Editor’s Note: In preparation for Citizen Emergency Rescue Training (CERT) classes being offered by the Grundy County Local Emergency Planning Committee next month, the Republican-Times is publishing a series of articles about CERT and local emergency planning activities, written by CERT program coordinator Matt Walker. Classes are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13 and Feb. 20, with those taking the classes eligible to be part of the county’s CERT team. The team will provide assistance to emergency service responders during major disasters.
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Water Storage
and Purification
The rule of threes tells us that a human can live about three days without water, so ensuring you have an adequate supply will be high on your list of priorities when clean water isn’t available from the tap.
When planning to shelter in place, the simplest way to do this is to stockpile a supply and, for most people, simply keeping bottled water on hand is the best solution. Commercial bottled water has a shelf life of around seven months, so keep that in mind. If you drink bottled water already, just build up a supply and each time you use up a case, replace it. How much water to store is something you must decide based on your household and how long you plan to supply yourself. You should have one gallon per person, per day (this assumes some minor hygiene use). Small children and pets may be counted as a “half person” while large dogs are counted as a person.
Evacuation requires a different approach. Three days worth of water would weigh almost 25 pounds. Added to a 20-pound “go bag,” that’s far too heavy for anyone who isn’t accustomed to packing that kind of weight.
Luckily, though, in Missouri, you typically don’t have to go far to find a raw water source – it just needs to be cleaned before you can drink it.
There are two main types of contaminants to deal with – biological and chemical/heavy metals. You can filter large particulate matter (leaves, bugs, dirt) out of your water with a bandana over the lid of the container and boil your water for two minutes. This will eliminate biological contaminants. Chemical purification such as drops of chlorine bleach or iodine tablets and some filters will do the same, but none of these will remove chemical and heavy metal contaminants. Some filters will remove both types of contaminants and those are the optimal choice for our purposes here. I dislike endorsing specific products, but in this case I will say that the Berky Sport Bottle is one of the most efficient, easy to use and affordable of the available filter systems capable of removing both types of contaminants.
The information here is a very broad overview of some things you can do to address water supply issues during an emergency. As always, consider your own situation and research your options before choosing a course of action.
For more detailed information visit the website http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f%26web.pdf. Those without Internet access can call 1-800-480-2520 to request a free printed copy of “Food and Water in an Emergency.”
(Next: Food Supply and Storage)