Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink

 You can't live without it, but we take it for granted. We think, "Water will always be here, all I have to do is turn on the tap." But what if what is coming out of the tap is tainted? Or the water supplier's system goes down? Recently, E-Coli has been found in the Baltimore, Maryland Water system, Polio has been found in New York's water system and Jackson, Mississippi's water treatment system was damaged by flood waters.

Baltimore Water System infected with EColi

After a major catastrophe, the cost of water in the area you live will skyrocket. We aren't in a crisis mode where I live, and the price of a 24 pack of bottled water has risen from 3.50 pre-pandemic, to over $5.00. One thing we know about the new pricing of food products is it has no basis in reality. It's not a combination of factors such as transportation costs, labor, or even the rising prices of commodities that are making prices go up. It's simply greed. And the issue with greed driving prices is man's greed has tended to be without limits in our long history.

Storing stacks and stacks of 24 bottle packs isn't feasible for most people. But having something on hand is a necessity now. Part of your improved pantry has to be stored water. I recommend that you start to store both 5 gallon bottles and long term storage water. These larger bottles can be found at hardware stores, Walmart and big box discount stores like Sam's Club, Costco and BJ's. 

You'll need two pump options, one manual and one electric. The manual is a the backup in case power is lost. If you find one that runs on battery power, that is a good choice. Always have two options. You can get a manual pump for about the same as an electric pump. Get your family used to using them now, so it's not such a big transition. You can find them at Amazon, Hardware Stores and Big Box retailer's. Look at the reviews, as some don't come with good directions.

Also, know your family usage of water. If you buy larger bottles and find lots of them sitting half full at the end of the day, then you need to buy the smaller bottles for them to use. Monitor their water usage, they should be drinking adequate amounts of water to stay hydrated. In the event of a pending storm, you could always clean your tub really, really well and store water there. You can also use the manual pump to move water from the tub to bottles in an emergency, it will take a little ingenuity on your part, but assess the situation and act quickly.

How much water should you be drinking?

Adults should be drinking 6 to 8 - 8 ounce glasses of water per day. Children should take in half of that amount. If you need to flavor your kids water so they drink it, try to use a flavoring choice that is low in sugar. Get children used to the taste of Agave Syrup early. It's much better than artificial sweeteners, and can even be used with people who have to watch their sugar intake due to medical issues. 

Also, watch the color of your urine and that of your children during emergency, drought and times of high temperature. Depending on color, you may need to take immediate action to hydrate a loved one.

Don't forget to put your water into a rotation pattern also. Try to buy purified water instead of Spring or Alkalinized water. The vast majority of people's PH is adequate. If you find there is a brand you prefer, then budget out how to have some of it on hand. 

You can't live without water. Make a plan now to have stored water on hand so you won't be a victim of price gouging. Also, if you can drive away from your local area where there is a water issue, you may find water cheaper at another location. Calculate the cost in gas and time before you do this, however. And set a limit on how much you want to pay for scarce items in your mind, then determine the cost of storing it at its current price now. It's time to start keeping track of pricing so you can prepare ahead of rising costs if at all possible.