Emergency Water

Water is essential to survival. We use water for drinking, personal hygiene and food preparation.

In a disaster (such as a major earthquake or flood event) the Region’s water supply network will be disrupted. This means there may not be any water flowing from the water treatment plants to the reservoirs in the cities.

Councils will have to shut off reservoirs to preserve the water that is already there. As a result, the water supply to our houses and work places will be cut off.

We cannot live without water. Store water now, as you will need it immediately after a disaster. Your household will need at least 3 litres of drinking water; per person per day; store enough for three days or more. You will also need extra water for cooking, hygiene, and if you have pets (This increases the amount of water required to around 15-20 litres per person per day). Water can be stored in plastic soft drink, juice bottles, or you can buy plastic water containers. Do not use milk bottles, as traces of leftover milk will contaminate the water.

The information on emergency water will help you to plan for your needs for clean, safe drinking water should you ever experience an emergency.

Bracing your hot water cylinder and header tank will guard against damage and may also ensure you have a significant store of clean, usable water.

How to store water

save plastic soft drink or juice bottles for storing emergency water (don’t use milk containers as it is practically impossible to remove the milk residue)
wash containers thoroughly in hot water and detergent
fill with tap water until the container overflows
screw lids on tightly
store in a cool, dark place
replace the water every 12 months
if you have spare freezer space, store water in plastic bottles. This provides fresh, easily transportable drinking water and, the ice can be used to cool food in the fridge in the event of a power failure
you can add plain household bleach to your water either when filling the container or before you use it if necessary (half a teaspoon per 10 litres). This purifies the water. Leave for 30 minutes before you drink the water.

Finding water

Hot water cylinder/tank

The water in your hot water tank is a valuable source of clean water - if the header tank in the ceiling is secure and the pipes have not been broken. First you must:

Shut off your water supply at the toby-box outside your home. This prevents any contaminated water from broken pipes on the street getting into your plumbing.
If there is damage to your pipeline between the toby-box and the plumbing system, clamp the pipe with a G-clamp or improvise with a set of vice-grips. Or, you can bend the pipe 180 degrees to stop the leak.
Extract the water by opening the drain valve at the bottom of the hot water cylinder and collect from the external drainage point.
Remember to turn off the electricity if you drain the hot water cylinder. This will prevent the element from burning out.

Toilet cistern (not the bowl) if the water has not been treated with chemicals to enhance colour, smell etc.

Canned fruit and vegetables stored in water or juice.

Beverages

Ice

Swimming pools for hygiene purposes only.

Streams or springs. With proper preparedness, you should know the location of nearby streams, springs or other water sources where it would be easy to fill a container and what the safest way to get it home would be.

Rain water. Have on hand an easily installable system for collecting rain water. You can use tarpaulins or sheets of plastic to collect the water that runs off your roof or gutters.

Remember that water that is not purified may make you sick, or could even kill you. In a disaster, with little or no medical attention available, you need to remain as healthy as possible. Make sure you know how to treat contaminated water to keep safe.

Treating water

Why treat water?

Keep in mind that during an emergency, the bulk water supply utility may not be able to maintain the integrity and quality of your tap water due to damaged equipment and distribution systems.

Water contamination can cause illness (diarrhoea and vomiting) which can be particularly dangerous for infants, very old people or people with damaged immune systems.

How to treat contaminated water

Chemical

When using emergency water supplies, check the water by holding it to the light. Treat with household bleach if you are concerned about the quality. Use half a teaspoon per 10 litres of water and leave for 30 minutes before you drink the water. Alternatively, use water purification tablets as per the instructions.

Boiling

Strain any water with impurities in it through a cloth (eg. teatowel, muslin etc) and boil for 5 minutes.

Filtering

Making an emergency pour-through filter system

While this system is not the best purification method, if you have no other options it is better than nothing. Once this system has been established and works, remember to change the sand or dirt regularly.

Take a 20-30 litre bucket and drill or punch a series of small holes in the bottom.
Place several layers of cloth on the bottom of the bucket (this can be anything from denim to an old table cloth).
Add a thick layer of sand (preferred) or loose dirt. This will be the main filtering element, so it needs to be at least half of the bucket’s depth.
Add another few layers of cloth, weighted down with a few larger rocks.
Your home-made filter should be several centimetres below the top of the bucket.
Place another bucket or other collection device under the holes you punched on the bottom.
Pour collected or gathered water into the top of your new filter system. Gravity works to filter the water through the cloth and sand to drip out at the bottom into your collection device. If the water is cloudy or full of sediment, simply let it drop to the bottom and draw the cleaner water off the top of your collection device with a straw or tube.