I wrote about the need for reserve supplies of water just last week. It's emerged that my country of origin, South Africa, appears set to become a laboratory for emergency water supplies - what works, what doesn't, and how to cope when the taps aren't working.
(That photograph also illustrates what I said earlier about using five-gallon buckets as water containers.)
Two articles summarize what's happening in two of South Africa's largest cities. I won't post excerpts from them here, but I recommend you follow the links below and read them for yourself.
In case you were wondering whether something like that could happen here, it already has in at least two cities over the past decade: Flint, Michigan and Jackson, Mississippi. There may well be others of which I'm not aware. If readers can provide more examples, please do so in Comments.
Anyway, if you're still hesitant about the need to provide at least some reserve water supplies for your family, I hope these reports will convince you. It's not a theoretical risk: it's very real. As our elderly, creaking infrastructure breaks down more often, we're going to see it more often, too.
Peter
13 comments:
Cape Town. Johannesburg. Flint. Jackson.
All these places had functional water infrastructure within living memory. It would be easy to figure out what the root problem if only there were some identifiable common denominator....
Regardless of whether you have first world water, or learn and implement bush expedient water.....protect it. When Sh'boon La Queefa and her tribe arrive, the water will be gone and it will be your fault.
It's been my experience that the best way to store water is in one gallon jugs with a molded handle. It's a significant amount but still light enough for a child or eder!y person to carry without trouble. And easy to pour from.
Keeping two in the back bottom of the fridge takes up little space and ensures instant cold water. I also keep six jugs at room temperature because for an emergency shower, you only need to pour two cups into a teapot to boil and pour back in for a warm cleaning. It works for me to pour one-third over my head (I don't have much hair), then lather up with soap, then the remainder to rinse with.
It's an easy and inexpensive prep we should all have. I'm going to double my supply. Thanks for the reminder.
Having lived in Phoenix Arizona for the last 54 years I'm well aware of the possibility. Arizona has been good with water management but a desert is still a desert. It can and will happen and I still fear that the $40 Billion dollars pumped into two "chip plants" in Phoenix with high water consumption was possibly an error. Only time will tell.
A ship captain I used to work with told me that the reason nothing works in Nigeria is because when the British left in the 1960s, the last thing they said was "Don't touch anything...".
@Trailer For Sale Or Rent: Nigeria. Yeah. Ask the rest of Africa what they think about Nigerians. They'll tell you. Loudly and profanely!
Sound advice and cogent reminders, thank you.
One of the few smart things I did in my life (apart from marrying the best girl in the world 41 years ago) was to ensure that both my permanent home location what I call "true home", and my various rental properties on different assignments as well as a bug out locations in the US where for about a decade I was spending three months of the year working - all had access to water that could be turned off readily.
True-home has a river 100 yards away but my biggest water preparation is rainwater-filled tanks, 5 x 400L and 1 x 600L. Plus downpipe-diverters on the house as well as the outbuildings.
BOL #1 (land-only) northern Arizona was chosen in 2005 for cheapness and an eye to a nearby water supply (stream) which is not ideal, but consistently flows even during summer and 50 yards away.
BOL #2 southern West Virginia (land plus small shed) was chosen for cheapness although I could afford a bit better that time (2019), and 75 yards away to the Greenbrier River.
All locations have "used" ex-milk, -soda and -water container discreetly stored and true- home has a cart so I can bring much more water than I could carry back from the river if needed.
Each location also has two water filters in a cache, one small, one family-size. Because I don't expect that people will keep the stream and rivers clean and I need a way to make sure the water I get could be potable.
I'm really hoping things don't get bad enough that I need all the above but if I do... I'll be pleased to have them.
I live in Copper Basin Alaska and many of us have to haul water from public wells. There are two different wells in our community. One is high volume with a $300 annual fee that helps support the local volunteer fire department and handles a two inch hose connection fo r filling truck or traile mounted tanks which are mostly used by people who have large resivour tanks or like I do and feed drip irrigation on the garden by gravity from the tank. The other for $125 a year allow you to use a garden hose connection to fill containers or tanks at a slower rate. We haul drinking water in repurposed one gallon or half gallon juice jugs and 2.5 gallon jugs for bathing and dish washing. We used to use 5 gallon or 7 gallon jugs but switched to the smaller because of age and wear and tear on our bodies! We do rain water catchment in summer, mostly used for green house watering but we have a fancy third world type filter for drinking water if necessary to use creek or rain barrel water because the wells are down, I believe there is a connnection for a generator in case of long term power outage but I don’t believe local power outage has use this. occurred long enough to use this. Winter would be melting snow for backup.
I was working with a guy from africa last month on a job. I asked him what made him decide to move to Canada. He said his home country was nice until all the nigerians and somilis started moving in and stealing everything.
Exile1981
We bought a water cooler/heater that takes standard 5 gallon jugs. Replacement caps are really cheap (especially since they're reusable), as are the bleach and citric acid cleaners. I have multiple jugs stashed around the house, so there's always a ready supply. And we naturally cycle through them, keeping the water fresh. The distilled water we normally use to refill them is the expensive part, but keeping several of those around (both filled and empty) is handy.
A 5 gallon bucket weighs 40 lbs. How far can you carry it. How durable is your bucket? What happens when the little plastic handle breaks? (paracord to the rescue). Do you have animals and how much do they need per day?
Heated with wood this winter. Amazing how much time it takes to haul wood, dump ashes, etc. Doesn't seem like a lot, but its constant and the weather and your desire to be warm dictate the pace. Less able to get other things done OR change daily planning and routine. Now add hauling, purifying water.
The point - We have made things like drinking water and staying warm easy and convenient. Life will get very different if that changes. Even if you are prepared, you may not realize how much your life will have to change.
Qualitative is right - using countries or counties where the collective IQ hovers somewhere around 80 isn't the best standard.
Again, water filters and purification tablets are your friend.
"Even if you are prepared, you may not realize how much your life will have to change" Absolutely true. And a fearful prospect. Most won't be prepared. Civilization is a thin veneer.
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