JANUARY'S GOAL

Purchase enough water for your entire family to survive 1 month
A person needs 4 bottles of water/day so for a 30 day supply for one person you will need:
120 bottles of water or 5 24-pack cases of water
Multiply the amount of cases you will need for your family and decide how many cases you will need to purchase. Also look at the other methods of water storage.

Water Storage Guidelines from the Church Website--Provident Living.org
Commercially bottled water in PETE (or PET) plastic containers may be purchased. Follow the container’s “best if used by” dates as a rotation guideline. Avoid plastic containers that are not PETE plastic.

If you choose to package water yourself, consider the following guidelines:

Containers

Use only food-grade containers. Smaller containers made of PETE plastic or heavier plastic buckets or drums work well.
Clean, sanitize, and thoroughly rinse all containers prior to use. A sanitizing solution can be prepared by adding 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to one quart (1 liter) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
Do not use plastic milk jugs, because they do not seal well and tend to become brittle over time.
Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.
Water Pretreatment

Water from a chlorinated municipal water supply does not need further treatment when stored in clean, food-grade containers.
Non-chlorinated water should be treated with bleach. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) for every gallon (4 liters) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
Storage

Containers should be emptied and refilled regularly.
Store water only where potential leakage would not damage your home or apartment.
Protect stored water from light and heat. Some containers may also require protection from freezing.
The taste of stored water can be improved by pouring it back and forth between two containers before use.
Additional Information

Note: The following links are not to official Church publications but are provided as additional resource material:

www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water
www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg.html


Water Purification Guidelines
If your water supply is not known to be safe or has become polluted, it should be purified before use. Water purification is generally a two-step process.


Step 1: Clarify

Cloudy or dirty water must first be made clear. It may be passed through filter paper, fine cloth, or other filter. It may be allowed to settle and the clear water on top carefully drawn. Filtered or clear settled water should always be disinfected before use.


Step 2: Disinfect

Boiling Method

Bringing water to a rolling boil for 3 to 5 minutes will kill most water-borne microorganisms. However, prolonged boiling of small quantities of water may concentrate toxic contaminants if present.

Bleach Method

Adding 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of fresh liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to every gallon (4 liters) of water will kill most microorganisms. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used. The use of bleach does not address toxic contamination.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site provides additional information about water purification.


Commercial Water Filters

Commercial water filters can effectively filter and purify water contaminated with microorganisms, toxic chemicals, and heavy metals. Their effectiveness depends on design, condition, and proper use. Water filters produced by Seychelle have been used successfully by Church missionaries for many years.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Let's start the year off with a bang! Each month we will have an area of focus. Something that needs purchasing and something that simply needs gathering/organizing. We will talk about it in Relief Society, put information in the binders, send emails and put posts of this blog so that no one misses out.
Let's head the prophets words and get prepared.
This blog will be our main "gathering place" to share information. As we focus on the goal(s) of the month, let's share ideas of where we can find the best deals and how to go about organizing and preparing the best we can.
Become followers and post comments!