Unlikely sources of clean water during a disaster

Hilary Anderson, American Red Cross Preparedness and Resiliency Manager shares advice on where to find clean drinking water to drink during a disaster or emergency
Unlikely Clean Water Sources During An Emergency
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Unlikely sources of clean water during a disaster

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Water--the most important thing; you can't live without it. When we're talking about putting together your emergency supplies kit, you want to start with water. A good rule of thumb: 1 gallon per person, per day, for a minimum of 3 days. The average person doesn't drink a gallon of water a day; we drink about 2 quarts of water a day. That extra water is for cleaning--for sanitation. So a gallon per person, per day, for a minimum of 3 days--and we build up to 2 weeks. So, 3 days for your evacuation kit; 2 weeks for at home. Great places to find water in the home, if you haven't stockpiled it--your hot water tank; it usually has between 30 to 45 gallons of extra water on hand for you, but a good thing to know is that once you've actually emptied your water tank, you have to fill it up again before you turn it back on, just to make sure you don't start a fire. Other places to find water in the home that's drinkable--melted ice cube trays, the juice from inside containers--you can find potable water, or water that can be used for sanitation, in your pool or the toilet--top tank, not the bowl--you don't want to drink that water, but you can use it for sanitation.

Hilary Anderson, American Red Cross Preparedness and Resiliency Manager shares advice on where to find clean drinking water to drink during a disaster or emergency

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Hilary Anderson, MA

American Red Cross

Hilary Anderson has been with the American Red Cross for the past three and a half years as a volunteer and staff member in positions with communications, disaster relief, development and volunteer services. As the Preparedness and Resiliency Manager, her primary responsibility is the delivery of educational programming across the Los Angeles region to get individuals, schools, businesses and organizations prepared for a disaster. As a dog owner, she also hopes to get your pets ready too! Hilary has a master’s degree in International Policy Studies with an emphasis in humanitarian assistance as well as a bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Journalism and German. She has worked for non-profits abroad in Israel, Bolivia and Germany focusing on grant writing, youth and education and also feeding and sheltering. 

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