Hi everyone,
I'm quite simple and can't really see from all the posts a lucid guide for my questions...
The correct mixing volumes for getting water to last
http://youtu.be/5GOV8Or0xTg - It's american, so maybe if anyone can link one for a British/European measurement.
How much water would you store?
NHS recommends 1.2litres a day to drink.. So for 6 months thats 216 litres.. or 1.1 kilo litre's. That is a lot of water! Especially if you want extra's for more people..
What kind of storage do people have for that kind of amount? I have a well, but that might become contaminated under certain scenario's..
Water Collection
Particulaly looking at Rainwater Harvesting for drinking purposes, with a secondary purpose of collecting it for plants to grow food etc.
Have people made a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_still ?
Or read the SAS survival handbook on saving water etc?
If you have any advice on Water storage/collection please post!
Definitive guide for storing water for long periods of time.
Re: Definitive guide for storing water for long periods of t
I've some stored drinking water, some purifying tablets and a Lifesaver bottle with a local water supply.
I have a rainwater catchment system at the allotment for the veggies!
I have a rainwater catchment system at the allotment for the veggies!
Re: Definitive guide for storing water for long periods of t
I have a couple of full 5l containers, several more that are empty, two waterbutts, and a couple of plastic laundry bin type containers that I'd fill with water too. Plus I have lots of ordinary bleach, some chlorine tablets, and a posh water filter. I definitely haven't gone the route of keeping a 6 month supply in the house, but a filter will mean I can use local sources, even if they're somewhat contaminated.
Re: Definitive guide for storing water for long periods of t
Keep in mind that if you really tried to survive on just 1.2 litres a day you'd really need to be excellent at rationing. That means no water for washing yourself (you'd stink pretty soon), no water for washing clothes, no water to flush the toilet, no water to wash up dishes and pans, no extra water for cooking, no water for plants (which would soon die with a dry, sunny spell).
The average person in the UK uses 150 litres a day http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ho ... 17266.aspx, so you'd be down to less than 1% of normal use.
If water really stopped flowing from the taps in this country you should look at ways of storing/accessing/treating at least 10-20litres a day per person for vaguely comfortable living, 1.2litres will just about stop you dying of thrist, nothing more. [Note: not all this water needs to be drinking quality, you don't need perfect pure water to wash yourself/clothes, etc] Water butts and a large pan / renewable heat source to boil it are about the only realistic option if you are not near any sort of open water source (stream, river, lake, pond, etc). A 220litre water butt (full) is a good store for a couple of weeks water for one person, ideally try to fit one of these per person in the household if this is possible at your home. You will need to treat this water, I've only just started on this project myself and the rain washes all the crap off the roof and from your gutters into the water butt, I would not drink it without proper (multi-stage) treatment (it stinks and the top has a nice green growth all over the lid already
)
If you are considering water storage you have already probably considered food storage. These should be complementary i.e. if you store lots of dried food (rice, pasta, beans, etc) you will need extra water storage. If however you have lots of tins of veggies, tuna in brine etc, consider that those tins contain alot of perfectly drinkable water. If, like me, you drain off those cans down the plughole when you open them currently those same cans can be a useful source of extra liquid if you suffer from serious water shortages. Also consider all that water you pour over your plants to make them grow, that water is drawn into the plant and you can then use it. Plants like tomatos, cucumbers, etc contain a high % of water and you could likely live off these without any actual 'drinking' water or the need to treat it for a while if you grow enough.
The average person in the UK uses 150 litres a day http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ho ... 17266.aspx, so you'd be down to less than 1% of normal use.
If water really stopped flowing from the taps in this country you should look at ways of storing/accessing/treating at least 10-20litres a day per person for vaguely comfortable living, 1.2litres will just about stop you dying of thrist, nothing more. [Note: not all this water needs to be drinking quality, you don't need perfect pure water to wash yourself/clothes, etc] Water butts and a large pan / renewable heat source to boil it are about the only realistic option if you are not near any sort of open water source (stream, river, lake, pond, etc). A 220litre water butt (full) is a good store for a couple of weeks water for one person, ideally try to fit one of these per person in the household if this is possible at your home. You will need to treat this water, I've only just started on this project myself and the rain washes all the crap off the roof and from your gutters into the water butt, I would not drink it without proper (multi-stage) treatment (it stinks and the top has a nice green growth all over the lid already
)If you are considering water storage you have already probably considered food storage. These should be complementary i.e. if you store lots of dried food (rice, pasta, beans, etc) you will need extra water storage. If however you have lots of tins of veggies, tuna in brine etc, consider that those tins contain alot of perfectly drinkable water. If, like me, you drain off those cans down the plughole when you open them currently those same cans can be a useful source of extra liquid if you suffer from serious water shortages. Also consider all that water you pour over your plants to make them grow, that water is drawn into the plant and you can then use it. Plants like tomatos, cucumbers, etc contain a high % of water and you could likely live off these without any actual 'drinking' water or the need to treat it for a while if you grow enough.
I'm in Area 7 !