Did you know that a person can die from lack of water long before he/she dies from lack of food? Water is extremely important for survival but it’s equally important to drink clean or purified water because poor water carry diseases which can harm or kill you. Water purification plays a very important role in survival. How much water does a person need? According to the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, an adult should not only drink at least 1/2 gallon of water per day but should also store at least three days worth of water for emergency situations.
How long should you store water? According to the EPA, well sealed containers can be stored for at least one year. They recommend marking the containers with the current date and placing it in a cool, dark place. You should also replace soft plastic bottles within a year of the storage date. The EPA warns that you should never use empty bleach bottles and other containers which were not used for beverages. The reason for this is because these bottles are not food grade bottles and the plastic may decompose into the water over time, which will cause contamination.
Do you know how to purify water? It’s not as difficult as it sounds as long as you know the correct method. Purifying water becomes especially important when your stored emergency water has been destroyed in a disaster. It’s important to state that if water, clear or cloudy, has been exposed to air for a few days, then it has to be boiled for a minimum of 10 minutes. The reason for this is because boiling water kills bacteria. In order to purify water, “liquid chlorine bleach” can be used. The EPA recommends carefully checking the label and ensuring that it contains 5.25% hypochlorite, which is effective in killing bacteria. You will need to add water to the liquid chlorine bleach using an eye dropper, stir the solution and wait 30 minutes before drinking. Please see below for the correct amount of water and bleach combination.
Water: Bleach amount if water is clear: Bleach amount if water is cloudy:
1 gallon 8 drops 16 drops
5 gallons 1/2 teaspoon 1 teaspoon
Other recommended water purification methods include using a water filtration bottle, which removes up to 99.99% of pollutants and contaminants, water purification tablets, and aqua literz, which not only contains more than 3 times the amount of 1 Aqua Blox but also has a 5 year shelf life and is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
