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Emergency Sources of Water In an emergency, if you have not previously stored water and commercial or public sources of water are not available, drain water from your plumbing system. Unless you are advised that the public water supply has been contaminated and is not safe, open the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater and salvage the water stored in the heater. A typical water heater holds 30-60 gallons of water. Discard the first few gallons if they contain rust or sediment. Let the water heater cool before draining it from the heater so it does not scald you. Turn off the electricity or gas to the water heater to prevent the heater from operating without water. Once water has been drained into clean, sanitized containers, add 5-7 drops of chlorine bleach* per gallon of water, and stir or shake the solution to mix it. Let it set 30 minutes before use. Emergency Outdoor Water Sources If you need to find water outside your home, you can use these sources. Be sure to treat the water first. Additional sources include: Rainwater Streams, rivers and other moving bodies of water Ponds and lakes Natural springs Avoid water with floating material, an odor or dark color. Use saltwater only if you distill it first. You should not drink flood water. Hidden Water Sources in Your Home If a disaster catches you without a stored supply of clean water, you can use the water in your hot-water tank, pipes and ice cubes. As a last resort, you can use water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl). Do you know the location of your incoming water valve? You’ll need to shut it off to stop contaminated water from entering your home if you hear reports of broken water or sewage lines. To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the faucet in your house at the highest level. A small amount of water will trickle out. Then obtain water from the lowest faucet in the house. To use the water in your hot-water tank, be sure the electricity or gas is 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. Using Swimming Pool Water You should always view your pool as “backup” water; keep the water treated; you never know when it will be needed! The maintenance of the free chlorine residual will prevent establishment of any microorganisms. The maintenance level should be kept about 3-5ppm free chlorine. (See Water Purification for detailed information on purifying pool water.) If other stored water stocks are not available, remove the necessary pool water and boil it or just treat with chlorine to the normal 5ppm. It is best to err on the side of caution. Covering the pool at all times when not in use is a very good idea. Try to keep the cover clean and wash the area you put it on when removing it from the pool.

Originally Posted By: nmchick Cookie, I love the hydrology map idea. I think you need to change your name to "SmartCookie". LOL...smart cookie? Don't I wish! But, look at this... http://www.zianet.com/lwv/nmwater.htm I found this is for you in a few minutes with a couple of good links for NM which has unique water woes and needs. Use the word Hydrology and you'll get all kinds of cool links.

I remember how I drooled over Darlene's account of how she had a well on her Miami property. While I don't think my association will approve that. For the sake of possible emergencies, I have been considering other ideas. Cookie outside the box again.(Or too much Flu meds ) This is a snip from another site: Just a side note; Some preparedness folks take a look at hydrology maps - even some metropolitan hydro maps may note natural springs, streams, abandoned wells, or underground drainage and seasonal watershed areas on private and public properties that are ignored, long forgotten or unused. I imagine there may be quite a few springs or wells nearby if you're in a rural area that has has very old homes or farms. Such watering holes may not provide a good solution for your needs, but it might be worth taking note of in a serious emergency.snip I considered this to use along with water harvesting and conserving. Rain collection etc. I found these things in a few minutes. A small list of larger springs with directions and links. A list of well use and artesians plus some cool places where torm drainoff is. I'm aware all of this will require care and filtering. Consider googling the same for your area. It only takes a few minutes and gives you more than one option for finding water. So, do you have a plan for finding water in the advent of a extreme natural disaster? When the regular faucett doesn't come on? http://www.miamiconservancy.org/ http://sjr.state.fl.us/programs/abandonedwells.html http://www.tfn.net/Springs/Springbook/

Originally Posted By: Cat Don't dress it in a pink frilly dress and a tiara as the Miami Babes do!!! NEXT you'll take my Glitter Pens for marking the gold Lame labels.. SHEESH!!!

Hey chica! I decided to reread your wonderful book again and was struck by this snippet: The news was getting worse every night. Oh, the newscasters were great. They had fun doing their job, and you could tell. But tonight, for a split second as the main anchor-man told of the dollar dropping yet again, the price of crude oil going up, and the tensions with China rising, you could tell/snip So odd you wrote this in 2005? and it feels like you worte it about today... Good and mildly scary! Hugs to you

Originally Posted By: jlegg759 I get calls at work all the time from companys that want to sell us computers, printers, copiers, suppies, or IT services...My fiance is a network engenier. Somehow they always leave me alone when I tell them that my fiance does all that for our company & no I'm really not interested in getting a quote or changeing providers. I'm quite happy with who I have. It really freaked out the new sales guy at his company when he called & I said I already used their company that my fiance & best friend worked there. He was afraid it would get back to his supervisor that he was trying to steal comissions Now that's funny!!!

Bump for Happy Camper45, who must put her idea for a canno-holic tee-shirt here...

Yeah but your OUR kinda crazy! I loved your reply!!!

You save magazines like Backwoods, Grit, Mother Earth not just for the articles, but as future toliet paper

bump

Grace&Violets, I remember that! My family is Western Slope and that was such a hard time for them. Luckily, they bulk shop as my father can only go out on limited time. But, there was nothing fresh and the roads were treacherous to try, ice everywhere. It creeped my step-mom out too when she made it to their safeway and found it stripped. Ironically, she said she now understood what happens down here in Hurricane season. Hugs to you

*AHEM* I am adding more to this list courtesy of Mother, Pigzilla and Necie and the others who know who you are: If you have ever *cased* an Estate sale, Flea Market or Auction for Canning Supplies. If you have enough lids to *tile* the bathroom (a nice mosiac pattern of sizes). If you've conceivably considered including your canner and supplies as a bequeath in your will. If you hope you're bequeathed a canner and supplies. If they ever opened it as a sport, you could CAN for the Olympics and medal. (Could you go for the Gold?) Have you named your canner?

You noticed I brought it back up AFTER she moved several hundred miles away?

Originally Posted By: preparing Hummmmm, why churches when schools are large and have kitchens also??? What makes you think they won't? Be aware, they own the schools. Most schools here are Hurricane shelters with mandatory staffing by some school personnel as well as gov. or Red Cross during emergencies.

I have to tell you, I did something wicked to Darlene when she was moving. I opened a cabinet to find Jars and jars of empties in pristine state. For a hoot I called Darlene over and said blithely (Just to see the reaction) "Your not gonna take all these empty jars with you are you? Want me to dump them?" Just to hear her dead serious tone (Think a female Clint Eastwood voice and look), "THOSE ARE CANNING JARS (Like I wouldn't know ) AND ARE COMING WITH ME. I know, I was taking my life in my hands wasn't I? Some of us have to live on the edge.

Originally Posted By: WiccadStargazer Screaming at people not to throw old phonebooks away...then marking them emergency tp as a note to self when you clean under the bed, and wonder what you were planning to do with them... Actually suggest to friends that they can always use the pages of their old phone books as TP or firestarters. Think it's perfectly normal to tell people you don't how to use their recyclables!

Originally Posted By: Mother I'm with you Leah, I COULD become a nudist but after one look at me I'd be one LONELY nudist cause everyone else would die laughing. That's why I have a... ahem,,,,small stash of material also. TEE HEE!!! Oh yeah and a little bit of yarn. You gave me another one!! If you cannot brush the dog, cut back vines, or even go for a simple idylic walk without seeing potential things to make yarn, thread, rope or cloth out of. If you've ever became annoyed at a family memeber becuase they unthinkingly made a meal out of something you had in preps. You become more annoyed when you realize it's thrown off your count. You cannot watch a single game show without calculating the preps you could buy with the contestants winnings. You think Yard Sale signs have some wierd magnetic pull for your car causing you to turn down that lane.

LOL!! RV Survivalism works well. I love this series because its sadly true! Here's some more: If your family every considered doing an *Intervention* over your addiction to _________ (insert) Fabric Seed Catalogues Ammo Fabric Geocaching St. Vinnies Farmers & flea markets Fabric Wholesale clubs Canning Food sealers & Fabric (Westie) Is there an *intervention* in your future?

Chicken Flavored tvp??

Pioneer Antique! Ooooh Goatherder!! I go for the shell! Pick the shell! LOL How about one more from the St. Augustine from me? When the reenactors stop calling on you when they ask a question. "Name ingredients of black powder?" "..Ohhhh oooooooooo I know! Charcoal, salt peter, and let me think..." People really think your into conservation and recycling because of all the milk and bleach jugs you have. That you have 20 uses for newspaper besides just reading them. Everyroom in your house has either a weapon or four kinds of emergency lighting. (I.E. Darlene's bullet clip in the china cabinet). Some of your cleaning supplies double as cooking/baking supplies.

Okay, Had to bring this one back up...had a moment. When you can actually Name four kinds of Wheat and defend their merits "The Montana Red Wheats the best!" (wink to QueenMum). When you have to explain to family that the #10 cans stacked along your wall are not paint cans. When they leave, you considered the idea of making fake labels that say "Wheat yellow paint" or "Rice white latex" for security reasons. When left with a common item like a mattress, you can come up with more emergency uses for it than McGyver. When going on vacation, you map out more bugout routes and water supplies than finding amusing attractions. You agree to finally vacation as long as it either includes Amish country, farmers markets or historical recreated living (St. Augustine!) You weird out the renactor by answering the question about the difference between a rifle and a flintlock 9smoothbore!!!).

Originally Posted By: Darlene Originally Posted By: MtnMama Thanks (I hate to ask you because I know you want to settle in!) Oh, nononononononooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...don't feel bad about asking me! THIS is FUN for me!!!!! lol You saw my house and boxes...I'd rather be looking at canners ANYtime vs dealing with that! lolol This is a nice little canner. It holds 7 quarts or 10 pints and normally retails somewhere around $175.00 new. Overall Height x Height Of Bottom Only x Inside Diameter: 12.25" x 7.75" x 12.63". It's their smallest 7 quart canner and would be the easiest to lift and move around. There's a day and a half left to bid on it...the last 5 minutes of the auction is when the price will go up so maybe think about what the highest bid you're willing to put in on it is and then wait till towards the end to put your bid in. Don't worry about the cleanup needed on the canner...a brillo pad will get that baby shining pretty. It has the weighted gauge which is good, and the dial gauge you can have checked out and if it's off, it's a piece of cake to replace. You did good finding this one...I hope you can get it! Let me know if you have any other questions. Ahhh, who needs to can? All canners look alike anyway... Cookie DIVES out the window and runs for it before Darlene can find her gun!

You silly goofs! LOL... I just drove down and packed boxes and cracked jokes and kidnapped poor Barbie into helping...LOL. Seriously! That's it...well, and made Darlene nap and put her leg up WHEN I won that arguement...LOL.

and ducks...did I forget to mention the ducks? Looking pointedly at goofy HsMom