| Disaster Preparedness and Your WATER
|
|
|
Disasters can happen anytime and anywhere. When a disaster such as an earthquake occurs, public drinking water can become contaminated. If consumed, contaminated water can cause many illnesses.
Being prepared for emergencies can help your family endure these uncertain times, as some authorities warn of being "on your own" for up to seven days. You should keep a well stocked family disaster kit on hand that includes the basics: water, food, first-aid supplies, clothing, bedding, tools, pet food, and personal necessities (medications, important documents, etc.).
|
|
|
Water Storage - The best plan of action is to always keep a supply of water on hand. The general rule of thumb is to store one gallon of water per person per day. The most convenient source of fresh water is bottled water purchased from the grocery store or water company, but you can store purified water in a disinfected container (using the instructions at the bottom of this page). The table below will help you determine the quantity of water you should store for your family: |
|
| Click here for Emergency Preparedness and Your Water FAQ
|
|
|
Remember, even your purchased water should be rotated about every six months to maintain freshness. |
|
|
Boil Order - A boil order is a notification issues by the District at the direction of the San Diego Country Department of Health Services, when evidence of a suspected source of contamination has been confirmed. In short, a boil order is to advise people to boil water that may be contaminated prior to its use. Public notification of the boil order is necessary to ensure that every water user on an affected system has knowledge of the contamination. If there is any chance of your water being contaminated, do not drink it, use it for food preparation, or for brushing your teeth. Use bottled water instead or follow these directions to safely purify the contaminated water: 1. Fill a large pot with water after straining the water through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove dirt and other particles. 2. Bring the water to a rolling boil and keep it boiling for one full minute. 3. Pour the water into a disinfected drinking water bottle. 4. Store the water in a refrigerator if possible. |
|
|
Disinfecting a Drinking Water Container - Before using one of the two methods below to disinfect a container, wash the container thoroughly with soap and water, and rinse well with water. Bleach: Pour a solution of 1 tablespoon of liquid household bleach per one gallon of water into the container. Let the solution remain in the container for 10 minutes, then pour out the solution. Rinse the container with purified water. Pour out the rinse water. Fill the container again with purified water and cap for later use. Use the stored water within six months.Iodine: Dissolve 2 tablets of iodine per one quart of water into a container instead of bleach. Continue as described in the bleach process above (refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section on the back of this page for more information). Boiling: Boil only glass bottles and jars. Do not boil plastic containers. In a large pan, submerge the glass bottle or jar in the water. Bring to a rolling boil and continue boiling the container for ten minutes. Fill the glass bottles and jars with purified water and cap for later use. Use the stored water within six months. |
|
