Clean Water's Vital, So Store Some Now Or Prepare To Purify

By NEIL JOHNSON of The Tampa Tribune

Originally Published: June 1, 2002

There's a reason people swarm grocery stores for bottled water when a hurricane threatens.

Supplies of clean water are perhaps the most essential thing you'll need after a storm. Dehydration and disease are two nasty possibilities from inadequate or contaminated water supplies.

Though it's rare, a major storm can disrupt municipal and private wa ter supplies in a number of ways.

If power is lost, pumps in city water systems won't work or a treat ment plant might not function at full capacity. Washed out roads can break water lines.

The loss of power means private wells could be useless.

Flooding can foul water supplies, especially individual wells.

If the storm does interfere with your water supply, you'll need an ab solute minimum of a gallon of clean water per day for each person.

A normally active adult needs to drink about half that amount daily just to avoid dehydration. The rest will go for cooking and hygienic needs.

But if it's hot and hurricane season is during the hottest part of the year or you're doing heavy labor, you might need twice that amount.

Children, nursing mothers and ill people also need more.

Plan on needing a minimum of a week's supply.

That water is just for drinking, cooking and washing, especially your hands.

You'll need more for other general uses, and that water can be stored in bath tubs.

You can avoid mobs at the stores after a limited amount of bottled wa ter with a little foresight now.

Storage:

You can keep tap water in tightly sealed, washed plastic, fiberglass or enamel-coated metal containers. Glass bottles also work, but can be broken if your home is damaged by the storm.

Empty, washed soft drink bottles make excellent containers.

You should add some chlorine bleach to preserve the water. (See disinfecting instructions about what kind and how much to use.)

Label the containers and keep them in a cool, dark place.

They'll last up to six months, the length of the hurricane season. If you don't need it by Nov. 30, use the water on your plants after the season passes.

Before you drink the stored water, pour it back and forth between two clean containers a few times. This replenishes the oxygen and im proves the taste.

If you run low on water, do not ration it. Use what you need each day and hunt for more.

Also, if supplies are low, avoid foods high in fat, protein and salt.

Other sources:

One emergency source is your water heater. First, turn off the supply valve leading into your house. This is a good idea in case there are broken water or sewer lines.

Turn off gas or electricity to the hot water tank, then open the valve at the base. Don't turn it back on until the tank is full again. To start the water flowing, close the supply valve leading to the tank and open a hot water faucet.

You can drain your home's pipes by turning on the highest faucet in the house and collecting the water from the lowest.

While a water bed may hold up to 400 gallons of water, some contain toxic substances most methods of purification won't remove, so it's best not to use that water.

As a last resort, the water in the toilet tank, not the bowl, can be used, but disinfect it with bleach or by boiling. Water from lakes, flowing streams and rivers or springs also can be used in an emergency. But it's vital to purify water from any of these sources or if you're unsure of the source.

Purification:

There are three basic ways to purify water, and none is perfect. The first two methods, boiling and disinfecting with household bleach, kill most microbes but won't remove heavy metals or salts.

First, let water sit to allow any sediment to settle, or strain it through layers of paper towels or clean cloth.

Boiling is the safest method of purifying water. Bring water to a rolling boil for three to five minutes. When it cools, pour it back and forth between two containers to improve the taste. Also, make sure the containers have been sterilized with boiling water.

When disinfecting, use only liquid household bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented, color-safe or bleach with added cleaners. Put 16 drops of bleach in a gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. Don't use other disinfectants, such as iodine. Distillation is the most thorough purification process, although it is the most complicated and time-consuming. But it will kill virtually all microbes as well as remove metals and salts from the water. It also is the only way to use salt or brackish water.

Fill a pot that can be covered half way with water. Tie a cup or smaller container on the lid handle so it will hang upright inside the pot when the lid is turned upside down. Tie it high enough to be suspended over the wa ter. Invert the lid over the pot and boil the water for 20 minutes. What collects in the container is distilled water.

Be very careful when you empty the container.

Storing an ample supply of water long before the storm is the best way to make sure you have enough in the aftermath.