Welcome to DAY 2 of the 2025 7 Day Challenge. For 7 days, we are testing our Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage Plans. Each day will bring a NEW mock emergency or situation that will test at least one of the reasons “WHY” we strive to be prepared!
In order to receive each day’s emergency scenario in your email please sign up for the 7 Day Challenge email list or subscribe via text by texting 7daychallenge to 717-788-3663.
REMEMBER: To get the most out of the challenge, don’t be too literal about the scenarios. Modify them to fit YOUR family’s situation. Also, try to actually DO each day’s tasks. Don’t try to justify why you wouldn’t “need” to. The point is to PRACTICE our skills!
DAY 2: WATER MAIN BREAK💧
A water main has broken in your neighborhood, and the city has shut off the flow until repairs are complete. You suddenly have no running water in your home — no faucets, no showers, no flushing toilets, no filling up a pot to boil pasta. The only water you have access to is what you have stored.
TODAY’S CHALLENGES:
👉 Drink only stored water today (bonus points if you flavor it to keep the kids happy).
👉 Cook one meal without using tap water.
👉 Try one “everyday” task with stored water — washing dishes, take a sponge bath, or do a load of laundry without a washing machine!
👉 BONUS POINTS: Pull out your emergency toilet and use it this evening 😱
For this scenario you can choose to start in the morning and live a complete day without running water. However, for those who work and/or have kids in school feel free to just do the tasks this evening.
HELPFUL HINTS:
Storage Variety: Keep water in multiple container sizes — small bottles for convenience, larger jugs or WaterBricks for bulk use.
Rotation: Stored water should be rotated every 6–12 months. If yours tastes flat, pour it back and forth between two cups to “freshen” it. Or store flavor powders to improve the taste.
Conservation: Paper plates, hand wipes, and dry shampoo can save precious water.
Treatment: Remember that broken mains can cause contamination when they restart. Keep a filter or purifier on hand in case the water needs treating before it’s safe. Or have a way to boil water (without using electricity in case the power is out too).
Learn More: View my page on Water Storage for more information on this topic!
REFLECTION:
Take a few minutes after your “no water” day to think through what worked and what didn’t. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- How much water did your family actually use? Was it more or less than you expected?
- Was it easy to access your stored water, or was it buried in the garage/basement?
- Did your family complain about taste, temperature, or inconvenience?
- If this outage lasted 3–5 days, what would quickly become your biggest problem?
- How many days could you survive with only the water you have stored?
Print out the worksheets below and add items you need to do, to learn, and to buy as you find holes in your preparedness plans today. Print multiple sheets as needed.
SHARING TIME:
One of the best parts of the challenge each year is seeing how everyone else survived the day. You’ll get new ideas and encouragement just by reading the stories! Here’s how to join in the conversation:
- Post in the Facebook Group thread for Day 2: Tell us how you did today. What task did you decide to do without water? Did you try the bonus task and use an emergency toilet??? 🤮
- Photos welcome but not required — you can just describe your experience if you’d rather not show your supplies.
⚠️ Don’t skip this part! Remember … the group conversation is one of the most valuable parts of the seven day challenge.
-Jodi Weiss Schroeder
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net
