I ran across this and thought about the last time I changed my water in preperation for a trip. Most does not apply to an SMB but it's still valuable info. I didn't see much on Reverse osmosis though. I think the main concern is how long can you store water in a SMB tank. The water bottle issue is also interesting. I don't drink my water out of the vans potable water tank and use bottled water as a rule for drinking.
SAFE DRINKING WATER
WATER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM TO STORE
Loss of safe drinking water can be deadly. Most people, with few exceptions, will be feeling
the effects if they go without water for more than 36 hours, some as short as 24 hours. Dehydration
occurs much quicker than starvation. Our bodies can tolerate the loss of food much better. With an
ample water supply, starvation is delayed many days, even weeks.
The city water supply is vulnerable to the effects of a large earthquake and many other natural
and man made disasters. Contaminants can get into the drinking water supply through ruptures in
the pipe, through the mixing up of sediments, through the adulteration of filtering systems, etc. We
take our water systems for granted. That will be dangerous after a big disaster.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I STORE?
A good rule of thumb is: 5 GALLONS PER PERSON (MINIMUM) per 3 days.
Note: Treat your pet as a family member when thinking about how much to store.
WATER SOURCES:
? Bottled water from the store 1 and 2 gallon sealed containers (NOTE: The 1 and 2 - gallon
containers your purchase in your local store is not designed for long-term storage and will begin to
leak /fail and start to leech chemicals after 6 months.)
? 1 - and 5 - gallon sealed containers from camping or survival stores. Be sure to sanitize container
and treat the water that your are storing, or even better store distilled water.
? 20oz. to 1 liter Designer Water containers are usually marked with an expiration date, but are
generally good for about 2 years.
? 5 gallon Water bottles from private waters companies Water companies claim their water and
containers are good for up to five years, if still factory sealed & correctly stored in a cool dark location.
DO NOT STORE ANY PLASTIC WATER CONTAINER DIRECTLY ON CONCRETE.
The concrete will leech chemicals into the water, contaminating it and also degrading the plastic
bottle, causing failure.
PURIFYING YOUR TAP WATER
Store all plastic water containers on a wooden pallet or shelf. Keep water containers in a location
where container failure will not destroy other supplies. Keep all water and supplies in a cool dark
place.
Any water that you bottle yourself, needs to be treated. If left untreated overtime, it becomes
contaminated with bacteria and algae.
8 drops of pure unscented liquid bleach per gallon of water will reduce contaminates in the
water.
Add the bleach when you first store the water away.
NOTE: Rotate your water every six months (This includes the 1 - and 2 - gallon sealed bottles
purchased at the store, and the supply bottled from tap water with bleach added.
Another source of water is the hot water heater. Every water heater has a drain valve near the
bottom.
GETTING THE WATER OUT OF YOUR WATER HEATER:
1. Use extreme caution. Let the water cool.
2. Turn off the cold water supply to the tank.
3. Open the drain valve at the bottom. REMEMBER: Some sediment at the bottom of the tank
may at first make water flowing out look murky. Continue to drain water until it becomes clear.
OTHER SOURCES OF WATER IN YOUR HOME:
Toilet water storage tank. NOTE: use the water from the storage tank NOT THE BOWL
(Dont drink the water if you use coloring or chemicals in it).
Melted Ice cubs are a source of water.
WaterPacked can goods (even syrups are mostly water).
Water trapped in home piping. Water can be removed by locating and shutting off the main
water valve. Then, open the valve at the highest point of your property (i.e., Shower head,
especially on the highest floor). When you open the valve at the lowest point, gravity will
force the water from the pipes.
IF THE PURITY OF YOUR WATER SOURCE IS QUESTIONABLE, USE THE FOLLOWING
METHODS TO MAKE THE WATER SAFER TO DRINK:
BEST! Add liquid chlorine bleach to the water (8drops per gallon of water. Double this dose if
the water is cloudy.)
OR
GOOD! Add 2% Tincture of iodine to the water (12 drops per gallon of water. Double this dose
if the water is cloudy.)
OR
ACCEPTABLE! Boil the water vigorously (5 minutes at sea level, adding an extra minute for
every 1000 feet above sea level. Double this time if the water is cloudy.)
AND
Dont forget to clean and sanitize your food and water containers before using them. Wash
with soap and hot water then fill with a 10% BLEACH SOULATION. After 5 minutes empty the
bleach solution and let air dry.
AND
Water that is dirty should first be strained through a coffee filter, cheesecloth, or 4 paper towels
to remove suspended matter.
http://www.avertdisasters.org/avert/dat ... _Water.pdf
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