I was in Vancouver about 5 or 6 years ago and there was a major landslide into the reservoir that feeds the city its water. The water that flowed from the taps was undrinkable, brown and full of silt and debris for many days. The city issued a boil water advisory and the speed at which the stores across the city ran out of any and all drinkable liquids was astounding. The drink aisles in two grocery stores near where I was staying were stripped to bare shelving in under 2 days. When water shipments did arrive at some stores there were long lineups, pushing and shoving and even punch ups over the last cases of bottled water. Stores that did have some liquids left, mostly the mom and pop shops, were price gouging on their remaining stock. I saw small bottles of carbonated water that usually sold for $1.99 going for over $6 within a day of the advisory. The water crisis lasted less than a week but had it gone on longer it would have caused some serious problems.
That is when I realized that prepping for a water shortage at my own home was a no-brainer.
Currently, I store 100 + gallons of drinking water in food grade 10 gallon jugs at all times in my basement and rotate the stock regularly. I try not to buy water from the store. I filter city water and try and fill up a jug or two when ever I come back from up north at a spring. I have also set up 55 gallon plastic rain barrels on all 4 of my downspouts that I use for watering plants and the garden and that water can be used for drinking in an emergency. My next project is to make an elbow of sorts that will attach to the corner downspout right outside my upstairs bathroom window. I will run the pipe in the window and into the bathtub and use the collected rainwater to wash and flush toilets in an emergency. I also have a couple solar showers that I picked up for pretty cheap at the local sporting goods shop to take showers with if needed. Absolute last resort, worst case scenario would be drinking the water from the hot water tank. There is at least a weeks supply of drinking water in there for two adults. The only thing is it tastes awful. I tried some when I replaced my water heater last year. Would definitely filter it if I had to drink it again. My retreat is on a spring fed lake and there is a stream near by so I'm not very concerned about being short of water there. Only in the city.
What kind of water preps are you making at your home? Especially the city dwellers that might not have the luxury of a lake, stream or well.
There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life - Frank Zappa
I hate to admit it, but almost no water preps.
I keep looking at this filters and wondering if I can afford / if I should buy
http://www.wwdmag.com/dow-ultrafiltration-modules-now-alternative-filtration-technology
If you can afford it I recommend a Big Berkey ($350) or even a Berkey Light ($100) for the home and then Sawyer water filtration bottles ($50) for in the bug out bag and on the go.
At least a few extra filters is a must.
There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life - Frank Zappa
I live on an acreage just outside the city, I have a 2500 gallon cistern in the basement and 2x 3000 tanks buried in the back yard that collects rainwater off of the house. I also buy bottled water when it goes on sale. I have 100 or 200 liters stacked in cases, and I regularly use them and circulate them for camping and hunting trips.
If supplies or utilities are cut, you may not need a first aid kit in the first week, you can do with out food for a week and not die, but you cannot go without water for a week. Fifty bucks worth of bottled water stacks easy just about anywhere, is portable, and it will keep you alive.
I live in a one bedroom condo in the city, and I have 38 gallons of water, 30 gallons in ocean spray gallon jugs and 8 gallons in 2 litre pop bottles. Am just about ready to wash and fill another ocean spray bottle.
I know some preppers say not to use juice bottles, but I think it's better to use what you can than to do without at all. I am not as fastidious as other people about rotating, I planned to filter, and boil or purify the water before using anyways. Some of its been stored for several years and looks like ordinary water. I've always kept it in the dark. I guess I will probably rotate this spring after my daughter moves out, and I have space and time to do my own thing. I won't just pour it down the drain, I'll take it outside and water something with it.
I live in a one bedroom condo in the city, and I have 38 gallons of water, 30 gallons in ocean spray gallon jugs and 8 gallons in 2 litre pop bottles. Am just about ready to wash and fill another ocean spray bottle.
I know some preppers say not to use juice bottles, but I think it's better to use what you can than to do without at all. I am not as fastidious as other people about rotating, I planned to filter, and boil or purify the water before using anyways. Some of its been stored for several years and looks like ordinary water. I've always kept it in the dark. I guess I will probably rotate this spring after my daughter moves out, and I have space and time to do my own thing. I won't just pour it down the drain, I'll take it outside and water something with it.
About 8 drops of unscented chlorine bleach per gallon can do a lot to purify clear water for storage in a pinch. And a drop or two mixed with water as a rinse will clean most containers. Rinse well.
There is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life - Frank Zappa
Much like vanislemom, I have multi jugs of water stored, in closets, behind the couch, back of cupboards... everywhere! I have 5 more jugs lined up on the floor waiting to be filled. I have used everything from juice jugs, pop bottles, a couple store-bought 10 litre jugs to the dreaded and much maligned milk jugs. So far so good. Not a leak to date. They are washed out and rinsed thoroughly, filled up, a few drops of bleach, let it set, capped and put away. I rotate them about every 4 months and have several filter methods good to go. Desalinating water became an obsession of mine a while back, we have the ocean surrounding us here... catch two birds with one net, supply of salt and water! There are lakes and creeks, rivers in the region but not close enough to be a true source for us.