Week 2: H2O

Okay--what is the most important thing to have in case of an emergency--WATER!

Why? Our bodies need water, and many of our dehydrated food supplies need water too! So, we need water.

I've read that we need to have anywhere from 1 to 2 gallons per person per day and that we should have a minimum of a 2 week supply of water.

Well--that's a LOT of water. That's 140 gallons of water for 2 weeks for my family.

So here's the question--where do I put that much water--is there any other way?

Here's what I'm doing and how I'm doing it:

1) I buy water bottles almost anytime I go to the store. I put some in the fridge for current consumption--but I hide the other ones throughout the house in places that I won't go to get a drink. (Cause I'd prefer water bottles to tap water--and I don't want to drink my entire supply). I try to store them in rooms w/ tile--so that if they leak--they won't damage my carpet or my wood floors.

2) I am on a well--and I have a generator that can run the well--but that only works until my gas supply runs out. I've thought about purchasing a hand pump to connect to my well in a time of need--but that has to be on my "Wish List"

3) I would also like to get my hands on a water purifier--one that doesn't use electricity. Someone suggested to me that the Aqua Rain is a good filtering system--but it is expensive--so again, it's on my "Wish List"
I haven't bought the aqua rain--but here's an internet site that tells you all about it. http://www.internet-grocer.net/aqua.htm

4) Here's the idea that I like the best for my current situation: (1) get a chlorine substance that can purify water. One, it's pretty cheap and two, it doesn't take up nearly as much space. I used to store Bleach (for this very purpose), but you can read the article that I've attached to the blog--and bleach only has a shelf life of 6 months. That might not be a big deal if you are trying to clean your whites, but if you are trying to kill the germs in your water--that sounds like a big deal to me. I've read the chlorine doesn't really have a shelf life--as long as you keep it dry.

My mom's neighbor owns a Pinch-a-Penny and we are going to check with her to see if they sell something that has the same chemical make up as the article suggests. If not, I'll check out Walmart and Lowes to see if they sell something that matches.

I have printed out the directions on how to mix chlorine with water, and included a hard copy in my emergency folder--so that I know what to do in case of an emergency. (I would hate to kill the germs, but poison myself at the same time!). If I find a good supply of the stuff--I'll post it in the comments to this post.