Prepping after the storm
I ought to say a few things about common sense during the storm such as keeping out of the storm floodwaters. This is not only for the undertow of the moving water but unseen holes that you can slip into. Especially do not consider the water a playground for children. These floodwaters are fraught with sewage from septic tanks and city pipelines, contamination from cemeteries, animal wastes, and outhouses still in use. This includes the “Porta Potty” portable comfort stations people can rent, or are used at construction sites.
Fresh potable water-drinking water-from shallow and deep wells can be contaminated leading to any number of serious diseases. I checked my 300 foot deep well and the water was at the top. I poured in a gallon of bleach, which was cheap insurance to protect our health. Even the micron filter system is not perfect protection.
I do think that the filter system is important to be installed under the sink or at the pump house. I use a dark blue color gallon size sold through FarmTek (on line) for about $26.95, plus PVC connectors and place a micron filter inside. The blue color keeps the sunlight from enhancing bacterial and plant growth, although I clean mine out as a rule about once a month. Have a water shut off and just unscrew the lower half. I use a plastic wrench for ease of removal.
Extra filters are indicated for situations such as the floods and possible contamination, plus dirty fingers. Use clean plastic gloves. Once the bleach hits the filter system and you can barely taste it, take time to clean out the filter system.
If you have a shallow well you might want to pour LESS bleach into the pipe, say ½ gallon, tasting it in a couple days at the sink, so it is a slight taste, not a strong taste. Too much bleach can upset the digestive system of your septic tank.
People with springhouses are in jeopardy since the water is usually “run off” water and it sits in a holding tank with mice and rats scurrying about. Installing a swimming pool bleach mixer for about a hundred dollars best protects this storage tank before it is pumped to the house. The mixing of the bleach water flow from a large clean plastic barrel, say 55 gallons, drip-by-drip flows to the swimming pool bleach mixer, then to the holding tank, usually a 1000-gallon in ground tank. Then it is pumped up to the house by a ½ HP electric motor. You might want to discuss this with a water expert first.
Do not drink from creeks, lakes or rivers. They are polluted. You do not need to get typhoid or something just as bad.
If you are forced to obtain not sterilized water for drinking you can boil it, and boil it as a hard bubble for 20 minutes. There are sterilization tablets and straws etc that are sold that you will not have after the fact anyway. I do not recommend these products-they are for camping, and produce very little volume and safety in a crisis situation. Stocking up gallons of fresh distilled water in advance is a good idea.
May God Bless You.
Old Timer,
COPYRIGHT: Back2theLand.com. 22/10/2015.
