When any type of emergency strikes, having an adequate supply of clean water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene needs to be a top priority. Although it may seem unlikely you will ever have a need for an emergency water supply, you never know when an earthquake, tornado, flood, blizzard, or other disaster will knock out your power supply and leave you without any way to access food or water for days or even weeks. Keeping an emergency water supply on hand would then be a crucial part of your survival.
When preparing for an emergency, you will need to plan for a gallon of water per person per day. Keep enough on hand for at least three days. In fact, the optimum amount to keep in storage, per FEMA guidelines, would be a 2-week supply. That would mean that a family of 4 should keep 52 gallons of water in storage, plus extras for pets. It is also recommended that this water be replaced every 6 months. The cost and the storage of this much water may well be prohibitive to many people. Therefore, try to keep at least 3 days worth of water in a cool, dark place.
During an emergency, if water supplies should run low, never ration water. We all need 8 cups of water a day for optimum health. Continue drinking plenty of water. It could well be that by the time your supply runs out the power and water will have been restored. If not, you can always worry about locating more water when the time comes. You can minimize the amount you need, however, by limiting activity and staying cool.
It is recommended that the water being stored be commercially-bottled water. Make sure that it is still in its original, sealed container. Water that has been opened or empty milk jugs filled with tap water aren't the best choices when it comes to an emergency water supply. Storing water in a container that once held milk or fruit juice isn't recommended. Milk protein and fruit sugars can never be completely washed from these containers, and if they are used to store water, these containers will become the perfect environment for bacteria growth.
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