PROJECTS: Amateur Scientist
Get
Barreled
Emergency water storage is an easy
project, from 2 liters to 55 gallons
Written and photographed by Forrest M. Mims III
Most of us have experienced power outages.
While brief interruptions are unpleasant, lengthy
outages that can occur after severe weather,
forest fires, and earthquakes can cause loss of
food stored in refrigerators and freezers unless a
backup generator is available.
While water outages are less common than
power outages, drinkable water becomes much
more important than food after a few days. That’s
because a healthy person can survive for a week
or more without food but only a few days without
water.
The Red Cross and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) both recommend
that households store at least a three-day supply
of drinking water, one gallon per person per day.
While that’s not enough for bathing or flushing,
a gallon is enough for drinking, limited food
preparation, and teeth brushing.
Storing drinking water for emergency use
requires food-quality containers. These can be
purchased — 5-gallon water jugs are common —
or drink containers can be cleaned and reused,
such as 2-liter soda bottles. Don’t use milk or
juice jugs; they can harbor bacteria.
While people can store water in their bathtubs
when an emergency occurs, it may not be safe to
drink. A good alternative is to purchase a bathtub
water bag that fits in a tub and can be easily
filled. When sealed, the water in the bag will be
drinkable. A WaterBOB bathtub bag will hold up
to 100 gallons, which is enough for a family of five
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