Water Collection, Purification & Storage

Water is earth's most valuable resource. It is the essential element to survival. All living things need it to survive. But in the near future, there may not be enough to sustain life on our planet. Storing and knowing how to gather and decontaminate water is necessary in every emergency plan and emergency supplies kit. It is said that the average person can survive only three (3) days without water. Following a disaster, clean drinking water may not be available. Regular water sources could be cut-off or compromised through contamination. If evacuating, water sources will take on many undesireable and contaminated forms. Building a supply of water is only the beginning of preparing for an emergency. After the initial supply is gone, knowing how to collect and decontaminate subsequent supplies is crucial. The search for potable (drinkable) water sources should always be a major priority.

• Considering the amount of water a person uses in one day under normal conditions, it's no wonder that water storage should be a priority for emergency situations. Calculate minimum water storage amounts to be 1 gallon of [drinking (32 ounces) and sanitation] water per day per person for a minimum of 3 days. More is better. Children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more water. Water use may increase for a medical emergency and warm weather climates and can double in very hot temperatures. Additional water must be considered in emergency water storage plans for Pets and to re-hydrate dehydrated foods. A mimimum of 32 ounces of drinking water per day, per person, should be calculated in the water storage plan.
• If the local water supply or well is contaminated, turn off the water supply to the residence/business.

Is your water safe to drink? There are many DIY (Do It Yourself) TDS (Total Desolved Solids) Meters and Drinking Water Test Kits on the market. Do your research for the best kit or contact your local plumber to conduct a water test. Understand what the test is attempting to detect (lead and other metals, pesticides, bacteria, parasites, inorganics, Volatile Organic Compounds, etc.). Then research methods (filtering, treating, distilling, etc.) to improve the quality of your drinking water.
How to Test Drinking Water at Home
Is Your Water Safe? (And What You Can Do If It Isn't)

COLLECTION / SOURCES:

When a working faucet is not available, consider these options. Filtering and Purification methods should always be applied.
• Replenishable Water Sources should always be sought after
• Residence / Office: Hot Water Heater, Toilet, Ice Trays, Bath Tub, Hot Tub, Dehumidifier, Sink, Garden Hose. At the very first alert of a serious Emergency, fill all of these water reservoirs then turn off the public water supply to prevent internal water storage contamination from the outside. Try to prevent contamination of water sources but ALWAYS treat and filter water before use.
• Community: swimming pools, exterior spigots on houses and office buildings (get a Sillcock Key), water drainage systems, pot holes.
• Undrinkable: While not the ideal solution for drinking water, in a crisis situation, nearly any water can be distilled and filtered to make drinkable (potable) water, even Urine and Salt Water. Read about Uses for Urine.
• Nature:
  Produce Drinking Water from the Air, Ground and Undrinkable Water
  • Ocean, lakes, ponds, streams, puddles, some plant leaves, vines
  • Solar Still
  • Transpiration Bag
  • Rain Catching
  • Morning Dew Collection from surfaces by soaking up with rags

PURIFICATION & FILTERING METHODS:

DEFINITIONS:
[Clean vs. Purified]     [Filtered vs. Purified]     [Purified vs. Sterilized]
[Reverse Osmosis (RO) vs. UltraViolet (UV)]     [Sterilized vs. Disinfected]     [Sterilized vs. Distilled*]     [Distilled vs. Deionized]
* Distilled Water is the purest form of water; free of microbes, heavy metals, salts, & other chemicals because clean water vapor is removed from the water source thereby leaving all the impurities behind. A Countertop Water Distiller is recommended for every home.

In an emergency situation, before treating, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom or strain them through coffee filters or layers of clean cloth. Be sure to have necessary materials in each emergency supplies kit for the chosen water treatment method.

Stand-alone commercial water filtering (gravity, charcoal, etc.) systems (that DO NOT connect to your household water supply) may be good alternatives but their effectiveness should be researched before relying on them as a safe and reliable water treatment method.  Click here to see related water treatment products.
Build Your Own Water Filter



Methods	Kills Microbes	Removes other contaminants (heavy metals, salts, & most other chemicals)
Boiling	Yes	No
Chlorination	Yes	No
Distillation	Yes	Yes


Distillation: Distillation creates the purest form of water. It involves boiling water and collecting only the vapor that condenses [back into water]. The condensed vapor will not include salt or most other impurities.  To make distilled water, fill a pot halfway with water.  Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the pot lid is flipped upside-down in a funnel shape. Make sure the cup is not dangling into the water in the pot. Boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled. Distillation removes a broad range of contaminants, which will stay behind in the liquid phase vessel, but some contaminants can be carried into the condensate. Distillation does purify water, but it can't remove all contaminants. Organics such as herbicides and pesticides, with boiling points lower than 100°C, cannot be removed efficiently and can actually become concentrated in the product water. So, don't confuse distilled water with 100% pure water. Careful maintenance is necessary to improve purity. Watch this video about homemade distiller.

Boiling is the safest and most effective primitive method of treating/purifying water. Viruses, Protozoa and most bacteria (but not all) are killed at the first bubble. It takes about three minutes of full boil to kill the remaining bacteria. In a large pot or kettle, bring water to a rolling boil. Some water will evaporate but puttng a lid on the container will reduce evaporation. Let the water cool before drinking.   Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. This also will improve the taste of stored water. Boiling water does not eliminate chemical pollutants (including chlorine), poor taste or foul odors. The water can still contain particles. So filtering (through a handkerchief, for example) may be necessary.
Boiling Water with a Large Leaf, Plastic Bottle or Paper Cup: When a pot is not available, these containers can be used to boil water. This is possible because of conduction; the heat from the fire is conducted away from the container and into the water. Other parts of the container may get burned but the areas touching the water will not. The container must be filled with water to prevent burning. In the case of a leaf, choose one the is not poisonous and as large as possible. Fashion it into a cup shape to hold water. Use a wet vine or rope to hold its shape. Fill it with water and place it into the fire coals. To try this at home, use a large cabbage or lettuce leaf.


Sun: Water does not need to be boiled to be made safe for drinking. Most microbes and pathogens will be killed at 150°F (65°C) for just five minutes. Solar radiation can purify water and make it safe to drink. Solar energy from the sun can disinfect water from lakes and rivers. The UV rays from the sun can kill harmful bacteria , parasites, and viruses, given enough exposure.
• Gather water from a clean, well known water source, such as a lake or stream. Running water is best. Avoid standing water; smelly water; water with an oily look; and water near latrines and sewers.
• The water must not be chemically polluted. The Sun method will kill bacteria, it will not remove chemicals.
• UV rays will not be able to penetrate through cloudy, dirty water. Remove visible contaminants, such as dirt, mud, or debris. Filter the water by pouring it through several layers of cloth to catch as much sediment and debris as possible. Let any remaining sediment settle to the bottom and filter again until the water is as clear as possible.
• Do not use colored or tinted containers. Use clean, clear soda or water bottles no larger than 2 liters. They need to be in good condition with no scratches or other visible signs of wear that may impair the sunlight. It is best to use a "PET" (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) bottle. Look for the recycle code #1 on the bottom.
• After removing as much debris as possible, fill the bottles 2/3 full of water and shake for 20 -30 seconds. This will saturate the water with oxygen, which will help to kill the germs. Then finish filling the bottles to the brim with water. Lay them down in the sun. Do not stand them up. Laying them down allows the UV rays to penetrate to maximum depth. Lay the bottles on a reflective/shiny surface (like aluminum foil or a shiny mylar emergency blanket, if available) to optimize the UV exposure.
• Ambient air temperature is not a factor, it is the strength of the UV sunlight that is significant. If the sky is mostly sunny with only a few clouds, 6 hours of sunlight will be enough. However, if the sky is more than 50% cloudy, then it will take 2 days to purify the water. If there is a question about the proper length of time because of the sky conditions, it is best to err on the side of caution and allow the full 2 days of exposure.
Other Resources:     [Water Pasteurization 1]     [Water Pasteurization 2]     [Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS)]

Chlorination (bleach): You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 to 6.0 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, color safe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners. Because the potency of bleach diminishes with time, use bleach from a newly opened or unopened bottle.  Add 16 drops (1/8 teaspoon) of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight bleach odor. If it doesn’t, then repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. If it still does not smell of chlorine, discard it and find another source of water.  Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 or 6.0 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used.

Potassium Permanganate: Antiseptic, Water Purifier, Fire Starter and more . . .

Iodine: Tincture liquid, crystals, tablets. Can be toxic if you use more than directed.

[Activated] Charcoal Filter: is effective on water & airborne contaminates. Scraped from burnt [hard] wood or purchased, crush & sandwich a thick layer between 2 cloth pieces to breathe thorough or strain water.

Emergency Water Filter:
Drinkable water is always a priority no matter where you go. This emergency water filter will suffice if you lack the supplies.
Supplies:
Strip of washcloth
Two empty containers
Directions:
Step 1: Run a strip of washcloth from a container of dirty water into an empty container. Place the containers against one another. Elevate the full dirty-water container slightly higher than the empty container. Eventually, the water will migrate from one container to the other.
Step 2: Boil the filtered water, for 5+ minutes, to kill many bacteria.
(NOTE: Distilling is required to remove heavy metals or chemical contaminants. Filtering/Boiling water does NOT.)

How to Build Your Own Water Filter:     [Article 1]     [Article 2]     [Video]

Life Straw is a portable water filter that removes 99.9% waterborne bacteria in a easy-to-carry container that is about 12" long and about 1.5" in diameter. Like the name implies, it is used like a straw to suck water from its source through the device and into the mouth.

STORAGE:

• Commercially bottled water is the safest and most reliable emergency water supply
  • Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open until you need to use it
  • Observe the expiration or "use by" date (about 18 months shelf life)
• Personal water containers require special considerations
  • Do not use glass containers because they can break and are heavy
  • Use food grade water storage containers from surplus or camping supplies stores
  • If reusing commercial drink containers
    • Use 2-liter plastic soft drink bottles – not plastic jugs or cardboard containers
    • Do Not Use containers that have had milk or fruit juice in them
    • Before use, thoroughly clean containers with dishwashing soap & water & rinse completely
    • Sanitize: add a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household bleach to a quart of water
    • Swish sanitizing solution in the container so that it touches all surfaces
    • After sanitizing, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water
    • Fill container to the top with regular tap water*
    • Label the container with a 6-month "use by" date and Replace the water every six (6) months
• Store all water in a cool, dark place
• Reusing Water: Consider water as a very valuable resource. Don't waste the drinking water, that has expired, by dumping it down the drain. Just because it should not be used for internal consumption, reuse it for washing the body, clothes or dishes, flushing the toilet, watering the garden, filling the car radiator or anything else that uses water. Always think about alternate uses for anything you are about to throw away.
  
  DIY Wilderness Water Containers:
  When SHTF, or if life just throws you a curve-ball and you find yourself in a survival situation without being prepared (should never be the case but...), one of the first things on the survival to-do list is to find water. Once a water source is located, though, there are two important factors to consider. First, making sure it's clean/drinkable/safe/purified. Second, how to store or transport it? Here are some suggestions:
  • Wood/Tree - Pliable bark, hardwood knots to scoop out or burn out with coals
  • Bamboo - cut at the sealed joints
  • Animal Parts - skin, bladder, intestines, stomach - clean and boil for 2 hours
  • Coconut shells - scrape out all the fruit inside and sand down the wood
  • Seashells
  • Turtle shells
  • Large, live, non-poisonous leaves
  • Trash bottles, cans and bags
  
  Other Long Term Water Storage Resources:     [Article 1]     [Article 2]
  
  * If the tap water has been commercially treated from a water utility with chlorine, you should not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean. But testing should be done to confirm. If the water you are using comes from a well or water source that is not treated with chlorine, add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to the water. Let the water stand for 30 minutes before using.  A slight chlorine odor should be noticeable in the water, if not, add another dose of bleach and allow the water to stand another 15 minutes.  Tightly close the container using the original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your finger.

For emergency situations, the recommended water usages is 1 gallon of [drinking and sanitation] water per day per person. Under normal conditions and for most people, 32oz of water should be consumed per day.

Can You Drink Too Much Water? Water Is The Essence Of Life but there is such a thing as overindulgence when it comes to H2O. It's called hyponatremia (low sodium content in the blood), or "water intoxication", and the effects range from uncomfortable to quite serious (Nausea and vomiting, Headache, Confusion, Loss of energy, drowsiness and fatigue, Restlessness and irritability, Muscle weakness, spasms or cramps, Seizures, Coma). Drink water only when you're thirsty; your body will, usually, tell you when it needs more but not to the point of dehydration (signs include Decreased urine output, Dry mouth and swollen tongue, Sluggishness and fatigue, Sugar cravings, Confusion, Dizziness, Fainting, Heart palpitations).     [Article 1]     [Article 2]

Is Carbonated/Seltzer/Sparkling Water Good or Bad? Some studies have found it to be damaging to the stomach. Others mention the gastric effects carbon dioxide can cause. But overall, having bubbles in your water is still better than drinking soda or sugary juices.
[Video 1]     [Video 2]