Water Storage & Purification
Mains water fails more often than you'd think, burst pipes, contamination events, and floods all knock it out. Storing water and knowing how to purify it is the single most impactful prep you can do. You can survive 3 weeks without food but only 3 days without water.
Covers containers, treatment, rotation, and backup sources.
Store 2L per person per day. For a household of 2 for 2 weeks, that's 56L. Four 15L food-grade jerry cans covers it.
Tap water stored in clean, food-grade containers lasts 6 months before it needs rotating. Add 2 drops of unscented bleach per litre for longer storage.
A Sawyer Squeeze filter (see Bushcraft module) works for purifying any freshwater source, same kit, dual purpose.
Fill your bathtub if you get warning of a water disruption, it holds ~150L of usable water for washing and flushing.
Buy food-grade water containers: 4x 15L jerry cans or a 25L water barrel
Fill with tap water. Add 2 drops unscented bleach per litre for extended storage
Label with the fill date. Rotate every 6 months (use it for watering plants, refill with fresh)
Store in a cool, dark place away from chemicals and direct sunlight
PURIFICATION METHODS: Boiling (1 minute rolling boil kills everything)
Filtration: Sawyer Squeeze or LifeStraw removes bacteria and protozoa
Chemical: Chlorine dioxide tablets (Aquamira, Oasis), follow packet instructions
Keep at least two purification methods available, redundancy is the principle of prepping
Know your nearest natural water sources: rivers, streams, ponds. Mark them on a local map
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