Water and sanitation when SHTF

Finding it, filtering it, treating it all in here!
jansman
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Water and sanitation when SHTF

Post by jansman »

Water,for both drinking and washing,is a seriously undervalued prep IMHO.I follow this fella,who lived through the Balkan War in the 90's.Here is an article about water when it really counts.

https://www.theorganicprepper.com/water ... htf-selco/
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
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Arwen Thebard
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Re: Water and sanitation when SHTF

Post by Arwen Thebard »

The reality of limited water supplies is being felt by those living in Cape Town at the moment. A TV report the other day (can't remember which channel) said people were being restricted to 2.2 litres per person, per day, to cover drinking and personal hygine. It needs to rain there soon. :(
Arwen The Bard

"What did you learn today?"
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Deeps
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Re: Water and sanitation when SHTF

Post by Deeps »

Water is bulky and with the best will in the world, not very sexy. I think this is where being a prepper 'should' be an advantage, even if you don't have a load of it to hand, there's no reason (apart from being skint I guess) not to have puritabs and/or filtration systems, or even the knowledge to McGyver them.

Depending on where you live the sanitation can be a lot trickier though, if you're a few floors up in flats it might be difficult to dig a latrine.
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Brambles
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Re: Water and sanitation when SHTF

Post by Brambles »

Deeps wrote:Water is bulky and with the best will in the world, not very sexy. I think this is where being a prepper 'should' be an advantage, even if you don't have a load of it to hand, there's no reason (apart from being skint I guess) not to have puritabs and/or filtration systems, or even the knowledge to McGyver them.

Depending on where you live the sanitation can be a lot trickier though, if you're a few floors up in flats it might be difficult to dig a latrine.
When we lived in a flat for a while, this was one of the big fears for me was the idea of lack of sanitation. I had an inordinate amount of wood pellet kitty litter (not for the cat, the old boy only liked the expensive non clumping stuff.) But for our use in an emergency. I still keep some, just in case. As well as enough water purification tablets for 2,0000 litres of water and a Sawyer mini. I also have a homemade filter (bucket with a lid) full of pond filter media to clean the water before final treatment and I even have a fold up 200L waterbutt.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
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Deeps
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Re: Water and sanitation when SHTF

Post by Deeps »

Brambles wrote:
When we lived in a flat for a while, this was one of the big fears for me was the idea of lack of sanitation. I had an inordinate amount of wood pellet kitty litter (not for the cat, the old boy only liked the expensive non clumping stuff.) But for our use in an emergency. I still keep some, just in case. As well as enough water purification tablets for 2,0000 litres of water and a Sawyer mini. I also have a homemade filter (bucket with a lid) full of pond filter media to clean the water before final treatment.
^^^ Prepper

I've not got the kitty litter but I get it, same as having a LOT of gash bags (or even carrier bags), you can always fill them. I back onto fields, admittedly the one out my back gate is fairly public and was/will be used for sport but if need be there will be a deep hole dug.

Apart from the near 200L of fresh water and various other liquids I keep (fruit juice, pop, ahem 'grown up pop') like you I have puritabs and Sawyer's. I've also got about a 1000L of manky water in the pond that will test the Sawyer's, I do think that this is an area that knowledge is king though, we live in a country that water generally isn't an issue, 'clean' water might be though.
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itsybitsy
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Location: East Yorkshire

Re: Water and sanitation when SHTF

Post by itsybitsy »

Can anyone post an easy (words of less than two syllables) tutorial of how to fit a water butt and the tools someone would need in order to do that? I think that would be really helpful.
Yorkshire Andy
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Re: Water and sanitation when SHTF

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

itsybitsy wrote:Can anyone post an easy (words of less than two syllables) tutorial of how to fit a water butt and the tools someone would need in order to do that? I think that would be really helpful.

You need a fine tooth panel saw

You water butt and diverter kit

https://www.diy.com/departments/floplas ... 0wod0wIFxA

Ideally a flag stone to stand the butt on


Stick water butt close to a down pipe

Use a spirit level ideally to line the butt inlet hole with the drain pipe

Carefully cut out the inlett hole on the butt and fit the hose retainer I used a "tank cutter" on the drill but a sharp knife can do it

Now the "difficult bit chop the drain pipe to fit the diverter you might need another pipe clip or 2 to support the drain pipe
7032152523_78c89c195c.jpg
6886053092_f8f021a662.jpg

Think I cut about 1" out if the down pipe the diverter pushes into the bottom part of the pipe and the plastic trim slides onto the top part then the top sits into the diverter and the trim holds it in place

When it rains the water runs down into the diverter which shoves it into the butt when full the water goes down the drain...but it must be level if the butt is too high it won't fill too low and it will overflow
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Yorkshire Andy
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Re: Water and sanitation when SHTF

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

And after all that just found vthe idiots guide with picture s

https://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://w ... OE5Y5FEmRK
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Stonecarver
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Re: Water and sanitation when SHTF

Post by Stonecarver »

When we lived in a flat for a while, this was one of the big fears for me was the idea of lack of sanitation. I had an inordinate amount of wood pellet kitty litter (not for the cat, the old boy only liked the expensive non clumping stuff.) But for our use in an emergency. I still keep some, just in case. As well as enough water purification tablets for 2,0000 litres of water and a Sawyer mini. I also have a homemade filter (bucket with a lid) full of pond filter media to clean the water before final treatment and I even have a fold up 200L waterbutt.[/quote]

Where would you get a flat pack water butt from? Would a berkey not be a good addition?In fact has anyone even got a berkey? Have been thinking of getting one
Thanks
Not worried about powering the whole house,just eating hot food,getting a brew,seeing through the dark,and staying warm.
Jansman
jansman
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Re: Water and sanitation when SHTF

Post by jansman »

I have looked at the Berkey https://berkey-waterfilters.co.uk,but for me the cost is too much to justify.Add to that the cost of the filter 'candles',its beyond me right now.However,the reviews are good,and I would not blame anyone for buying one to be fair!

I have a linked,covered waterbutt system that holds about 500 gallons,spread about on various outbuildings.I have Sawyer filters if needed.IMO they are your best bet.300,000 gallon use time,and if they are back flushed regularly and not let to freeze,its reckoned to be possible to do a million through one.

In reality though,the rainwater can be just let to settle in clean buckets and filtered through a millbank bag or t shirt set- up and boiled or treated.We do have a soft water well,but I use a pump just to water the garden with that.I wouldn't trust it as too much crap like Dog p#ss and disinfectant get swilled over it.The brook over the road would've more preferable!

If it was long term though,a sustainable filter system would be my go-to.The components are simple and readily available,in fact I probably have a lot in the workshop.This:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Biosand-Filter/
There are a good number of videos on YouTube too.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.