Emergency Drinking Water Storage and Purification

Many kinds of disasters can impact our daily lives such as earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, fires, hurricanes and utility outages. Now is the time to make preparation for you and your family. It is a simple thing to do. Below are some suggestions on water storage and purification.

WATER STORAGE:

• Store in a cool, dark place at least a week's supply of drinking water for each family member (one gallon per person, per day).
• Store at least 2 gallons of water in your vehicle.
• Store additional water for hygiene, cooking, and pets.
• Replace your stored water every six months.
• Clean, heavy, opaque bottles with screw on lids are preferable for storing water.
  

ALTERNATE WATER SOURCES:

• Water heater.
• Toilet tanks (not the bowl) if the water hasn't been treated.
• Ice.
• Swimming pools (for hygiene purposes only). It is NOT recommended that swimming pool water be used for drinking because chemicals build up and it could be harmful to health.

WATER DISINFECTION TIPS:
The United States Enovironmental Protection Agency and The American Red Cross recommend the following:

• Boil for 5-10 minutes or…
• Add 10 drops of household bleach solution per gallon of water, mix well and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy, add 10 more drops of bleach. A slight smell or taste of chlorine indicates water is adequately disinfected or...
• Add 20 drops of 2% USP tincture of iodine per gallon of water. If water is cloudy, add 20 more drops and let stand 30 minutes or...
• Use commercial purification tablets. Follow package instructions.