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I've been trying to think of long term sources of water. So far, we have several excellent stickies on how to purify water, but eventually these methods are going to be problematic.
For my own preparations, I have a multitude of backup plans. Using 1 gallon per person per day as my formula for calculations
1)I have several $4 plastic stackable bins. They each hold 18 gallons, and are difficult, but not impossible to move once filled with water. As things look bleak I plan on filling them. I thought about plastic trashcans, but the storage bins are better for my own practical use and are more aesthetically pleasing i.e. no complaints from my spouse. 10 x 18gallons = 180 person-gallons
2) I plan on removing the last few feet from my gutters if things go bad, and saving rainwater for watering my garden, and for flushing toilets as long as the sewers seem to be working. The gutters are riveted, and it would be simple to remove one section, and put the drain end into a barrel. I might wash clothes in rainwater, but I'm concerned about bird feces. Varies based upon the weather. I need at least two 55 gallon barrels with lids. Not yet completed.
3) I have multiple 5 gallons of bottled water. 50 person-gallons.
4) I have two 40 gallon hot water tanks. I could shut off the power and/or gas (in my case only electricity). 80 person-gallons.
5) I have purchased two first need water purifiers including pre-filters. Each filter will purify up to 135 person-gallons so 2 x 135 = 270 person-gallons. The filters could even purify lake water, since they're made to remove pathogens and many chemicals. I'm very concerned about the great difficulty of hauling water from several blocks away. I sure don't want to haul my water filter over to the lake. I may use my cooler since it has wheels and a handle and a spigot. This feels very dicey, and I'm concerned about runoff to the lake especially if people are not very careful about disposal of human waste outdoors.
Total 180+50+80+270= 580. Now divide that by the members in my family that's only 145 days if we don't waste any (which we sure will or spills will occur). Prudence dictates filling up containers as they empty once things get bad so we always have a backup supply. I have purchased excess bleach, plus I have some iodine to be doubly sure.
Things I'm thinking:
1)I've thought about simply buying more 55 gallon drums, but they're bulky and I have priced some at $100 that offer free shipping.
2) I could buy more filters. They're around $55 each.
3) I could assemble a solar still. http://www.epsea.org/stills.html Expensive to build at $350. Low output at 1 -3 gallons per day based upon outside temp and sun intensity. Has a big footprint on my deck. Noticeable by the neighborhood.
4) Long term dig a well. http://www.fdungan.com/well.htm I can imagine the great difficulties of keeping the neighbors from drinking all my well water. I can imagine way down the road organizing the neighborhood into building a series of wells. The water table would quickly drop. Problematic at best.
Any ideas? Some have mentioned that the water is right there in the water main, but if things go awry there would be no pressure. I can't imagine that simply putting in a hand pump would work.
For my own preparations, I have a multitude of backup plans. Using 1 gallon per person per day as my formula for calculations
1)I have several $4 plastic stackable bins. They each hold 18 gallons, and are difficult, but not impossible to move once filled with water. As things look bleak I plan on filling them. I thought about plastic trashcans, but the storage bins are better for my own practical use and are more aesthetically pleasing i.e. no complaints from my spouse. 10 x 18gallons = 180 person-gallons
2) I plan on removing the last few feet from my gutters if things go bad, and saving rainwater for watering my garden, and for flushing toilets as long as the sewers seem to be working. The gutters are riveted, and it would be simple to remove one section, and put the drain end into a barrel. I might wash clothes in rainwater, but I'm concerned about bird feces. Varies based upon the weather. I need at least two 55 gallon barrels with lids. Not yet completed.
3) I have multiple 5 gallons of bottled water. 50 person-gallons.
4) I have two 40 gallon hot water tanks. I could shut off the power and/or gas (in my case only electricity). 80 person-gallons.
5) I have purchased two first need water purifiers including pre-filters. Each filter will purify up to 135 person-gallons so 2 x 135 = 270 person-gallons. The filters could even purify lake water, since they're made to remove pathogens and many chemicals. I'm very concerned about the great difficulty of hauling water from several blocks away. I sure don't want to haul my water filter over to the lake. I may use my cooler since it has wheels and a handle and a spigot. This feels very dicey, and I'm concerned about runoff to the lake especially if people are not very careful about disposal of human waste outdoors.
Total 180+50+80+270= 580. Now divide that by the members in my family that's only 145 days if we don't waste any (which we sure will or spills will occur). Prudence dictates filling up containers as they empty once things get bad so we always have a backup supply. I have purchased excess bleach, plus I have some iodine to be doubly sure.
Things I'm thinking:
1)I've thought about simply buying more 55 gallon drums, but they're bulky and I have priced some at $100 that offer free shipping.
2) I could buy more filters. They're around $55 each.
3) I could assemble a solar still. http://www.epsea.org/stills.html Expensive to build at $350. Low output at 1 -3 gallons per day based upon outside temp and sun intensity. Has a big footprint on my deck. Noticeable by the neighborhood.
4) Long term dig a well. http://www.fdungan.com/well.htm I can imagine the great difficulties of keeping the neighbors from drinking all my well water. I can imagine way down the road organizing the neighborhood into building a series of wells. The water table would quickly drop. Problematic at best.
Any ideas? Some have mentioned that the water is right there in the water main, but if things go awry there would be no pressure. I can't imagine that simply putting in a hand pump would work.
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