points on the toilet. Just make sure you don’t get the front and the back confused on which one is safe to get water from. :)
Rourke
Rourke, you mean there’s a difference? DAAANNNGGGGGG.