A person can generally survive for three weeks or more without food, but without water a person can survive only about three days. Gary Daigneault offers some tips on how to prepare for a day that we may be cut off from pipes water…
Having ample, clean emergency water might save your life when disaster strikes. The Joshua Basin Water District recommends storing at least a half-gallon per person per day, more in hot weather. Put away another gallon per person per day for cooking and cleaning. Ideally, you’ll want to stash a two-week supply since emergency assistance may take that long to reach you in a major disaster. Be sure to date stored water and be prepared to disinfect it if it’s been stored long enough to taste stale. Never ration water, if you feel its running low, drink what you need today, and look for more tomorrow. Reducing activity and keeping cool can help minimize the amount of water your body needs.
For more tips on securing water in a disaster visit the Joshua Basin Water District booth at the Joshua Tree Saturday Farmers’ Market.
Q: If we have a major earthquake that prevents us from getting local news updates (i.e., phones and media reception are down) how will we know if the water is safe to drink?
A: After an earthquake that interferes with local communications, you should automatically disinfect your tap water until you hear directly from your water district that your tap water is safe to drink.
Q: How long should you boil water before it is safe to drink?
A: Boiling water will kill most types of disease-causing organisms. Boil the water for one full minute, let cool and then store it in clean containers with covers.
Q: What if we have no power or gas to boil the water?
A: If you can’t boil water, you can disinfect it using fresh (from an unopened bottle), unscented liquid household bleach.
Add 1/8 teaspoon (8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of clear water, or 1/4 teaspoon (16 drops) per gallon of cloudy water.
Stir well and let stand 30 minutes before using. A chlorine-like taste and odor will result; this indicates that disinfection has taken place.
Store water in clean containers with covers. After several hours, any chlorine taste/smell will dissipate.
Q: Is there another way to disinfect water if boiling or bleaching aren’t options?
A: Water disinfection tablets may be used. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. These can often be found where camping supplies are sold.
