Having the tools and knowledge to drain your water heater during a survival situation can guarantee a ready source of potable water for you and your family.
Turn off the spigot when you have the water you need. A 30-gallon tank provides enough
water for a family of three for 10 days and is an excellent survival resource. If you have access to your own water heater, make it part of your “hunker- down” survival plan.
Other Sources If your water needs — or the dura-
tion of the survival event — dictate your in-house supply of water is in- adequate, you will have to look for other sources. These include, but are not limited to, collected rainwater, hot tubs, swimming pools, foun- tains, reservoirs, and natural water features like ponds, lakes, streams and rivers.
If your in-house sources of water are ex- hausted, you may need to draw water from natural sources like streams and ponds.
When considering these sources
of water, you’ll be quickly reminded that water weighs 8.3 lbs per gallon — especially if you have to transport any amount of water a significant distance. You’ll also discover the second issue of survival water sup- ply: making your water safe to drink. Water from “improvised” sources
can be tainted with a wide variety of contaminants and must be purified before you drink it. If you don’t pu- rify it, you leave yourself vulnerable to health risks that are much more serious than simple dehydration. The basic types of contaminants
you need to be concerned about in- clude parasites (such as Giardia or Cryptosporidium), bacteria,
algae,
viruses, fungi, minerals (including toxic metals such as lead, copper etc.) and man-made chemical pollut- ants. If you are drawing water from natural sources, it’s best to focus on moving water like streams and rivers, if possible. If the collected water is cloudy, murky or colored, it should be filtered through clean cloths, cheesecloth, or paper coffee filters and allowed settle. After filter- ing and allowing all dirt and other particles to settle, draw off the clean, clear water for disinfection using a clean container.
Water Purification Just because water has been fil-
Fast stream: Fast-moving streams are the best natural sources of water—if you can find them.
14
tered and allowed to settle doesn’t mean it’s safe to drink. It still must be purified. And the best way to do that is to boil it. Boiling water for at least one minute (or at altitudes above 5,000', three minutes) will kill potentially harmful microorganisms
A hot tub or swimming pool is a great source of water during a survival scenario, but making this chemical-filled water drink- able requires a special filter, like those made by Seychelle.
and is the surest way of making wa- ter safe to drink. Once boiled, pour it back and forth from one container to another and allow it to stand for a few hours, or add a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of water boiled. This will aerate the water and help improve its taste. Although boiling water is always
recommended in a survival situation, in some cases circumstances and fuel supplies may not allow it. Also, boil- ing does not eliminate chemicals and toxic metals. For these reasons, a high-quality water filter should also be part of your survival toolkit. Bear in mind, however, water filters are not all created equal. First, you should know although
the common pitcher-style water fil- ters you find at the grocery store can eliminate some chemicals and metals from your water, they are primarily designed to treat tap water that is al- ready considered safe to drink. In a serious survival situation when you’re relying on uncertain water sources, these filters aren’t good enough. The same comment applies for
the various ultraviolet water purifi- ers out on the market. These puri- fiers use light from the ultraviolet spectrum to damage the reproduc- tive capabilities of waterborne mi- crobes. Although they are conve- nient and effective in that role, they still do nothing to eliminate chemi- cals and metals that may be present in the water. Pump-style filters, like those sold
for campers and backpackers, use ceramic filters to literally filter out contaminants. Although they do a good job and are convenient, they
REALITY CHECK • 2011 SPECIAL EDITION
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