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Emergency survival planning includes numerous precautionary steps to protect yourself and your family. These steps should be prioritized and accomplished in order according to their importance. One of the most crucial steps in emergency survival planning is storing and preparing a way to provide drinkable water in emergency situations.

Water is the life-fluid for the human body. It facilitates a variety of the body’s functions such as carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells, allows proper digestion, flushing waste and toxins from the body, regulates body temperature and cushioning the joints. Water can compared to oil in a vehicle. With the proper amount and quality of oil, a vehicle runs smoothly and efficiently. With low oil level and quality, a vehicle will run roughly and the different parts will begin to fail. With no oil a vehicle will burn out and eventually die. Water has the same effect on the body.

The instructed amount of water a person should drink is eight 8 ounce glasses per day. This is difficult to accomplish for most people. The correct amount of water a person should drink per day depends on the individual. A good rule of thumb is the more the better! Men should drink more water than women and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should drink more water than women who are not. Also, a person that exercises should drink more water than someone who does not. Climate and altitude also play a role in how much water a person should drink. High altitude and dry or hot climates cause the required daily amount of water to increase. The amount of clothing and what parts of the body are covered also plays a part in necessary water consumption. Since various parts of the body lose different quantities of water through evaporation, breathing and sweating, the necessary daily intake of water for each person also depends on the clothing a person is wearing.

Not drinking enough water often occurs in survival situations and leads to dehydration. Even when you are thirsty, you are experiencing mild dehydration. Signs that you are dehydrated include dry skin, constipation, frequent urinary tract infections, reoccurring headaches, muscle weakness, sleepiness and dizziness.

Dehydration is a key concern for emergency survival. Once you are dehydrated, body functions begin to shut down and continue to shut down until an adequate supply of water is replenished. Without water, the average person can last a few days to a just over a week at the most. This short timeline that one can last without water is partly due to evaporation. In an extremely hot climate, a person may not last even 24 hours without water. In cooler climates, a person may last a week without water.

If no water is available, the kidneys shut down within a couple of days which eventually leads to death. In addition, without adequate water the body experiences other side-effects such as ketosis and uremia (build up of toxins in the blood), organ failure, electrolyte imbalance that causes cardiac arrhythmia, seizures, low blood pressure leading to blood clots, brain damage and eventually death.

Water is also a key factor of emergency survival because it has a large affect on morale. Staying positive and focused in an emergency situation is difficult if you do not have enough water to keep you from becoming dehydrated.

Though the effects of having no water are serious, the precautions one can take to have sufficient water for emergency survival are affordable and easy-to-do. Many options exist to ensure you are prepared for survival situations such as water purification devices and tablets, water filtrations devices and various storage options. No matter the method you choose to ensure you will have water to drink in emergency situations, do not underestimate water’s role in emergency survival.

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You should have at least a three-day supply of water and you should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking.

Additionally, in determining adequate quantities, take the following into account:
* Individual needs vary, depending on age, physical condition, activity, diet, and climate.
* Children, nursing mothers, and ill people need more water.
* Very hot temperatures can double the amount of water needed.
* A medical emergency might require additional water.

To prepare safest and most reliable emergency supply of water, it is recommended you purchase commercially bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open it until you need to use it. Observe the expiration or “use by” date. If you are preparing your own containers of water it is recommended you purchase food-grade water storage containers from surplus or camping supplies stores to use for water storage. Before filling with water, thoroughly clean the containers with dishwashing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap. Follow directions below on filling the container with water. If you choose to use your own storage containers, choose two-liter plastic soft drink bottles – not plastic jugs or cardboard containers that have had milk or fruit juice in them. Milk protein and fruit sugars cannot be adequately removed from these containers and provide an environment for bacterial growth when water is stored in them. Cardboard containers also leak easily and are not designed for long-term storage of liquids. Also, do not use glass containers, because they can break and are heavy.

If storing water in plastic soda bottles, follow these steps-
1-Thoroughly clean the bottles with dishwashing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap.
2-Sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water.
3-Swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces.
4-After sanitizing the bottle, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water.

Fill the bottle to the top with regular tap water. If the tap water has been commercially treated from a water utility with chlorine, you do not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean. If the water you are using comes from a well or water source that is not treated with chlorine, add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to the water. Tightly close the container using the original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your finger. Place a date on the outside of the container so that you know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place. Replace the water every six months if not using commercially bottled water.

Article from http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water

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