Your Survival Blog
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Water, water … everywhere?
Wilderness and military specialists have a rule of thumb: an average healthy adult can survive “three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food.” (The water rule assumes a fully hydrated person, and warm but not hot temperatures.)
Three days? Only three days’ supply stands between you and dying of thirst? Most Westerners in the 21st century have never had to go more than a few hours away from a source of water; it’s as close as the nearest sink or outdoor faucet. Though the average adult loses five pints of water a day to ordinary metabolism, death from dehydration is usually so far down the worries list it never crosses our minds.
But what do you do if your water supply is no longer available?
I used to live in a semi-rural area—no town water or sewer: everyone had wells and septic systems—with frequent power outages. And while yes, we had our own well, the well pump was electric and stopped working every time the power went out: there’d be no water to flush toilets except what was left in the tank, no water except the trickle left in the pipes to wash, and certainly no water to drink. We became accustomed to buying water in commercial jugs for the inevitable outages.
Store your own
So Lesson One here is to plan ahead: store a supply of water, so this won’t become such a problem in an emergency. If you have a handy place to keep a number of commercial jugs, and the cost is not a problem, they are the easiest solution for an emergency drinking supply. (It might be hard to stash enough commercial jugs to use them for cooking and washing as well—depends on your space available.)
Now if you decide not to underwrite the commercial water industry, it’s certainly possible to store your own tap water in your own containers. Empty soda bottles are one of the best container choices available; clean them well and rinse very thoroughly (soap is no fun to drink). Any other containers which held liquids for human consumption are also fair game; again, clean and rinse well. For bathing and long-term drinking use, some authorities even suggest large immovable containers (like a sturdy trash can), cleaned thoroughly and lined with plastic (e.g. a couple of heavy-duty trash bags).
A few drops of bleach (we’ll cover this more in another article) are a good idea when you’re adding your own water to your own containers. Do not, however, add bleach to stainless-steel containers—the two don’t mix!
How much do you need to plan for?
The minimum amount suggested by the Red Cross is a three-day supply, allowing one gallon (about four liters) per person per day. Other authorities suggest a gallon a day just for drinking and food preparation, another half-gallon to a gallon for hygiene. If you can store a couple of weeks’ worth, they suggest, so much the better.
Don’t forget to take your pets into account! Cats might need a quart per day. A big thirsty golden retriever will drink a lot more, especially in hot weather.
If you have a nursing mother in your home, she’ll need at least an extra quart each day over her normal intake.
And don’t forget to take water with you if you have to leave your home or workplace. If you’re buying a commercial supply, gallon jugs will be harder to transport, even in a car. Consider buying smaller bottles (half a liter, maybe) as well, so some of your supply can be carried if necessary.
What if I haven’t planned ahead?
Let’s say that despite reading this article, and having the best intentions, you haven’t put water in your storage area before the tornado or earthquake comes. Then what? What are reliable sources of water if you haven’t planned ahead?
In the city, if there’s any pressure at all in the system, you can try getting water from the tap. Unfortunately, if water mains or treatment plants have been affected, the water may be contaminated, and you’ll need to either boil it (rolling boil, three minutes) or treat it with bleach or water-purifying tablets (you’ve planned ahead enough to have those on hand, right?).
If you live in the country or on the outskirts of a metropolitan area, you may have easier access to a spring, river or lake. Again, don’t forget to purify the water; a little Giardia can ruin your whole week. Consider buying a portable water purifier (available in outdoor stores).
In the winter, in colder climes, you have another source: snow (the fresher the better). Collect it in wide-mouthed clean (food-grade) containers, and, of course, avoid areas contaminated by dirt, animal urine or other pollutants. Consider melting and purifying.
If you also have a supply of canned goods, items heavy in liquid like juice and canned fruits (avoid canned goods high in sodium, which increase thirst) can provide a welcome source of moisture.
And if I get desperate?
If you’re really far away from a source of help, you could soak fabric in dew and suck the moisture from the fabric.
You could take water from a contaminated river or other source, minus purifying methods, and just decide to deal with the consequences when you reach reliable medical help (not good for long-term situations, especially if the hospitals are busy saving trauma cases).
(And yes, in a truly desperate situation, you can drink your own urine, though it’s unlikely to buy you more than a day or two.)
The upshot
Keep as much water on hand as you can. You may never have to use it—but in an emergency you’ll be very glad not to worry about being thirsty!
Posted by eks on 09/29 at 01:28 PM(2) Comments • Permalink