It’s day two of no water for us today. We live in an older home in a townhouse complex. At the moment, they’re fixing up our aging water pipes, and they decided to do this by turning off the water to all 62 homes in our complex. Hopefully, this will prevent us from having trouble with burst pipes once the water goes back on.
It’s also a day of a lot of muddy water for Florida residents, since Tropical Storm Debby has been moving wind and rain in at a rapid pace over the last few days. When there’s a lot of water falling from the sky, it can impact the water supply, making it muddy and contaminated.
Clean water is so important. Many people in the world live without it. Many of us have no idea what would happen to us if we did not have clean water, even for a few days.
I live in a rainforest. This means that it rains – a lot. More than a lot. The near-constant rain is enough to drive us mad sometimes. However, even here we have a summer drought, and even here, if the water turns off, we have a few problems. Having no running water has prompted me to think about what would happen here in a severe drought, an emergency, or a water advisory. It’s made me consider our backup water sources.
Do you have a backup water source? Why would you need backup water? You’d need a backup source if there is an emergency that cuts off the water supply, if there is a situation that makes your water supply dirty, and if there is a drought situation, whether it’s made by nature or by a renovation, like ours.
What’s a logical backup water source? If you’re in a rural area, a holding pond or irrigation system can help water your plants and your animals. If you’re rural or urban, a rain barrel or water tank will help you keep yourself clean, with washed dishes and perhaps a little water left over for washing clothes. Take a day to measure what you use, then think about how this translates into the size of your water tank. Some tanks can even be buried in the ground so that you have ample water around. If you’re in a very drought-prone area, this is a good idea.
Large, reusable pails are an essential way to ferry water into and out of the house. Keep some on hand for moving water, washing hands, washing dishes and clothes, and flushing the toilet.
You also need a temporary water supply that’s dedicated to drinking. You can do this by placing reusable jars in your fridge for drinking and keeping them stocked up. You can also create a more permanent emergency kit with water supplies and water purification tablets so that you have a longer-term storage area for drinking water.
Do you have a water emergency plan?