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Emergency water sources
Survival Blog Emergency water sources
We are all aware that one of the most important item you will need to survive is water. When disaster strikes, we tend to lose our ability to see the obvious and that could be a fatal mistake so in this blog we will discuss how to finds plenty of water in your home, even if the water supply is shut off.
The first thing you want to do if you hear about a possible contamination of your water supply is to shut off the valve where water enters your home. Remember that the time to learn how to do things is now not when the emergency happens. If you don’t know where the valve is, learn today before its too late.
- There is hidden water in your refrigerator. Remove ice cube trays from your fridge and put them into a safe container so they can melt for later use.
- If you have a swimming pool it is a great source of water. Always keep your pool covered to keep out debris. Make sure you boil it or purify with bleach before using it.
- Your toilet is also a source of water. Make sure you boil the water for 3-5 minutes before use or use a bleach purification method.
- Your water heater has a huge supply of water. Most home water heaters have between 30-60 gallons of water and people tend to forget about this. Make sure you turn off the electricity or gas that heats the water and then open the drain at the bottom of the tank. Turn on a hot water facet and drain the water into a container from the tank. Make sure you keep the electricity or gas off while the tank is empty or the elements will burn out.
- There generally is a large amount of water still in the pipes of your home so you can turn on the facet in the highest level in your home like an upstairs bathroom. Air will then be able to flow into the pipes and you will be able to get the water from the downstairs facets.
If you find yourself in the wild as opposed to your home, you will be met with different challenges in locating water. The most obvious source of water in the wild is lakes, rivers and streams. Animals always know where water is so if you find tracks you can follow them and often find water. Look for lush green areas or swarming insects as these are also signs of water. Use all of your senses. When you stop to rest, listen as rivers and streams can often be heard. Keep in mind that water always flows down so low-lying areas are always a good starting point.
If you find a muddy area, there could be ground water available. Dig a hole about one foot deep and one foot around and wait. You may be surprised to see that in a very short time the hole will fill with water. You should always boil or purify the water you find or you could be taking a risk of getting sick.
The safest water is rainwater and you can drink it with little fear of getting sick. If you are near snow or ice, melting it can provide and excellent source of water.
Don’t forget that many things like bamboo, palm trees, vines, cacti and coconuts contain water. Bend the top of a green bamboo tree down about a foot off the ground and tie it off. Put a container underneath and cut a few inches off the top. The following day you should have a decent amount of drinkable water.
Keep in mind that no matter how dire your situation never drink the following:
- Blood
- Urine
- Fresh sea ice
- Alcohol
- Fish juices
- Salt water
Of course the smartest thing you can do is prepare. Start a stockpile of water now and rotate it on a regular basis. You can find many storage containers on line and also purchase gallons of water from the store. The important thing to remember is that when a disaster strikes, it’s too late to prepare.
Source: http://survivalcavefood.com/index.php/blog/emergency-water-sources/
