Prepare: Getting Started Part Five Water

A continuing series for the new prepper. How to get started with preparing for an uncertain future.

Water. Drinking, cooking and cleaning. Without it we die. Water is easy to store but difficult at the same time. Stored water takes up room. What can you do.

Stage One - Store a gallon per person per day. A family of five needs five gallons of water. You can purchase cases of water, but that gets expensive fast. There is plenty of tap water coming into the home now. So get some containers and fill them up. To keep it fresh, add a cap of bleach.

Stage Two - What happens when the stored water is gone? Get more. You can setup a rain water catchment system or bring water from a nearby creek, river or stream. In both cases, the water will have to be sterilized before it can be taken. That can be done with filters, boiling or bleach. You can also use a plastic bottle and sunlight if you are really in trouble.

Stage Three - Get a permanent source of water: a well. If you live rural, you may already have a well. If it is not too deep, you can use manual power (a hand pump) to bring it to the surface. If it is far down, you will need a powered pump. The same goes for the suburban dweller only digging a well is most likely illegal where you live. Some communities allow home owners to have their own agricultural well. Check the water quality before drinking any though! Many urban and suburban water sources may be contaminated.

Get water storage containers, put aside one gallon per person per day, find a way to get more water, a way to sterilize it and a renewable source.

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. Don't let that happen to you.