Water Storage

Few things are more crucial to life than water. People begin to feel the effects of not having enough water long before a lack of food.  Water storage is important for times when water systems are disrupted or polluted. The rule of thumb is to store 1 gallon per person, per day. One gallon is enough for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. Church and Government guidelines suggest storing 2 weeks of water per person.

There are a few ways to approach water storage, and you may decide to focus on one storage method, or use a combination of systems.

1. Use your tap water.  Water from a safe, pretreated source may be stored in appropriate containers. Store water in clean plastic food containers, such as juice or soda bottles. Do not use milk cartons as they will break down over time and leak. If your water source is not pure, or is questionable, add 1/8 teaspoon bleach per gallon of water.Be sure to use household  bleach that is not scented, thickened, or which has other additives.

2. Purchase bottled water and store away from heat and light. Don't forget to rotate.

3. Use one of the ceramic filtered water bottles available on the market.  This method makes it possible to  have clean water without storing large quantities of water. An added benefit is that they are great for hiking and camping.  Make sure to get the type that filters contaminated water, and not just makes tap water taste better. The church sells the filtered bottle pictured on its website. You can purchase it here.  This bottle will filter 99.99% of pollutants and contaminants. This particular bottle holds about 28 oz, and you can produce 100 gallons of clean, safe, drinkable water for the $22 cost of the bottle.

For additional water storage information go to this earlier post, or read the Church's information found here.