How to Find Water in an Emergency

By eHow Health Editor

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During an emergency, you may need to collect and drink water from sources you never dreamed of - thereby saving your life. (Also see "How to Purify Water During an Emergency.")

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Water Purifiers
Water Purifying Tablets
Buckets

Outdoor Emergency Sources

Step1

Collect rainwater to drink.

Step2

Gather water from streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and natural springs.

Step3

Drink saltwater after distilling it first.

Step4

Avoid drinking water that has strange odors, dark colors or material visibly floating in it.

Indoor Emergency Sources

Step1

Check your refrigerator and shelves for alternate sources of water. For instance, you can obtain water from ice cubes or the juices from canned fruits, fruit juices and vegetables.

Step2

Turn to your hot water tank for water by first checking that the electricity or gas is off, then opening the drain at the bottom of the tank. Turn off the water intake valve and turn on the hot-water faucet to obtain water.

Step3

Consider drinking water from the pipes in your house. First turn on the faucet located at the highest level of your house, allowing for air to enter the plumbing, so that a little bit of water trickles out. Then collect water from the faucet located at the lowest level of your house.

Step4

Drink from your toilet's reservoir tank as a last resort (but not from the bowl).

Tips & Warnings

Flood water can contain contaminants ' do not drink it under any circumstances!
Shut off your incoming water valve if you need to stop contaminated water from entering your home.
Don't turn on the gas or electricity to your hot-water tank when the tank is empty.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 When you said not to drink water with strange odors, that is not true. Iron is found in some water and has an odd odor, but iron is good for you. So some water that has a strange odor is actually good for you - at least that's what my teacher told me.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Do NOT drink water in the wild if there are no impurities in it. In a forest, for example, organisms will live only where they can. If you find water and there is no life depending on it, it may be contaminated and poisonous.

Drakcon said

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on 9/11/2007 Any water in wild can be contaminated, even spring water, remember that water found outside, just for the simple fact that is outside does contain some risk. Spring water comes from many sources (from rain or run off that percolates through rock, even from cities miles away, i know one spring that is fed from many sources, but one source was almost 75 miles away (dye testing results). Even a spring that is "diamond" grade has some risk, think smart and Purify (tablets, filters) or distill first.

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