[FlimFlam]

Now this is not an emergency by any means, but it shows me why we need to be prepared for the unexpected at all times. I live in the city right now, use public water, and a large main broke about four blocks from here causing myself and all my neighbors to be completely without water. No big deal, they'll have it repaired and back on by sun up.

But something I take for granted is now gone. No back up water supply other than a five gallon jug half full for making coffee and tea. I don't drink this crap out of the faucet, but I do use it for washing, bathing, etc...etc...

Makes me wonder what would happen if the water was off for good? Bottled water in all the stores in town would disappear from the shelves within minutes and there wouldn't be anymore.

If you live out in the country and have a well, its only good for as long as the grid is up unless you're one of the smart ones that have prepared with an auxiliary hand pump for such an emergency.

Like I said, this is not an emergency, water will be back on, life goes on and this is only a wake-up call for me. You can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow I will have a better system in place for back-up.

 

[sgl42]

A year or two ago, when a hurricane was supposed to come thru Houston and then head toward Austin, TX, I went to the local grocery, and I still remember the shock of turning the corner and seeing the entire 15' long x 6' high bread shelf entirely barren! Hordes of Houstonians were in the parking lot with ice chests and picnic baskets and cleaning out *my* store! ;-)

Fortunately, it did not head our way afterall. I wasn't very well prepared then. This among other signs has started me on a prepping binge. Just ordered a Big Berkey water filter this week. Have three 5-gal water jugs i recently bought. (I have about 6 gals in 1/2-gal juice bottles, but those aren't the most convenient, so bought the large jugs.)

It is amazing how fragile our infrastructure is in some cases. And amazing how many people are ill-prepared.

--sgl

 

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

I store rainwater as my backup and main supply. Currently I have about 26,000 gallons stored. If a hurricane were coming I would only be getting more in the tanks (assuming there was room in them). Right now I'm down about 2000 gallons.

 

[strider3700]

It took a 36 hour power outage in the middle of a snowstorm when I had just moved into my new all electric house to realize that I had issues.

It got cold quick
The water pump didn't work when the power was gone so those 3500 gallons of stored water was useless.
I didn't have much food
I couldn't cook most of the food I had
I couldn't get out to get food elsewhere
Candles suck for anything other then mood lighting

anyways jump ahead two years and things are far better off. Not saying my preps where easy/inexpensive to do but I no longer suffer under any of those issues until I run out of food in 3+ months time.

 

[texican]

If you ever get in a crunch, you can use the water in your hot water heater... I'd advise not using that water for anything but drinking.... flushing and bathing would use that water up in a day... for drinking purposes, you might get 30 to 40 person/days worth, depending on the size of the hw heater.

Of course, in town, the electricity might go off also, in a crunch. In Rita, all of our utilities stayed on, but the hordes emptied all stores of everything.

As long as the laws of gravity are valid, I'll have water. ~20 to 30 million gallon reservoir, 40' higher than my house... not much water pressure, but almost unlimited volume.

 

[Guest]

Oi, that is my WORST nightmare. For some reason I'm always thirsty & I drink a lot of water every day. I would go NUTS without it!

I live in the middle of a city as well & have no way of truly storing water. But! Recently I bought about 28 litre bottles of water. Totally not enough for long term but at least it would get us through stuff like what you are describing.

My husband is STILL laughing about it, though. He thinks my hoarding is cute, but funny at the same time. I told him I'LL be the one laughing if we ever need it, lol.

 

[Spinner]

I've always stored water cause our electric is undependable and goes out often. I just walked thru the house and see that I only have 11 cases of water on hand right now. I knew I was getting low, but I didn't realize how low until I counted. For drinking only that amount of water would last me alone for about 3 months, but when used for cooking, tea, koolaid, and 4 other people, it would not last very long at all. The good news is that I do have a hand pump that can be put on the well. I keep it in reserve b/c we'll have to remove the electric pump to install it.

 

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

"The water pump didn't work when the power was gone so those 3500 gallons of stored water was useless."

Do you mean you seriously didn't plumb in a hose bib to allow you to get the water out by gravity??

 

[cseger1]

If you ever get in a crunch, you can use the water in your hot water heater...

A great reason to periodically flush the water heater. They build up a tremendous amount of guuk over the years.

 

[BillHoo]

Anyone know how potable the water is from a dehumidifyer?

Seems like I have that thing running in my basement and I have to empty it out every morning. The reservior holds about 2 gallons.

Technically it should be pretty clean. I don't know if the condensor coils might add any nasty carcinogens or metal oxides and stuff.

 

[Cyngbaeld]

A few years ago I was living in a mobile home park and my neighbor's water pipe burst in the cold. She came over to get some water, didn't have anything but a pitcher to get it in. I hauled several 1 gallon jugs of water out from under the sink to give her (and refilled them for her as needed). Told her to be sure and return the containers when her water was back on. She actually looked me in the eye and asked "why do you keep jugs of water under the sink?" Of course, the NEXT time her pipes froze, she was right back over, wanting to borrow my jugs.

 

[Wilkie]

Almost everyone grossly underestimates the amount of water they need even just to "get by" for a couple of days.

 

[texican]

Anyone know how potable the water is from a dehumidifyer?

If you go a couple days without any water or other fluids, you won't worry about whether it's potable, you'll drink it. It may not taste great, but it will be filling.

I've been desperately thirsty twice. Once in the Grand Canyon (was a park ranger at the time) when a spring that was flowing the week before, wasn't flowing when I needed it.... and had to hike a day without fluids to get to the next spring. Second time was in NW Alaska, on a massive lava flow... was surveying a possible route through the flow, and didn't realize that it would be over 100 degrees on the black rock... finally found an ice cave deep in a crevasse... In both cases, I couldn't wait for filtering, I drank to keep from dying... and worried about the nasty consequences later.

 

[strider3700]

"The water pump didn't work when the power was gone so those 3500 gallons of stored water was useless."

Do you mean you seriously didn't plumb in a hose bib to allow you to get the water out by gravity??

I was new to the house and didn't install the original system. Here's how it was

spring 150 feet up the hill down to 300 gallon tank that was in parallel with 3500 gallon tank and constantly circulating the 300 gallon. then to the pressure pump through the charcoal filter and into the house. No outside taps on the system until the house. The 3500 mostly just sat because of the parallel plumbing.

Since then I've replumbed. spring to manifold. From there it can go into the 3500 then to the 300 which is circulated then pressure pump then charcoal then to house or it can go directly to the house. At the same time it also goes directly to 2 outside taps.

No more water issues for me now. When the power goes out I go out and flip two valves and we have water pressure again.

I recomend everyone do practice emergency weekends to find these little issues before hand. Am afternoon and $50 in parts totally corrected a horribly stupid problem that I had no idea I had until that cold power outage.

 

[Guest]

Bump.

.....Alan.

 

[edcopp]

I know everybody (almost) hates Wal-Mart but, I bought distilled water for 64 cents a gallon just the other day. It comes 6 in a case ( a sturdy box). Seems like a couple of cases of this water could be slid under the bed just in case of a short term emergency.

 

[Henry]

We have a deep well but luckily the static level is 0. So I installed a hand pump and a submersible. Someone will have to do the pumping duty in the basement when we run out of fuel for the gen but at least we will always have water. I have a pile of supplies to extend and improve the hand pump system if we convert full time.

 

[Trixters_muse]

When I started prepping last year, water was the first thing I started with. I began with filling containers to be used for washing and cleaning up, then bought water for consuming.

I probably don't have as much as I need, but a few months ago our local water was contaminated by e-coli and everyone was told to boil their water or purchase it for about three days. I was feeling pretty good about having a supply ready, it happened at a time when I didn't have extra cash to go out and buy water and I was a little uncomfortable about trusting boiled, e-coli tainted water for my kids.

About a month after that, a water main broke and we had no water at all for two days and again it was no problem for me, just cracked open the supply and replaced it later.

 

[baldylocks]

I store rainwater as my backup and main supply. Currently I have about 26,000 gallons stored. If a hurricane were coming I would only be getting more in the tanks (assuming there was room in them). Right now I'm down about 2000 gallons.

I have often wondered abou this...wouldn't you also (possibly) get sewage, salt water, whatever in your tanks in a hurricane?

 

[WayneR]

BillHoo,

The dehumidifier water should be safe IF you clean the unit thoroughly first.

Mold and mildew can grow on the lint and dust that accumulates on the evaporator coil.