WATER COLLECTION, PRESERVATION, FILTRATION, PURIFICATION, STORAGE
Without good, pure water - we’re toast. This blog will examine all things water. Be sure to check out the Zoom video link and slideshow in Life Long Learning! Also, PLEASE LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH SOUP MAMA REGARDING EAST PALESTINE, OH in the Life Long Learning tab. This is a HUGE preparation issue. (Video will be posted soon)
WATER COLLECTION:
Where do we get extra water in an emergency?
Remember to use collected water BEFORE dipping into your stored water if at all possible. Save that stored water for drinking and cooking.
If local water sources have been contaminated, as quickly as possible, fill the bathtub, turn off the water coming into your house, use collected water to flush the toilet by emptying a bucket in the bowl. Water from the hot water heater and the back of the toilet bowl and in the bathtub can then be used as sources for bathing, cleaning, watering gardens. You may want to invest in a “Water Bob” liner for your bathtub so you don’t waste precious water cleaning that space. (Pictures coming)
Where can you obtain collected water?
Dig a hole in the dirt and line with clear plastic. It will collect moisture overnight. (Picture coming)
Learn where local springs, ponds and streams on public property are located. If the ground water hasn’t been contaminated, you can refill your containers. Be sure to boil AND purify before you drink (more Blogs on that coming!)
Who do you know who has a well? If it hasn’t been contaminated, ask if you may refill your containers.
Put a tarp over a structure or even a picnic table. Direct the rain water into a CLEAN tote!
Invest in a soft or hard-sided water barrel under a roof down spout. Remember that the water is filtering down from asphalt… (pictures coming)
If the rainwater is contaminated by chemicals, it will have to be purified before use.
WATER PRESERVATION: Making Your Water Go As Far As It Can Go - Extending Use
WASHING DISHES??
Take a page out of the Desert Dwellers Handbook (those who chose to live in areas with little rain): Use a bio-degradable soap to wash your dishes. No need to fill up the dishpan! A small amount of water will do. Use a separate dishpan to rinse the dishes. If you want to be sure they are disinfected, use another pan to dip and disinfect with bleach or a similar product. If the wash water is really dirty, but free of meat and food scraps, don’t pour that water down the drain! Take it outside to water your garden plants. (pictures coming)
The rinse water now becomes your soapy water and you only have to fill the rinse water pan for the next load. If you are camping, you can hang the dishes out to dry in a lingerie netting bag or save a few orange bags and string a shoelace through it to hang up. (pictures coming)
WASHING CLOTHES??
Get a clean 10-gallon bucket with lid. Cut a hole in the lid (big enough for a wooden handle). Pour in just enough water to agitate the soap throughout a few pieces of clothing using a CLEAN and UNUSED plunger or obtain a commercially produced hand crank washer. (PIctures coming)
BRUSHING YOUR TEETH?
Instead of running water from the tap, pour a half cup of water into a glass. Wet the brush, add toothpaste, scrub away. Then spit in the sink, rinse your mouth, rinse the brush and pour the rest away. If you are in the woods, be sure to do this away from the main camping area or any water source.
WASHING YOUR HANDS?
Fill a container with a spigot full of collected water. Lay it on a flat surface. Tie a knee-hi stocking with a bar of soap in it to the handle or just use a soft soap container. In a pinch, you can use an empty “Clorox” type bottle. (Pictures coming)
DESPERATE FOR A SHOWER??
Invest in a black, hanging shower container with a hose and on / off spigot. Keep the black container in the sun as it will heat up quicker. If you are in the woods, be sure to have a shower curtain and some stiff wire to create a make-shift shower. You will also need some rope to hang it from a tree branch. (picture coming)