Chapter 3Water
Chapter 3 · Basic skills · 32 min read

Water: finding it and making it safe to drink

You can go weeks without food, but only a few days without water. In summer, heat multiplies the risk: an active person at 100 °F (38 °C) loses water very fast. This chapter tells you how much water your household needs, where there is hidden water in your home or apartment, how to make questionable water safe, and what water you should never drink, even if you are desperate.

The essentials · if you only have a minute
  • Store at least 1 gallon (3.8 L) per person per day, plus water for pets; minimum 3 days, ideally 2 weeks (14 gallons per person). In extreme heat the need can double.
  • Store it in food-grade drums, in a cool, dark place, with a date. Water you bottle yourself gets replaced every 6 months.
  • Don't ration drinking water unless authorities order it: drink what you need today and look for more for tomorrow.
  • Boiling is the most reliable method: a rolling boil for 1 minute (3 minutes above 6,500 feet / 1,981 m). Portable filters don't remove viruses: after filtering, disinfect.
  • Unscented bleach: 8 drops per gallon (6%) or 6 drops per gallon (8.25%). Double if the water is cloudy or very cold. Wait 30 minutes.
  • You have hidden water at home: the water heater (30–80 gallons), the toilet tank (not the bowl), and ice.
  • Never drink seawater, urine, floodwater, or water contaminated with fuel or chemicals: boiling it doesn't fix it.

In this chapter

3.1How much water you need2 min read0/73.2Dehydration: recognize it in time1 min read3.3Water storage10 min read0/353.4Emergency water inside your home or apartment2 min read0/43.5Natural water sources1 min read0/53.6Techniques for getting water5 min read3.7Making water safe: methods7 min read0/113.8Comparison table of methods1 min read3.9Water you must NEVER drink1 min read3.10Common mistakes1 min read0/73.11Water: quick reference card2 min read0/8
Chapter sources (1)
  1. 1.How to Create and Store an Emergency Water Supply — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/how-to-create-and-store- an-emergency-water-supply.html 2.How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/ 3.How to Find Clean Water in an Emergency — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/how-to-find-clean-water-in-an- emergency.html 4.A Guide to Drinking Water Treatment and Sanitation for Backcountry and Travel Use — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/ travel/backcountry_water_treatment.html 5.Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water — EPA — https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection- drinking-water 6.Water — Ready.gov — https://www.ready.gov/water 7.What are emergency water sources? — FEMA — https://www.fema.gov/ 8.Food Safety During Emergencies — FoodSafety.gov — https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/emergency/index.html 9.FM 21-76 Survival, cap. 6 (Water Procurement) — Departamento del Ejército de EE.UU. 10.Emergency Water Sources — Regional Water Providers Consortium — https://www.regionalh2o.org/ 11.SODIS (desinfección solar) — Akvopedia / Eawag — https://akvopedia.org/wiki/Sodis 12.San Antonio Water System (SAWS) — https://www.saws.org 13.Collecting Rainwater and Your Health: An Overview — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/drinking-water/about/collecting-rainwater-and-your- health-an-overview.html 14.Rainwater Harvesting (hoja informativa; Código de Propiedad de Texas §202.007, Código Tributario §151.355) — Texas Water Development Board — https://www.twdb.texas.gov/publications/shells/doc/RainwaterHarvesting.pdf 15.Citywide Boil Water Notice In Place (feb. 2021) — SAWS — https://www.saws.org/citywide-boil-water-notice-in-place/ 16.Storing and Treating Water — San Francisco Public Utilities Commission — https://www.sfpuc.gov/learning/emergency-preparedness/ storing-and-treating-water 17.Storing Water for an Emergency — Utah State University Extension — https://extension.usu.edu/preparedness/articles-and-research/ storing-water-for-an-emergency 18.Emergency Water Supply (pub. 331-115) — Washington State Department of Health — https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/ Documents/Pubs/331-115.pdf 19.Calculating Live Loads (IRC, cargas vivas de 40 y 30 lb/pie²) — Journal of Light Construction — https://www.jlconline.com/how-to/framing/ calculating-live-loads_o 20.Instrucciones del fabricante de la bolsa para tina WaterBOB (capacidad, duración, un solo uso), citadas en reseña de Seed to Pantry School — https://seedtopantryschool.com/emergency-water-container-waterbob/