Water Storage for Short Term Outages

Disaster Preparedness: Collapsible Water Containers

Water storage is the first priority in disaster preparation. It is a well known fact that a person can only live 3 to 4 days without water. Yet, few understand that this is complicated by the dangers of ingesting contaminated water. Water is the perfect breeding ground for parasites and bacteria. Ingesting these parasites and or bacteria can and often cause diarrhea which accelerates the process of life threatening dehydration. This is a deadly combination!

The use of containers you already own is usually not a good Idea. Water must be stored inside a container that has not been used to hold anything but water. Using old plastic soda bottles will cause contamination. Plastic generally absorbs particles; water inside these containers often goes rancid. Used containers are often sold by food companies under the idea that they are food safe and recyclable, yet this is dangerous. The standard rule is: Do not use any containers that have held anything except water.

If your sewage system is a septic tank you can use rancid water to fill the tank on a toilet (and flush), But do not do this if connected to any sort of a city system because, flushing a toilet that is attached to a city system can cause sewage water and drinking water to mix together.

I have also been discovered that water that is stored in plastic that sits on a concrete floor can be contaminated. Many persons store water in rooms that have bare concrete floors. Be aware that often, in a garage or utility room chemicals have been spilled and absorbed over years and forgotten.Many persons have discovered the hard way that they are drinking contaminated water during a crisis. The solution to this is simple lay a piece of wood between the bare concrete and the water container to prevent this life threatening situation.

Collapsible water containers are often considered the first choice. They fold down for easy storage while empty and are already designed to be safe for water storage. They come many different sizes and are custom fit to you storage area. Handy 12 oz. containers are used in survival packs yet, they come on sizes suitable for longer term storage as well. These are generally stored in there collapsed state and then filled with clean water during a time period after persons have been warned that a disaster is about take place. This can and sometimes does prove to be a good course of action specifically in areas where Hurricanes are common. They can be kept full during Hurricane season and then empties after the end of the Hurricane season. Yet, most often there is often little or no warning when it comes to most types of natural disasters. It is best to also have water stored long term.

A great product for all households are Aqua pods they are an inexpensive standard. These Pods are heavy duty clear plastic bags that can be laid in a bath tub and filled with water as soon as a person hears of danger. Some can hold as much as 60 gallons of potable water.

Many products are available yet, do your own research. A wrong purchase is not just about wasting money. It is the difference between life and death if and when a person or family is in a true survival situation.