Water for Storage and Emergency

I have been evaluating my storage to decide what I need to work on first.  While searching the Internet, I found this Rule of 3 for survival.

 In extreme situations you cannot survive for more than:

3 minutes without air,

3 hours without shelter,

3 days without water,

 3 weeks without food

Since water is so crucial to life, I decided to educate myself on storing water.  These are some of the questions I asked myself and the answers I found.

How much water does an adult need each day for drinking?

·      2 quarts - more for pregnant women, children, people who are ill and people in hot environments

Per person, how much water do I need to store for food preparation and hygiene?

·      At least 2 gallons per person per day in addition to the drinking water above

How many days worth of water storage shall I keep?

·      2 week's supply

This along with more detailed information comes from FEMA and can be found at http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf Article titled “Emergency Water Supplies”

What containers are best for water storage?

·      Heavy weight food grade plastic containers.  Food grade containers for water are blue in color

·      It is best to have stationary and portable water storage containers

·      Water boxes – mylar bags filled with water inside of cardboard boxes

Where is the best place to store water?

·      In a cool dark place for maximum shelf life

·      Avoid contact with the floor, build a wooden platform for the containers to sit on

·      Tie down large water containers in case of earthquakes

What if I need to store my water outside?

·      Containers break down more easily in the sun.  Cover the container to help protect the container from sun and weather damage

·      When storing water outside, make sure to leave extra empty space at the top of the container to allow for expansion during freezing.

This information comes from FEMA and can be found at http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water.shtm

For my own water storage, I have chosen a large 55-gallon barrel and water bricks that hold approximately 31/2 gallons each.  I store the barrel in my basement near a floor drain so I can easily empty it and refill it with fresh water.  The water bricks are portable and easy to move around.  They can be stacked as high as the ceiling and lock together somewhat like Legos.  They each have their own carrying handle.  I also have water boxes.  They are inexpensive, but I do not like them quite as well as the water bricks.  They take more space because you can only stack them two high.  Also, they are not as easy to carry.  Shelf Reliance has all three kinds of these storage water storage containers as well as others.  If you are interested in more information or would like to purchase any of them please see my website at:

 susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

You can purchase directly from my website and the items will be shipped directly to you.

If you are interested in this subject, please return for my next post.  It will be on additional places to find drinkable water in the home, water purification methods and water purifying equipment.