DISASTER! - Homeland Security and Emergency Management ...

TIPS ON WATER PURIFICATIONWater is critical for survival. We can go days, even weeks, without food butwe must have water to live. For example, an average man (154 pounds) canlose about 3 quarts/litres of water per day and an average woman (140pounds) can lose over 2 quarts - and this could increase depending on yourweight and size, on the season, and the altitude. Your body loses preciouswater by sweating and breathing and, of course, by peeing. In fact, you cantell if you are getting dehydrated by the color of your pee. When you drinkenough water, your pee will be light-colored or bright yellow, but whendehydrated, it will be dark-colored and you’ll pee in smaller amounts.The average person should drink between 2 and 2 ½ quarts/litres of waterper day. Plan on storing about one gallon (4 litres) per day per person fordrinking, cooking and personal hygiene - and don’t forget water for pets!Did you know…… almost 6,000 children die every day from water-related disease?… about 1.1 billion people don’t have access to safe water?USE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING METHODS TO PURIFY DRINKING WATER:Boiling - Boil vigorously for 2-10 minutes. Boiling water kills most harmfulbacteria and parasites. To improve the taste of boiled water pour it backand forth between two containers to add oxygen back into it.Bleach - Add 10-20 drops of “regular” household bleach per gallon (about4 litres) of water, mix well, and let stand for 30 minutes. A slight smell ortaste of chlorine indicates water is good to drink. (NOTE: Do NOT usescented bleaches, colorsafe bleaches, or bleaches with added cleaners!)Tablets - Use commercial purification tablets and follow instructions.Tablets are pretty inexpensive and found at most sporting goods stores andsome drugstores. (Note: Look for products that contain 5.25 to 6.0 percentsodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient.)Distillation - Involves boiling water and collecting the vapor to removeimpurities. (Check with library or do a web search on distillation.)Also, learn how to remove water from other places in your home or office(like the hot water heater, ice cubes, toilet tanks [not the bowl], etc.) Andconsider purchasing a certified portable water purification device (pitcherfilter, faucet filter, etc.) and pack an extra unit in your Disaster SuppliesKit. To learn more about water safety visit www.epa.gov/safewater. Alsosee tips on filtering water contaminated by fallout on page 121.152 www.itsadisaster.net or call 1-888-999-4325