In an emergency situation where your municipal water source could be contaminated, it is important to immediately turn off the water entering your home from the main water line. This will help to prevent contamination and will allow you to use alternate water sources in your home such as: hot water heater, toilet tanks (unless a colored disinfectant was used), water pipes, soft water tanks, etc.

Since we did not know how to shut off the main water supply our homes, we commissioned Jodi’s sweet hubby to help with this instructional video. We all need to know how to do these things since you never know who will be home (or not home) when an emergency strikes!

If you live in a newer home you may have a shut-off valve in your house. This is nice because you can avoid the “spider problem” but can be bad if you have children that are rascals (see Julie’s water adventures story). So figure out what type of shut-off valve you have and make sure you know where it is and how to turn it off (and back on!)

Other helpful “Water” Resources

BabyStep 2: Water – basic information on how to get your 2 week supply of water
Alternate Water Sources – Sources of water both inside and outside your home
How to Make an Evaporation Still – Instructions for this method of collecting water
Water Purification – Methods of purifying water from outside sources

AND THE WINNER IS: Tammy

There was no last name in the comment but we will be emailing you to get your address to receive your prize. Congratulations!

If you want to get your own water storage kits or anything else from Emergency Essentials, make sure to CLICK HERE to get free shipping on your first order over $30! This is a special deal they are giving just for Food Storage Made Easy readers. We love hooking you guys up with great deals Julie is loving her boxes and Jodi ordered a set of her own as well.

Here’s another look at how the Water Storage Boxes worked for us:

In our quest to find a solution, Jodi came across Water Kits from Emergency Essentials while she was at an Emergency Preparedness Fair put on by her church. Here is a run down of the product taken from the website:

Basic 25 Gallon Boxed Water Kit

When the emergency requires you to evacuate, this kit possibly is, besides your family, the most important item to take with you. After filling, each box weighs approximately 40 lbs. The kit includes five heavy-duty (stackable up to three high to save space) each with its own metalized five-gallon water storage bag with pour spout. In an emergency, the heavy-duty boxes can be converted to portable toilets, making the kit even more useful.

This set stores 25 gallons of water for $35! When we shopped around for our plastic jugs we couldn’t beat that price! We especially like that you can store 3 high and save SPACE. We mentioned these as a great gift idea in our 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS! Check that out if you haven’t already!

Here is a little journey of us putting them together.

Water is the most necessary item to have stored! You can last without food for much longer then you can last without water. Make sure you stress the importance of water storage as you help people get started. Whichever option you choose, don’t forget to add your Day 3 Tag!

Water in Juice/Pop Jugs

Did you know you can store water in Pop or Juice bottles. This a great little token to give someone to help them get started. Put a ribbon around it to make it cute. Make sure you don’t use empty milk jugs – the plastic in milk jugs will deteriorate.

Water Filter

While we DEFINITELY recommend STORING water, we have found that it’s a good idea to have a way to clean water in case you run out, or to get extra for dishes or other things. Check out these inexpensive water bottle filters as a possible gift idea.

Water Containers

A great gift idea is these water containers from Emergency Essentials. Stay tuned on these! Next week we are going to be doing a review and GIVEAWAY on them. We’re so excited to test them out! TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY ENDING DEC 21 GO HERE.

Back to the 12 Days List

How to Make an Evaporation Still

An evaporation still will extract water from the soil even if it appears to be quite dry. These instructions will help you create a still that will provide half the amount of water needed for one person per day. It’s definitely more convenient to simply store water, but for a longer term emergency you may find it necessary to find alternate means of accessing water.

Materials:

• A six-by-six square piece of clear plastic
• A drinking tube
• A bucket or container to catch the water

Instructions:

1. Dig a hole three feet deep and large enough at the bottom to hold the bucket or container.
2. Place one end of the drinking tube at the bottom of the bucket and put the bucket in the hole.
3. If possible, line the sides of the hole with shredded vegetation and slices of succulent plants.
4. Place the plastic over the hole, securing the edges all around with soil.  Extend the drinking tube from the bucket under the plastic and up through the soil that holds the plastic in place.  Wrap a towel or clean cloth around the end of the tube to protect it from soil and contamination.
5. Position a rock in the center of the plastic sheet two or three inches above and directly over the bucket.
6. Water will accumulate in the bucket and can be sipped through the tube without dismantling the still.

Make sure that you print out this post and put it in your Food Storage Made Easy Binder so that you can have it on hand in case of an emergency where you don’t have power.

View our other Beyond the BabySteps post about water:
Water Purification
Alternate Water Sources

We decided it would be good to revise each BabyStep as part of our Summer Crash Course. So jump in and get started … it’s not too late! This week we are covering BabyStep 2: Water (click here to view the full step)

• Updated key points relating to:
  • Water storage for pets
  • Storing water in multiple sizes of containers
  • Refilling your water containers annually
• Revised all of the resources to include more helpful links

Water Purification
Alternate Water Sources

Stay tuned for a more advanced post on this topic coming later this week!

Step 2: Water

• Empty out your water jugs, check for leaks or cracks
• Refill the jugs with fresh water and add bleach if your water is not chlorinated
• Purchase a new bottle of bleach for emergency purification if your current bottle is expired

Emergency Preparedness Plan

• Change out the perishable food items from your 72 Hour Kit
• Update seasonal or outgrown clothing in Disaster Kits for young children
• Remind your family of your Family Emergency Plan

In case you missed the infamous 72 hour outtakes video

If you are new to food storage and following along with the BabySteps please refer to the Step 2: Water page before you read this post and get overwhelmed. In BabyStep 2 we recommend to store a 2-week supply of water for your family. This should be enough to sustain you through the majority of shorter-term emergencies. But what if water is unavailable for a longer period of time? Do you know where the closest source of water to your house is? Are you sure the water is drinkable? Some people like to have several months to a year worth of water stored (check out these options discussed on the Utah Preppers website), but for a lot of us that just isn’t practical. This post will discuss some other means of finding drinking water in case you are not as amazing as the “Preppers” folks are yet

Alternate Water Sources

Water in your home
- Hot water heater tank
- Toilet tanks (don’t use water that contains colored disinfectant!)
- Water pipes
- Ice in the freezer
- Canned food

Traditional bodies of water near your home
- Rivers and streams
- Ponds and lakes

Collect water from the air and plants
- Snow and ice
- Rain water
- Morning dew can be mopped up from rocks and plants (especially effective in desert areas). The easiest method is to use a handkerchief or shirt to gently mop up the dew and then wring it into a container. It is possible to mop up almost a quart an hour using this method!

Obtaining water from the soil
- A hole dug in a damp or muddy area allows water to seep in and accumulate
- Mud wrong in a shirt or other cloth will force out water (muddy water can be partially cleared by allowing it to stand overnight and then running it through several thickness of cloth)
- Make an evaporation still

Locate sources of groundwater (in mountainous areas)
- Sloping side of the hills in dry mountain ranges
- Small seeps and springs can be found by following narrow canyons and gullies up to their heads
- The water table is usually close to the surface and you could locate it by digging at the base of cliffs and rocks where lots of vegetation is thriving, at the base of large sand dunes on the shady or steep sides, anywhere the ground is damp or muddy, in low spots where patches of salt grass, cattails, willows or elderberries grow

Please note: Depending on the nature of the emergency situation you are in, some of these sources may be contaminated so make sure you have a plan in place for water purification. It never hurts to purify just to be on the safe side.

If you are new to food storage and following along with the BabySteps please refer to the Step 2: Water page before you read this post and get overwhelmed. Our recommendation for beginners is to simply get a 2 week supply of water for your family (1 gallon per day per person). However, this post is the start of a series of more detailed information on water storage which will include storage containers, alternate sources of water, water purification and more.

   

Beyond the BabySteps: Water: Purification

Contaminated water can contain parasites as well as microorganisms that cause disease such as dysentery, typhoid fever, salmonella, giardiasis, and hepatitis as well as having a bad odor and taste. You should purify ALL water before using it for drinking, food preparation, or hygiene. NO WATER CAN BE PRESUMED SAFE! Before you begin a purification process, it’s a good idea to strain the water through some sort of filter such as layers of paper towel or a coffee filter to remove any large particles. There are many ways to purify water but none is perfect. Often the best solution is to use a combination of these methods.

Boiling

Boiling is the most common and safest method of purifying water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking. Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. (or you can add in some of your stored flavorings such as fruit drink powders, kool-aid, hot cocoa, etc.)

Disinfection

According to the American Red Cross, “The only agent used to purify water should be household liquid bleach.” Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. Do not use scented bleaches, color-safe bleaches, or bleaches with added cleaners. This method is highly recommended as a backup in case fuel is not available for boiling or distilling water.

Distillation

Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt and other impurities such as heavy metals and most other chemicals that are not removed with boiling or disinfection. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot’s lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.

Water Filters (edited to reflect some tips from the comments)

There are two types of water filters, inexpensive travel water bottle filters and gravity carbon filters. A travel water bottle filter is great to throw into your disaster kit, but in cases of extreme contamination you would still want to add in a few drops of iodine or bleach. If you opt for a gravity carbon filter such as the AquaRain or Berkey ones, it MAY be enough purification, but we still recommend to use one of the other methods as well. It can never hurt to be too safe. If you are conserving fuel or on the run, a filter can definitely be a great option and is MUCH better than no purification at all.

Additional Resources

Water Storage / Purification Handout – EXCELLENT resource which can be printed and put in your Food Storage Made Easy Binder. (Thanks @cboyack)

So today I woke up way too early with a sick child, and a husband who is out of town. I only got about 4 hours of sleep (the night before was around 2 hours). Anyways, I had to go to hockey practice and right when I got there my baby puked ALL over his seat. Luckily Grandma was there to tend and helped me clean it. Anyways, after hockey practice I got home and needed desperately to:

-shower
-bathe my child
-wash the car seat in the laundry machine
-run the dishwasher
-cook dinner

Well I turned my water on and within 10 seconds it trickled down to a dripping flow. I thought it was weird, and proceeded to call all my neighbors to see if they had the same problems. Well my house was the only one with the problem. Then I called the city to see if they could tell me anything. Nope it was MY problem. Then I called my mother-in-law, whose father told her it might be something with some pressure something. First question – is that something my baby could have done? We figured it wasn’t.

So I waited a few hours, still needing to shower, still needing to boil water for dinner, still needing to wash a puked up baby and car seat. During that time it dawned on me WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT WATER FOR REAL? I became very relieved as I realized I at least have my 14 day supply. I mean you need water for everything! I’m not saying my water supply would run my washer, but at least my basic needs would be covered. Anyways, I thought it was a good chance for a friendly reminder… How are you doing with your water storage? Do you have it? GET IT!

So now for the ending of the story. My husband finally was able to call me on the phone and I said OUR WATER IS BROKEN! He said, oh that’s an easy fix. I guess our baby has been playing with the main on and off levers for our house since he saw my husband turn off the outside water valve in the basement for the sprinklers. My husband had seen him do it the other day. Anyways, I went down to the basement and sure enough, when I had been in the basement putting away some cans earlier, he had pushed the knob to almost all the way off, because it’s fun to climb!

I’m working on developing BabyStep 9 right now- comfort foods- let me tell you I could have used lots of those today!

4 people in my family X 1 gallon of water per day X 14 days = 56 gallons
I bought 10 jugs (6 gallons each) just to be on the safe side.

Confession: I went to fill them and realized I only had SCENTED bleach (see Step 2 page) so I couldn’t do it. They are still empty Don’t tell Julie though, she thinks I’m all on the ball since I bought them first!

View our blog posts coming soon to view our progress on accomplishing step 2.