Loss of access to running water is one of the most common consequences of a natural disaster or other calamity. The impact of a faucet that doesn’t yield water when it’s turned on can make people panic and frantic. They have good reason to be.
Water sustains life and is used for a myriad of purposes. It goes without saying that every prepper should store enough potable water to tide his/her family for at least 3 to 5 days.
The water you drink or use to wash your face, shower and brush your teeth can add up to quite a bit, so you should know exactly how much you’ll need. Besides these uses, you’ll need water for toilets, cooking, and your pets.
In this article, we’ll look at how to conserve the water that you have and make it last. It’s imperative that you do this because if there’s a fault in the water lines due to an earthquake or other disaster, it can take days or even weeks before the problem is fixed.
In some situations, the water treatment plants may be damaged. That could mean that water may be coming into your home, but the water is probably contaminated and carrying parasites.
During a disaster, never drink water straight from the tap. Always boil your water and use water purification tablets or water purification bottles to make your water safe to drink.
Use a Glass of Water
When brushing your teeth or washing your face, always use a glass of water to do it. You’ll know exactly how much of water you’re using. If you leave the tap running, you’ll be wasting water.
Shampooing
You only need to shampoo your hair once a week. Men who wish to take things one step further could shave their head bald. When you have no hair, there’s a lot less maintenance involved.
Wet Towels
Soaking a towel in water and using that towel to wipe yourself down will really help to conserve water. Showers use up a lot of water. So, you may wish to take a shower once every 3 days and just use wet towels on the other 2 days. You can even use wet towels to wipe your face instead of washing it.
Alternatively, you could get a camping shower such as the Coleman 5-Gallon Solar Shower and use that to shower. You’ll be able to save water, and it’s more convenient than pouring a bottle of water above your head.
Hand Sanitizers
Instead of washing your hands often, you can use hand sanitizers that are just as effective.
Recycling Water
This is a tip that many preppers are unaware of. The water that you use to brush your teeth and wash your face can be collected in a pail and poured into the toilet bowl to act as a flush.
Besides these tips, there are many ways you can save water if you are constantly aware about your limited supplies and focus conserving and rationing them.