Parenting Tips for Children's Emergency Preparedness Water Storage

One of the first things identified as potentially unsafe for infants following the radiation leaks with the Japan earthquake and tsunami natural disasters in 2011 was tap water. While still considered safe for adults, tap water in certain areas of Japan was not safe for infants and young children following the disasters. This is one reason why it is vital for parents to have an emergency preparedness kit for children that includes water.

How Much Water to Store in Children's Emergency Preparedness Kits
Many emergency preparedness authorities such as the Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommend storing a minimum of two quarts of water per person for three days in a 72 hour kit. This water is for drinking only. An additional two quarts is recommended for cooking and hygiene uses in the emergency preparedness kit for children. This means one gallon of water per person per day is recommended for storage for emergency preparedness kits for children. Even breastfeeding mothers whose infants do not drink water yet should store some water for their babies in a 72 hour kit. During times of stress such as a natural disaster, mothers may not be able to produce as much milk as infants need, mothers may be forced to be separated from their infants, or their infants may wish to nurse more frequently. For these reasons clean drinking water for infants in an emergency preparedness kit with powdered formula is important to have on hand.

Hurricane Katrina also demonstrated that it took longer than three days for assistance to reach many people because of the chaos following the natural disaster and so many emergency preparedness experts now recommend storing enough water for five days. Water is a bulky item and can be heavy in these quantities making it difficult for parents to fit in a child's 72 hour kit. Parents can concentrate on having at minimum the two quarts of water for children to drink during an emergency in the children's 72 hour kits. Other hygiene and cooking water can be stored in parents' 72 hour kits and in grab and go containers that can be put into a vehicle if family evacuation becomes necessary in a natural disaster or other emergency.

Water purification tablets are an alternative to storing water bottles with filters. Parents should follow the directions and replace the tablets in children's emergency preparedness kits after they expire and make sure to explain to children that they are not candy and should only be handled under supervision from an adult. Even if water purification tablets are used, some water must be stored in children's emergency preparedness kits. An immediate supply of clean water is a necessity.

Tips to Pick Water Bottles for Children's Emergency Preparedness Kits
The best water storage option for most children's emergency preparedness kit are plastic water bottles. When shopping for water bottles for children's 72 hour kits, parents should look for plastic bottles that are BPA free and have a lid that screws on and off to close tightly. The push-button style of closure on some water bottles tends to loosen with use and may not fit as tightly as a cap over time. Using a container with a lid allows parents and children to mix up powdered drink mixes in their water such as Kool-Aid, Crystal Lite, hot cocoa, etc. that parents may choose to include in children's emergency preparedness kits. Drink mixes can help disguise a sometimes "off" taste or color to water that has been purified using water purification tablets. Water bottles with lids can also allow children to pour water back and forth to improve the taste water that has been stored for a long period of time in emergency preparedness kits. Some plastic water bottles come with built in filters that are replaceable to purify water. These are an added protection for children who can be susceptible to illness from unclean water. Just make sure to check the date on children's filters in their emergency preparedness kits as filters can expire.

Metal containers such as canteens or water bottles may be green water storage options for children's 72 hour kits, but they can be heavier than plastic, which adds more weight to a child's emergency preparedness pack. Metal can also be a hazard for burning a child if left out in hot sunlight and will heat the water inside the bottle more quickly than plastic.

Juice-box style containers with straws made of cardboard paper can be fairly lightweight and do not heat water up in sunlight, but once opened it is impossible to seal tightly again. This makes conserving and rationing water during a disaster or emergency difficult in juice-box style water storage containers for children's emergency kits. Children are frequently unable to finish large portions of water that parents may consume and might appreciate having resealable containers that they can sip from as needed in an emergency.

For larger quantities of water or easy option for the grab and go water storage in an emergency preparedness kit for a family, experts recommend common soda pop bottles found in many homes. Soda pop bottles should be cleaned and sterilized before use in a child's 72 hour kit by washing with soap and water and rinsing completely. A drop or two of regular, unscented, dye-free, not thickened household bleach during the cleaning process for a new bottle can be used as an added precaution but should be rinsed out after it is sterilized. This size container is not practical in a child's emergency preparedness pack though.

Any water container parents choose for their child's emergency preparedness kit needs to be a food-grade container that should not have been used to store non-food items. Do not use plastic bleach bottles, detergent bottles, etc. as they are not safe to store drinking water in. FEMA also says not to use containers that had juice in them previously too because the fruit sugars cannot be removed sufficiently. Large milk cartons deteriorate over time and become brittle and so they are not recommended by emergency preparedness experts for water storage in 72 hour kits. Glass containers for water storage in emergency preparedness kits are also not recommended because they break easily and could cut a child.

Tips for Water Stored in Children's Emergency Preparedness Kits
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, water can be stored indefinitely if kept in the proper environment (dry place out of direct sunlight at room temperature or cooler) away from toxic chemicals such as cleaning agents, solvents, or gasoline (more details on safe water). The Food and Drug Administration has not established a shelf life for bottled water. However, FEMA and other organizations recommend the rotating water every six months if not using commercially bottled water and says consumers should observe the "use by" date on pre-bottled water (more details available at FEMA).

Parents may wish to rotate the water in children's emergency preparedness kits though because water stored for a long period of time can taste stale although is still safe to drink. In a disaster or emergency, the taste of water can be improved for children by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers to oxygenate it.

If freezing is a concern where children's emergency preparedness kits will be stored, parents should weather proof the water storage containers or store the water in a climate controlled environment. If children's 72 hour kit water supply must be stored where it may freeze, parents should leave room in the container for the ice to expand so the container does not break.

What Water is Safe to Store in Children's Emergency Preparedness Kits
When filling children's emergency preparedness water containers, tap water that has been chlorinated as part of a city water supply is perfectly safe for parents to use. For added reassurance, parents can obtain a water quality report from their water supplier. No added bleach is necessary for tap water that has been chlorinated. However, when using water that has not been chlorinated in children's 72 hour kits, such as well water, parents should add four drops of 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite bleach per quart of water according to FEMA (eight drops or 1/8 teaspoon per gallon of water). Bleach degrades over time so it is best to use a fresh bottle. Only use household bleach that is unscented, dye-free, and is without thickeners or other additives when purifying water for drinking. Parents should not use more than the prescribed amount of bleach to purify water in children's emergency preparedness kits as this can be harmful to children.