With so many natural disasters happening lately, we have been looking for ways to not only live more comfortably but also survive situations.
In our recent articles, we covered the “rule of threes” and the need for adequate heating and fuel. Then, we talked about special needs and entertainment. Today’s article will be about water.
As it stated in the article The Rules of Three, we learned that we can only live three days without water therefore having an adequate supply of water is important to our survival as well as the survival of any pets, livestock, and even gardens that we support.
Drinking Water Supply
When I was in the military, we were told we needed a gallon of drinking water every day. We drank a gallon of water because we learned that ensuring that we drank enough water meant that we could better deal with whatever stresses came our way. Since
We can go three days without water, but why would we? Why don’t we just plan to store 3 weeks’ worth of water so that we have all the water to cover that length of time. Between drinking water, personal washing, dishwashing, housecleaning, and toilet flushing, we need about 2-3 gallons of water per day. However, not all of it needs to be drinkable.
There are different ways of having enough water on hand to last for 3 weeks. You could store 20-ounce bottles for drinking. This means that you will need almost six and a half bottles of water per day per person. You’ll need 136.5 bottles of water per person for three weeks. Two people live in my house so we would need twice that or 273 bottles of water or twelve cases for two people! That’s for drinking and cooking alone!
We need about 1 gallon of drinking water per day. That means we need 21 gallons of water per day per person and having 21 gallons of drinking water would cover your water. The rest of the water doesn’t need to be fit to drink.
Water for Pets and Livestock
Don’t forget to have an adequate water supply for your pets and livestock. Depending on the size of your dogs or cats, have one gallon available per animal per day. Chickens require a minimum of a pint of water per chicken per day. Pigs need a half gallon per animal per day. Goats and sheep require a gallon of water daily, but a milking doe requires 2 gallons daily. Cows require ten gallons and depending on their size, horses require five to fifteen gallons per day.
Water for Personal Care and Cleaning
For drinking and cooking, you should have, at least, a gallon of water per person. For personal care and cleaning supplies, add another gallon of water per person if enough water is available.
Waterborne diseases cause more deaths throughout the world than any other issue. It is important to maintain good hygiene and a clean environment. When water is limited, make sure to practice good hygiene. Set up a handwashing station and build a safe latrine. Drying dishes on dish-drying racks is cleaner than drying with towels.
Water used for hygiene and cleaning doesn’t have to be as pure as drinking water, but boiling it before using is ideal practice. Pathogens can enter through the skin. making sure your water is safe will prevent life-threatening illnesses. Always make sure your water is safe before using it. Water for hygiene and cleaning can be obtained from melted snow, and stored rainwater. If we know that a potential power outage is imminent, we should fill every available container with water. Filling a water bladder in the bathtub can supply water for up to three weeks.
Knowing if the water is safe will be the topic of our next post.
For more information on how you can be better prepared for the adversities of life, check out these books! All are available on Amazon.
Gourmet Weeds
Simply Vegetable Gardening
The Survival Garden
The Four Seasons Vegetable Garden
Help From Kelp
Using Diatomaceous Earth Around the House and Yard
The Perpetual Homesteader 