The 6 Most Common Mistakes When Building An Emergency Water Supply

If you get stranded on a desert island what are the first things you think about finding?

Food …

Shelter …

and most importantly Water to drink.

Having no drinking water will kill you faster than no food or shelter.

An emergency, like a natural disaster, that happens near your home is no different than being stranded on a desert island. Being able to get drinking water may not be as easy as turning on the tap in your kitchen anymore.

You need to have an emergency supply of water on hand.

Here are the 6 most common mistakes in building an emergency water supply:

1 – Using containers that are too large

2 – Not using containers made of durable, unbreakable materials

3 – Not using containers that seal and have a tightly closed lid.

4 – Not replacing the water you are storing on a regular basis

5 - Not storing the water in a good spot

6 - Not removing water from containers the right way

Using containers that are too large. While keeping a 55-gallon drum of drinking water isn’t bad it is almost impossible to move.

In some emergencies, you won’t be able to stay in your home and you would have to take your water with you. If you managed to move your 55-gallon drum of water, unless you have a pump there is no way to get it out without almost all of it coming out.

We recommend using 1-to-5-gallon storage containers and keeping a good amount of water bottles on hand as well.

Not using storage containers made of durable, unbreakable materials. Just, don’t use glass, ok? Just don’t, it will break, and you will lose your water.

We recommend using plastic, food-grade water storage containers, which do not transfer toxic substances into the water they are holding.

Not using containers that seal and have a tightly closed lid. The thing about drinking water is that you will want to drink it at some point.

If the water has been open to the elements, even if it is still inside your home, you won’t want to drink it after it’s been sitting for several months, or years.

We recommend finding a container that can be sealed and has a narrow neck or opening so water can be poured out.

Not replacing the water you are storing on a regular basis. Pay attention to the expiration dates on the water bottles you buy from the store and replace the water before it expires.

If you are storing water in containers that you filled up at home, replace the water every 6 months.

Not storing the water in a good spot. We already mentioned using the right kind of container, and we shouldn’t have to say it, but since this is an era where kids eat Tide Pods so I will say it anyway: don’t store your water in gas cans, weed sprayers, or anything else that held toxic substances.

Also, store your water in cooler temperatures (50-70 degrees F) and not in direct sunlight.

Not removing water from containers the right way. You should never scoop water out of your containers with your hands or drink directly from the containers. That will contaminate your water and possibly spread diseases.

Also, don’t touch the inside of the container if possible.

We recommend using containers that can be poured from or using a scoop or pump that has been cleaned between each use.

Remember, when building an emergency water supply that you should store at least 1 gallon of water per person per day and that you keep a 2-week supply if possible.

Learn from these common mistakes to ensure you and your family can have plenty of clean drinking water.

Check out more useful tips and tricks to help you and your family be prepared at HingePointer.com