An excerpt from the book:

   Stocking water reserves and learning how to purify contaminated water should be among your top priorities. A normally active person needs to drink at least 2 liters (4 pints) of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers, and ill people will need more. A three- to five-day supply of 4 liters (8 pints) per person/day is required, half for drinking and half for food preparation, hygiene, and sanitation. Store water in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Do not store in containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles. Never use a container that was previously used for toxic substances; tiny amounts of toxins may remain in the container's pores even after washing. 

   You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums. Before storing your water, treat it with purification tablets or a preservative such as chlorine bleach to prevent the growth of microorganisms. There are several ways to purify water. None are perfect. For example, you can let the water sit so that floating particles settle to the bottom, pour off the top, then strain the water from the bottom through layers of paper towels or clean cloths, and then purify. Boiling water is the best way to purify; boil furiously for about 10 minutes, allow it to cool, then pour it back and forth between two containers to put the oxygen back into it to improve the taste. Distilling the water will remove microbes, heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals, radioactive dust, and dirt. To distil, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the pot lid or pot handles and hang the lid upside down. The cup should not touch the water in the pot. Boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips into the cup from the lid is distilled water. You may wish to use a couple of methods to clean water as much as possible. You can also use liquid bleach that contains 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite and no soap. Some containers of bleach warn "Not for personal use." Check before purchasing and treating the water. 

   There are ... hidden water sources in your home. Use water from your hot water tank, in your plumbing (familiarize yourself with its peration), and in ice cubes. As a last resort, use water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (NOT the bowl), but purify it first. In addition, waterbeds hold up to 400 gallons of water, but some waterbeds contain toxic chemicals that cannot be fully removed by many purifiers. If you designate a waterbed in your home as an emergency resource, drain it yearly and refill it with fresh water containing approximately 2 ounces of bleach per 120 gallons (verify this with the manufacturer). To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the highest faucet in your house and draining the water from the lowest one. To use the water in your hot water tank, be sure the electricity, gas, and pilot lights are off, and open the drain at the bottom of the tank. Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake valve and turning on a hot water faucet. Do not turn on the gas or electricity when the tank is empty. Call your gas company to relight the pilot light on a gas-fired water tank.

Betty Anne Lawlor was a certified nursing assistant. She lives in Quebec with her family.

Price $11.95
softcover
ISBN 1-894601-36-X