If you've been busy making emergency plans for a natural disaster, one of the most important things you can do is plan for your water supply. You can go a couple of days without food, but you can't go without water. In an emergency, you're going to need access to clean water for a variety of purposes, including drinking and food preparation. You're also going to need it for personal hygiene needs and wound care. Here are three steps you can take to make sure you have access to clean water during a natural disaster.
1. Install a Water Treatment System
If you don't have a water treatment system in your home, you need to have one installed. Not only will your water treatment system provide you with clean water now, it will also provide clean water during an emergency. The water treatment system will filter out the contaminants that can make you and your family ill during an emergency. It's best to have a system that provides clean, treated water throughout the house. That way you know you'll have access to clean water, even if your kitchen faucet happens to break during the disaster.
2. Store Plenty of Bottled Water
If you don't have a water treatment system in your home and you can't get one right away, it's important that you store plenty of bottled water. You can store your emergency supply of water in empty soda bottles. Be sure to wash them thoroughly with hot water and dish soap before filling them with water. Next, place about one-teaspoon of liquid, unscented chlorine bleach in each bottle and fill with water. Allow the water to sit for about 15 minutes, and then empty the bottles. The bleach and water solution will help sanitize your bottles and get them ready for storage. Once you've sanitized your bottles, fill them with water and place the caps back on. If your municipal water has been treated with chlorine, you won't need to add bleach to your emergency water bottles for storage.
3. Know Where Your Additional Water Sources Are
If you're preparing for an emergency, it's important for you to know where your additional water sources are. You might not realize this, but there are a few places around the house where you can find water in the event of an emergency. One of them is your water heater, and the other is your toilet tank. However, you'll need to turn the water valves off as soon as disaster strikes. That way, they don't fill up with contaminated water. If you receive advance notice that a disaster is about to strike, use that time to fill your bathtubs. That way, you have at least one tub filled with additional emergency water.
Don't wait until a disaster strikes to prepare your water sources. Be proactive and start now to get your water sources prepared, just in case. You can purchase residential water softeners to start the process to store water in an event of an emergency.