Emergency Water Sources Hidden In Your Home

Tess Pennington
Ready Nutrition
August 2011

Water is the most important preparedness item for your body’s survival. When water is unavailable, we must tap into other sources for emergency use. According to FEMA, there are sources in the home that you can access for emergency water.

Learning ways to get to these water sources would be a proactive approach to accessing hidden water. If there is any doubt that the water you are about to consume may be compromised, it’s better to be on the safeside and treat it through one of the three water treatment methods: chemically, through distillation or through a boiling method. To learn more about ways to treat water, click here.

Safe Sources

Melted ice cubes
Water drained from the water heater (if the water heater has not been damaged)
Liquids from canned goods such as fruit or vegetable juices
Water drained from pipes
To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the faucet in your home at the highest level. A small amount of water will trickle out. Then obtain water from the lowest faucet in the home.
To use the water in your hot-water tank, be sure the electricity or gas is off, and open the drain at the bottom of the tank. Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake valve at the tank and turning on the hot water faucet. Refill the tank before turning the gas or electricity back on. If the gas is turned off, a professional will be needed to turn it back on.

Unsafe Sources

Radiators
Hot water boilers (home heating system)
Water beds (fungicides added to the water or chemicals in the vinyl may make water unsafe to use)
Water from the toilet bowl or flush tank
Swimming pools and spas (chemicals used to kill germs are too concentrated for safe drinking but can be used for personal hygiene, cleaning, and related uses)

Water is one of the most important items to have stored. We use water for everything: hydrating our bodies, cleaning our bodies, brushing our teeth, for cooking, cleaning the dishes, and cleaning wounds. Ensure that you have enough for these purposes.

Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper's Cookbook: 300 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals. When a catastrophic collapse cripples society, grocery store shelves will empty within days. But if you follow this book's plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply, your family will have plenty to eat for weeks, months or even years. Visit her web site at ReadyNutrition.com.

This information has been made available by Ready Nutrition

Author: Tess Pennington
Author's Web Site: http://www.readynutrition.com
Made Available By: Ready Nutrition
Date: August 24th, 2011

Related Categories: Potable Water, Preparedness