Finding Emergency Sources of Water

Provident Principles and Practices
© David Edwards, 2008

PRINCIPLE: LDS leaders have asked us to organize ourselves and prepare "every needful thing" (D&C 109:8) so that we and our families can be ready for an emergency or a disaster (See, for example, President Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, April 2005).

PRACTICES: If you do not have access to ordinary stored water, you may still have access to emergency sources of water. While untreated natural water may contain harmful microbes, such as Giardia, you can use water from rain, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and springs that is not affected by metals, chemicals or radioactive-particle contamination if you first strain the water and then treat it effectively (as we will discuss later). You can also find “hidden sources of water” at home.

.

Hidden sources of water are described at several Web sites, including a Red Cross site linked to from http://www.providentliving.org/. These sources, discussed below, may require treatment.

.

If you learn that water or sewage lines may be broken or that something else may harm the quality of the public water supply, shut off the main water-supply valve to your house immediately so that water that is potentially contaminated will not enter into the pipes of the house.
.
Water in the hot water tank. To prepare to use water from your hot-water tank, shut off the gas or electricity to the tank. Let the water in the tank cool, so that it cannot scald you. Put pans or other containers under the drain. Turn on a hot water faucet somewhere in the house to let air into the line. Open the drain, and allow water to fill the pans or other containers. Discard any water with rust in it. Treat the rest. Do not turn gas or electricity to the tank back on while the tank is empty.

Water in pipes in a two-story house. To get water left in pipes, open a faucet on an upper floor to let air into the pipes, place containers under the lowest faucet in the house, and open that faucet.

Frozen water. You can use meltwater from ice cubes or ice stored in containers in your freezer.

Water in the toilet tank. Use uncolored water from the tank, not the bowl. Treat it before drinking it.








Water in canned fruit containers. Each canned fruit container contains water within the syrup.

.

Storing water in bathtubs and containers. If you suspect that water supply will be compromised or turned off shortly, you can collect clean water in bathtubs and containers that you can use for washing, etc.

Update: most experts do NOT recommend drinking water as is from swimming pools. Reverse osmosis with pretreatment by activated carbon to first remove chlorine may be a possible treatment option. On the other hand, clean, properly maintained swimming-pool water may be used for clothes washing, cleaning and hygiene.

Sources for last two images: www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/history/8460v.gif and www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/250r.jpg

More info: www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf and www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_91_,00.html#water

Next week, treating suspect water.