Our Water Supply - Essential to Self Reliance and Emergency Preparedness

Recent events have driven home the point that water is essential to our daily lives. I always knew it was important, but there is nothing like a healthy dose of reality to the true believers from those of us who have taken it for granted.

Imagine you arrive at your home and find that your water supply is interrupted by a catastrophic plumbing failure. What can you do? What is life like in this situation? I'm here to tell you that it is not at all handsome. My experience leads me to conclude that water is more important than electricity.

Here are the challenges when the water dries up:

for cleaning counter tops and table tops
dishwasher
brushing teeth
flush toilet
showering, bathing and washing hair
coffee or have something to drink
washing machine
for cleaning hands

I know it seems obvious that the lack of water is inconvenient, but a few days without it really can make that moment much more meaningful and clear. We take our water supply for granted so much that they have to go without a real "awakening ."

There are ways to live without water for awhile, but how long is too long when there is no way to keep it clean? What can be done when the great outdoors (or your neighborhood) is not conducive to being used as a toilet? You can see that the problems soon mount in the absence of water.

Here is what I did during the implementation of solutions for plumbing disasters:

bought a bit of drinking water
collected rainwater from the roof
practiced conservative flushing toilet
fetched water from natural sources
use hand disinfectant and cloths
re pots and dishes
heated water on the stove
shared resources with a generous neighbor

Where there's a will, there is a way, but trying to do without a reliable water supply is very inconvenient to say the least, so it is certain that your state of preparedness of emergency supplies include lots of clean water and the heat.

If you do not believe in the essential role that water plays in our lives, I invite you to turn off your water for a few days and live the lifestyle that you will not soon forget. Spend a few days without water, and you'll quickly get an idea what it could be like that during natural or man-made disasters where water supply is reduced.

If you do not believe in the essential role that water plays in our lives, I invite you to turn off your water for a few days and live the lifestyle that you will not soon forget. Spend a few days without water, and you'll quickly get an idea what it could be like that during natural or man-made disasters where water supply is reduced.

...

Posted in: collecting water,emergency preparedness,fresh water,self reliance,water,water supply essential self reliance emergency preparedness