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In Southern Nevada, water is scarce. Even if you can find it, the water supply can become polluted or disrupted, it is, therefore, a good idea to store drinking water.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) minimum recommendations is 1 gallon per person per day for 3-days. The LDS Church’s minimum commendations is 1 gallon per person per day for 14-days. Because of the desert that we live in, I highly recommend at least 14-gallons of drinking water per person.
Some basic Water Storage Guidelines (1687 downloads) , including pre-storage and pre-use treatment suggestions.
If water comes directly from a good, pretreated source, then no additional purification is needed; otherwise, pretreat water before use. Store water in sturdy, leak-proof, breakage-resistant containers. Consider using plastic bottles commonly used for juices and soft drinks.
Keep water containers away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
| Some people like to store 55-gallon drums of water. If you do so, please read Water Storage Guidelines. In my garage, I have 2-55 gallon water drums. To save space, I have used these Stackable Water Barrel Holders (2966 downloads) to make a rack to hold these water barrels. |  |
In addition, when cases of bottle water is on a good sale, my Couponing Wife will get us multiple cases of commercially bottled water. We use this to help extend our water storage. Also, if necessary to leave, cases of water are easier to move than 55-gallon water drums.
Treating/Purifying Water
If water is stored from a pre-treated municipal water supply, no treatment is need nor advised. Self stored water (like in the 55-gallon drums mentioned above) is recommended to be replaced every 6-months.
Following a disaster, more people die from water born illness than from the initial disaster. There are many ways to treat water, however, none of them are perfect. Rather, a combination of methods is your best solution.
Methods include: boiling, chlorination, distillation and filtration.
Download both AllSecure's Water Storage & Purification (693 downloads) and FEMA/American Red Cross's Food and Water in an Emergency (769 downloads) which covers these steps in great detail.
If your pre-treated, self stored or commercially stored water is covered with flood water, treat it as contaminated water.
Last Updated: 20 July 2013
