Food Storage for November

WATER AND FILTER ACCESSORIES

 

 

Amount to store: minimum of 14 gallons/person

1 extra bottle sodium hypochlorite bleach solution

1 bottle tincture of iodine or iodine water tablets

Flavorings for water if desired

Okay, my friends on the baby step program,how is the food storage process going?  Do you see some items in the bottom of your closet starting to build up?  Is your closet running out of room?  I sure hope so.  What can you toss in this month that you didn’t use in October?  Be patient, now, because we will take inventory in December or maybe at the start of the new year.

Now, for November:

A family can subsist for quite a while without food, but for only a short time without water, therefore it is important not to minimize the importance of storing water. The amount to store varies greatly with age and levels of need. For instance, children under three consume more water than adults and also need more bathing than adults. In moderate weather, a fairly sedentary person consuming an average low-protein diet requires a minimum of ½ gallon of water per day for drinking and food preparation. As a minimum, store 14 gallons per person for a 2-week period. A two week period will cover most natural disasters and broken water pipes

Water can be stored in purchased, boxed shaped, 5 gallon storage containers available in stores and web sites selling emergency preparation items. Water can be stored in food grade plastic bottles with plastic lids (with the exception of bottled water jugs and milk jugs. They do disintegrate and leak after a couple years, leaving you with a mess to clean up.) Some to rotate their water bottles in the summer, giving an excuse for a good water fight.  I store water in empty cranberry juice jugs. (Ladies, we also need to store our cranberry juice or cranberry supplements)

Here is a site for water storage containers to give you an idea to ponder on.  I have seen water filtration systems in camping departments at local stores. 

There are 4 basic methods for obtaining drinkable water from polluted water: filtration, chemical treatment, freezing and distillation.(I have yet to find information on how the freezing method works.)   You will find the methods in a table below.  Filtration and chemical are usually used in combination. The water is filtered to remove large particles (like mud), then treated with bleach, iodine or water purification tablets. If desired, flavorings can be added. Lemonade covers bleach a little, but strong dark colors are better for iodine since they help cover the color change of the water.  I happen to have iodine liquid. I am not sure where I got it..maybe on the counter at a gas station…

In an emergency, you can get water from the toilet tank (from the reservoir in the back, not the bowl!!!) or from your home’s hot water heater, if it has been regularly cleaned.  Water can be stored in the bathtub.

Have you considered keeping a rain barrel or two? What do you use for a rain barrel?  Would a plastic trash can do? What are all the ways you use water? What are your needs?

An interesting read about water is National Geographic, April 201o.

WATER PURIFICATION METHODS:

• BOILING: the safest method for purifying water is to boil it vigorously for 2-3 minutes to destroy bacteria. To improve the taste, pour the boiled water from one clean container to another several times to aerate it. Cool, or even add clean, uncontaminated ice to improve palatability. As a last resort, mix up weak (1/2 strength) Kool-aid or lemonade with the purified water.

• DISTILLATION: Most distilling equipment is bulky and expensive, but if you own a juicer it can be used to distill small quantities of water for emergencies. The impurities would remain in the bottom part of the juicer, while the distilled water could come from the juicing hose. Fill the bottom reservoir with water, add the middle section, and skip the perforated basket t hat usually holds the fruit. Place the lid on the second section and boil until you have distilled 2/3 of the water you put in the reservoir. Empty and repeat of necessary. Be careful, because the juicer will become hot like any pan on the stove, and it is easy to get burned.
• BLEACH: Use any brand of 5.25%sodium hypochlorite. BE SURE HYPOCHLORITE IS THE ONLY ACTIVE INGREDIENT. SKIP THE FRAGRANT BLEACH. Using the following chart, add the chlorine solution to the water. Mix by stirring or shaking the container. Allow to stand 30 minutes. The water should have a distinct chlorine taste or smell. If this smell is not present, add a 2^nd dose of the solution to the water and let stand for at least 15 minutes more. The taste/smell of chlorine in treated water is a sign of safety.

Amount of water	Water condition	Amount of bleach
1 Quart	Clear cloudy	2 drops 4 drops
½ gallon	Clear cloudy	4 drops 8 drops
1 gallon	Clear cloudy	8 drops 16 drops
5 gallons	Clear cloudy	½ tsp 1 tsp

• IODINE : 2% tincture of iodine can be used to purify small quantities of water. Stir thoroughly. The taste is not exactly delightful, but the water is safe to use. Follow the chart below:

Amount of water	Water condition	Drops of Iodine
1 Quart	Clear cloudy	3 drops 6 drops
1/2 gallon	Clear cloudy	6 drops 12 drops
1 gallon	Clear cloudy	12 drops 24 drops

Iodine tabs (found in the camping section at your sporting good store, Wal Mart..etc.) will have directions on their bottles.

What works for you?   Do you have an information that needs to be added?  How do you store water and filtration?

Teresa is a widow, with 4 children, who has experience with storing water in the wrong kind of plastic jugs. It wasn’t pretty.  Her food storage is building, and is always on the lookout for a good deal.  You can find her at Wockenflock Daze.