Water

FIRST things FIRST! Consider beginning with an easy start: Water.

Store at LEAST 1 gallon (preferably 3 gallons) per person per day. One gallon would be for consumption the rest for cooking and sanitation).NOTE: You could die after THREE (3) days without water! Don’t forget to include water for your pets! Water storage can be completed in a ‘three-tier’ system:

Store bought water you purchase and have on hand, ahead of time
Clean, empty containers that you store and fill up when you have advance warning of an emergency situation.
The ability to filter and purify water that you may need to collect after the first two water sources are used up. Coffee filters (to filter) and bleach (to purify) are the simplest methods.

FIRST thing you can do:

Start to collect empty beverage containers to store water! Any plastic or glass container that previously held food or beverages such as 2-liter soda bottles or water, juice, punch or milk jugs, also may be used.

IF you save milk jugs ONLY use those to store 'grey' water! The bacteria in milk can leach into the milk jug plastic and contaminate future water stored in that same container. (So, use this water only for cleaning or flushing purposes! NOTE: It is NOT recommended that your fill the milk jugs ahead of time for long-term storage. They tend to pop pin-hole sized leaks . Keep the milk jugs and fill them if you see an emergency situation approaching. Then you can use this water quickly, and you will be emptying the container BEFORE they pop a leak! ).

To clean used jugs or bottles for future water storage, put a few drops of bleach in the containers and fill with water. Let your jug/bottle soak for at least 20 min. Empty. Put cap back on and store till you are ready to fill.

Storage of jugs or bottles: Store your (light-weight) empty containers in bags, boxes, closets, attics -- where ever you have room till you need them. If you have the room, you may prefer to store some of the jugs/bottles filled with water (Remember: don't do this with the 'milk jugs'!). The filled ones will be heavy. Make sure you choose a sturdy location. DO NOT store your containers directly on concrete floors.The chemicals from the concrete can leach through the plastic into your water! Place wood, old piece of carpeting, old towels, etc. on the concrete first.

You'll feel like an instant prepper with this FREE start! For more water information go here: Water Storage: General Information

A great source of basic water information can be found on the GetPandemicReady website. Although the info was written for pandemic preparation ... it's good for any disaster preparation! (disclosure: I am a co-founder of the GPR site). Here are the three pages that you will find helpful in understanding your water preparation needs:

Water: Getting Started
Finding and Filtering
Water-Emergency Purification

Starting your WATER preparations is an EASY-FREE start in getting your household prepared! There may be some expense in considering a way to filter & purify your water, if you use up your stored water. There are cheap options and there are more expensive options. That's something that you should read a bit more about and then decide on, as you get more involved in your home preparation activities.

So ... start saving those containers and you're on your way to 'prepping' for an emergency!

DISCLAIMER: This information is only supplied as references and a starting point only .. Suppliers or sites not to be considered as any type of recommendations from The Villages Tea Party... Members must do their own research.

Lifestraw

Lifestraw Personal Water Filter
Lifestraw, the most advanced portable water filter.

Find more information on internet for where to purchase Lifestraws

Purifying Water During an Emergency
The treatments described below work only to remove bacteria or viruses from water. If you suspect the water is unsafe because of chemicals, oils, poisonous substances, sewage or other contaminants, do not drink the water. Don't drink water that is dark colored, has an odor or contains solid materials.

Storing water safely The best source of drinking water during an emergency is water you have stored with your emergency supplies.

Store one gallon of water per person per day--enough for at least three days.
Store-bought, factory-sealed bottled water is best. Check for an expiration date and replace as needed.
If you choose to fill your own water containers:
- Collect the water from a safe supply.
- Store water in thoroughly washed plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums.
- Seal water containers tightly, label with date, and store in a cool, dark place.
- Replace water every six months.
- Never reuse a container that held toxic substances such as pesticides, chemicals or oil.

Purifying by boiling If your tap water is unsafe, boiling is the best method to kill disease-causing organisms.

If tap water is unavailable, the following may be considered as potential water sources. Water taken from these sources should be boiled before drinking.

Rainwater
Lakes
Rivers and streams
Natural springs
Ponds

Caution: Many chemical pollutants will not be removed by boiling.

Cloudy water should be filtered before boiling. Filter cloudy water using coffee filters, paper towels, cheesecloth or a cotton plug in a funnel.

Bring the water to a rolling boil for at least one full minute.
Let the water cool before drinking.
Add two drops of household bleach per gallon to maintain water quality while in storage.

Purifying by adding liquid chlorine bleach

Treat water by adding liquid household bleach, such as Clorox or Purex.
Household bleach is typically between 5.25 percent and 8.25 percent chlorine. Read the label.
Avoid using bleaches that contain perfumes, dyes and other additives. Be sure to read the label.
Cloudy water should be filtered before adding bleach.
Place the water in a clean container. Add the amount of bleach according to the table below.
Mix thoroughly and let stand for at least 60 minutes before drinking.

Treating water with household bleach containing 5.25-8.25 percent chlorine

Volume of Water to be Treated Bleach Solution to Add"
1 quart/1 liter 5 drops
1/2 gallon/2 quarts/2 liters 10 drops
1 gallon 1/4 teaspoon 5 gallons 1 teaspoon
10 gallons 2 teaspoons

Caution: Bleach will not kill some disease-causing organisms commonly found in surface water. Bleach will not remove chemical pollutants.
___________________________________________

Better than Bleach:
Use Calcium Hypochlorite to Disinfect Water

http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/better-than-bleach-use-calcium-hypochlorite-to-disinfect-water/

Old Way: Using Bleach to Disinfect Water

I cringe to think how many people have expired bleach in their disaster emergency kits that will be used for treating polluted water. Those of us who have emergency preparedness stocks of survival food and survival gear often keep a gallon or two of unscented household bleach on hand for making safe drinking water in large quantities. Bleach is often the chemical of choice because it is commonly available and frequently mentioned when discussing the how-to’s of drinking water.

Calcium hypochlorite - bleach

Typical fresh household chlorine bleach has about 5.35% chlorine content (be sure to read the label). To use household bleach for disinfecting water:

Add two drops of bleach per quart or liter of water.
Stir it well.
Let the mixture stand for a half hour before drinking.

If the water is cloudy with suspended particles:

First filter the water as best you can.
Double the amount of bleach you add to the water.

Use Calcium Hypochlorite for Disinfect WaterA 1-pound pag of calcium hypochlorite in granular form will treat up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water

Calcium hypochlorite is one of the best chemical disinfectants for water, better than household bleach by far. It destroys a variety of disease causing organisms including bacteria, yeast, fungus, spores, and viruses.

Calcium Hypochlorite is widely available for use as swimming pool chlorine tablets or white powder that is much more stable than chlorine. This is often known as “pool shock”.

How to Disinfect Water Using Calcium HypochloriteUsing granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water is a two step process.

To make a stock of chlorine solution (do not drink this!) dissolve 1 heaping teaspoon (about one-quarter of an ounce) of high-test (78%) granular calcium hypochlorite for each two gallons (eight liters) of water or 1/2 teaspoon (heaping) for 1 gallon.
To disinfect water add one part of the chlorine solution to 100 parts water to be treated.
Let the mixture sit for at least one-half hour before drinking.

Be sure to obtain the dry granular calcium hypochlorite since once it is made into a liquid solution it will begin to degrade and eventually become useless as a disinfecting agent. This also means you should make your treated drinking water in small batches, for example enough for a few weeks at a time at most.

Another plus for using calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water for emergency use is that a little goes a very long way. A 1-pound pag of calcium hypochlorite in granular form typically costs only a few $US dollars and can be obtained in any swimming pool supply section of your hardware store or online. This amount will treat up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water, which is enough for a family of four for some six or seven years at a gallon per day per person!

Calcium hypochlorite will store for a long period of time and remain effective as a chemical drinking water treatment. So get rid of the household bleach and buy a can of Calcium hypochlorite for your disaster emergency water disinfection needs. It lasts far longer and treats far more water than the traditional chlorine bleach water disinfection treatment.

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