Survival: Prepare Before Disaster Strikes. Barbara Fix

http://www.nukepills.com/docs/nuclear_war_survival_skills.pdf

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       Chapter 3

      Water Sources, Purification and Storage

      “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”

      Thomas Fuller

      The average person can survive without water for 2 days in temperatures of 120 degrees and 10 days in temperatures of 50 degrees. When you are active and exposed to hot weather, the body requires close to one gallon of water a day. Cold weather can be nearly as challenging because cold air dehydrates the body as you breathe. Cold also robs your body of moisture through exposed skin.

      The bare minimum for water requirements in an emergency situation is 28 gallons a month per person. This is inclusive of two quarts of drinking water and two quarts of bathing and clean-up water. Considering the average person uses between 1,500 and 2,400 gallons of water each month during normal times, the estimate of 28 gallons is an admittedly frugal recommendation and is purely for bare necessity purposes due to storage issues. If you have your heart set on filling a bathtub now and then, you should store more. Much more!

      At the very least, one month’s worth of water should be stored for each member of your family or group, but that’s with the proviso there is a nearby water source and you have a quality water purifier available to process water for drinking, cooking, and clean-up.

      Warning: Even the best of water purifiers will not filter fallout material in contaminated water. Refer to Fallout Filtering Methods later in this chapter.

      Water Storage

      It is important to store water safely, otherwise you could put aside enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool and still be outside the safe zone. The following are methods to safely store water for drinking:

      Chlorine Bleach

      Bleach that contains a 5.25% solution of sodium hypochlorite and does not contain soap additives or phosphates can be added to water for long-term storage. Use a ratio of 1/8 teaspoon of chlorine bleach for each gallon of water.

      2% Tincture of Iodine

      Stored water requires 12 drops of iodine for each gallon of water. Warning: Pregnant women and those suffering with thyroid disease or other health risks should not drink water treated with iodine without first consulting a physician. If you are unsure whether or not you are allergic to iodine, do not use this method.

      Ion

      Ion is another method to preserve water. It is made of stabilized oxygen. Use 20 drops of ion per gallon of water.

      Water storage should be changed approximately every 6 months, but in an emergency, treated water that has been left in containers longer is still safe to drink. When stored water tastes flat, pour it from one container to another a few times. This will re-oxygenate the water and make it more palatable.

      Water Storage Methods

      Water storage containers come in 5, 7, 15, and 55-gallon sizes and everything in between. If your budget has little wriggle room, you can store water in two-liter pop bottles. Do not store water in old milk cartons. They are biodegradable and will begin to break down within 6 months. Any leakage can destroy food storage items it comes in contact with.

      No matter if your backyard butts up to one of the Great Lakes, or you are fortunate enough to have a well, it is advisable to keep 2 weeks worth of stored water in your home both for convenience sake and for the ability to remain in your home when conditions are unsafe. A few good examples would be a nuclear event or looting in your vicinity has reached dangerous levels.

      Alternate Water Sources

      Be prepared for water supply lines to be disrupted during an emergency. It is important that you research your immediate vicinity for an alternate water source like a lake, river, creek, or even a stagnant pond, for stagnant pond water can be ran through a quality water filter for safe drinking water (Refer to the next section: Water Purifiers). With luck, you will find a water source close by because a 7-gallon container of water weighs 56 lbs. If you live a good distance away from a water source, shop around for a pull cart, or consider a less expensive child’s wagon, as this will make hauling water much easier. Determine