The average US family requires 3 gallons of water per day for basic hygiene and consumption. Currently 55% of American households do not have any water storage to fall back on in the event of a disaster.
In order to maintain the needed amount of stored water, you will need to begin to calculate the amount of water required to support your family. A family of four would need a minimum of 36 gallons to work through a three-day emergency response. However, the wise Christian would want to have additional water stock available for several reasons. First, we never know how long a disaster will occur or when water supplies may not be available for several weeks. Second, we want additional water available to share with others. As we are able to assist our neighbors, we open the door for effective witnessing. Third, additional water gives leeway for a more effective response, such as the ability to flush toilets.
Many people have misconceptions of what constitutes effective storage of water. Stored improperly, water may be contaminated, and could actually become dangerous. Consider how much space you have available to store safe and clean water containers.
Remember, only store water in a food grade container - this is a critical step. Make sure you’re using a container that has stored only water in the past to avoid contamination. While you may have a temptation to use milk cartons and juice jugs to store water, no matter how much you clean the container there will always be some residue of oils, bacteria or by-products that will contaminate the water.
If you use a metal container for water make sure it is stainless steel. Other metals will corrode and ruin your stored water as well as the container. Again, make certain that the container does not contain other by-products, except water. Glass containers are also a good choice but they must be completely sanitized before use. They do have the disadvantage of breaking easily and being heavy to move around.
When storing water find a cooler place, preferably between 50° and 70°, out of direct sunlight. Sunlight will cause plastic containers to degrade and shorten the shelf life of your water storage.
Ideally, water should be changed out every six months to make sure you have a fresh supply.
On the commercial market there are a lot of storage containers which increase capacity albeit at a price. CEN recommends going to Amazon for container options, as a starting point for competitive containers which best fit your needs.
Another option to consider is acquiring a good filter, such as a Berkeley water filter. A filter can be useful if you have an alternative source of water such as swimming pools, lakes and streams or other sources of potentially compromised sources of water. Filters have been used by missionaries around the world with great success and provide the opportunity to treat significant volumes of water for your neighbors, giving you a ReadyChristian outreach opportunity.
Just as Jesus gave “life-giving” eternal water to those in crisis, during any disaster water becomes a critical item required to physically sustain life. When these crises occur, we often see long lines of people waiting hours for a couple bottles of water. When you are prepared in advance to provide for your family and others, not only will you not need to stand in line for hours, but you will be able to help many others sharing the Good News of Jesus because of your preparation.
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