the EPS topic for March is the third item from the rule of 3's. We covered
3 minutes without Air in January
3 hours without Heat in February
and now it's time to protect ourselves from
3 days without Water
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March 4
An average person needs to drink two quarts of water each day, even more for children, nursing mothers and ill people. Hot environments or intense activity can double the daily requirement. Since you'll also need water for food preparation and hygiene, plan on storing one gallon of water per person, per day. Store enough for 3 days (2 weeks if you can) for the family and pets.
March 11
When storing water you may buy it or, more cheaply, bottle your own. Store tap water in carefully cleaned, non-corrosive, tightly covered containers in a cool, dark place, far away from stored gasoline or pesticides. 2-liter soda bottles work great; store two 2-liter bottles per person per day. Avoid milk jugs as they will leak over time.
March 18
Before storing tap water, remove plastic lid liners and clean containers and lids with hot soapy water & rinse. Sanitize with a solution of 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Let sit for two minutes, then rinse again with water. Fill containers with tap water, add 1-2 drops of chlorine bleach per quart/liter, cap it and shake to mix. Label with the date and use before 6 months to 1 year.
March 25
A freezer is a great space to store a bottle or two of water. If you lose electricity, the icy bottles will help keep foods frozen until the power is restored. Be sure to leave 2 to 3 inches of space in containers because water expands as it freezes.
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Comments:
Amy & I can testify that milk jugs break down over a few years. (Yes, we failed to rotate our water every 6 to 12 months.) When we did notice our dusty milk jugs of water in the basement, several of them had "melted" or broken down and were only partially full. Of course storing them near our heating furnace might not have helped. Since that event Amy has switched to soda bottles and a few larger size containers in our basement. The problem with "large" containers is that water is HEAVY and big containers are difficult to fill and to move. A portable pump or siphon is recommended in this case.
If you have stored water older than 1 year, don't pour it down the drain. It should be just fine for watering plants. If you need drink "old" water, boil it or add a drop or two of bleach to kill bacteria that may have multiplied.
Here are some links for more information about storing water
https://www.lds.org/family/family-well-being/home-storage/drinking-water-guidelines?lang=eng
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water.shtm
Until next month,
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