YOUR PERSONAL

WATER SURVIVAL
GUIDE
HOW TO SOURCE IT, TREAT IT,
STORE IT AND MAKE IT LAST

4Patriots.com
 © Copyright 2021 — 4Patriots.com
For educational use only — see Terms & Conditions and Disclaimers
at 4Patriots.com
 YOUR PERSONAL WATER SURVIVAL GUIDE

YOUR PERSONAL
WATER SURVIVAL
GUIDE
HOW TO SOURCE IT, TREAT IT,
STORE IT AND MAKE IT LAST

INTRODUCTION
When you are thirsty, need to do dishes or
take a shower, you simply walk to the sink or
bathtub and turn the handle on the faucet.
If your access to water were to be cut off, you
Most people in the United States have never would need to find a way to get clean drinking
turned that handle and been met with a lack of water in order to survive. And quickly.
flowing water. It is for that reason that many
find it so easy to take water for granted. What if there were no running water due to
an incident that interrupted the flow from
While the infrastructure in this country has municipal sources or from your well? Or
been traditionally strong, it has become what if you did have running water, but it was
vulnerable in recent years. This has been contaminated by acts of terrorism, flooding or
proven many times over when various natural in other ways?
or manmade disasters left portions of the
population without clean water for a period Many people assume the Federal Emergency
of time. Some of these contaminations have Management Agency (FEMA) or the Red
started at the source. More often water has Cross will come to their aid in such situations.
become contaminated en route to homes and However, disasters stretch those organizations
businesses. Especially when it travels through too thin, and the effects of these crises often
aging lead pipes. make it impossible to reach stranded people.

It is possible to live without food for quite a We’ve seen this time after time over the past
few days, but this is not the case with water. two decades. The devastation of Hurricane

1 4 PAT R I OT S .CO M 2021 © COPYRIGHT

 H O W T O YSO
OUURR C
PEE RI TS, OTNRAELA TWIATT, ESR
T OSR
UER V
I TI VAANL DG M
U IADKEE I T L A S T

Katrina, which slammed the Gulf Coast in man walked for four hours until he reached a
2005, is one of the most well-known examples flooded grocery store. He was able to find a
of why being prepared is important. After the case of water, which he then dragged back to
winds subsided, many residents thought they his home. It took rescuers six days to reach
had dodged a bullet. When the levees failed, him and his wife. Had he not found that water,
however, many died while praying for rescuers it is unlikely they would have survived.
to reach them.
More recently, Hurricanes Harvey in
southeastern Texas, Sandy in the Northeast,
and Irma, Matthew, Michael, Florence, Dorian,
Laura and Sally in Florida and other states
devastated the landscapes and took a number
of lives. In nearly every case we saw that it can
take days and weeks before power is restored,
supply chains are reopened, and clean drinking
water returns to homes and businesses.

That is why you must have a plan that includes

water storage and how to source and collect
water in an emergency. There are any number
Few will ever forget the images of men, women YOUR ofE Rsituations
P SONAL WA that
T E Rcould
S U R V result
I V A L Gin
UIa
DEneed for you
and children huddled on rooftops and of dead to be self-sufficient when it comes to water,
bodies left on sidewalks. Not to mention the food and other essentials.
horrific conditions in the Louisiana Superdome
where many went to seek shelter. Some said it This guide will teach you the basics of such
was safer out in the storm than in that facility. preparation. Start making plans today. You
never know when your preparation will mean
When Hurricane Ike bore down on the Gulf the difference between life and death.
of Texas in 2008, some residents scrambled
to evacuate. Flooding that took place much
earlier than anticipated thwarted evacuation
plans for many, forcing them to ride out the GENERAL PREPARATION
storm.
WHEN A DISASTER IS IMMINENT
One of the hardest hit areas was Galveston.
Three-quarters of the homes in Galveston As previously mentioned, you should begin
were damaged or destroyed. Sadly, many who your emergency planning today. Waiting for a
had tried to follow the orders to evacuate disaster to be imminent could mean you do
were killed when the flooding forced them to not have the time needed to properly prepare.
stay. Many who did survive were faced with Obviously, some disasters will come without
the daunting task of getting through the first warning. Others might give you some time, but
several days until rescuers could reach them. you may find it difficult to find the items you
need.
Because they had planned to leave, many did
not have any water or food to sustain them. That being said, there are some steps you can
The stories of survival are amazing. One older take when you know a disaster is coming.

2021 © COPYRIGHT 4 PAT R I OT S .CO M 2

 YOUR PERSONAL WATER SURVIVAL GUIDE

Fill Bathtub: Fill the bathtub, sinks and any disasters for which there will be no warning
other containers you can get your hands on whatsoever. They include:
with water. Some people keep five-gallon
containers on hand, but even if you do not • Acts of war
have such large containers, fill anything you
can with water. Keep in mind that water stored • Terrorism
in containers that are not food grade should
only be used for sanitary purposes rather than • Tornadoes
for drinking. Still, you should collect as much
water as possible in the hours leading up to • Flooding
the disaster.
• Earthquakes

• Wildfires

When such disasters strike, you will either

be prepared or you will not. Take to heart the
reality that good preparation can save your life
and the lives of those you love.

STORING WATER
Buy Extra Cases of Water: This is a step that HOW MUCH TO STORE
really illustrates the importance of preparing
ahead of time. If you wait until a disaster is How much water you should store depends on
coming, you will probably have a hard time many factors such as the number of people in
finding cases of water. Thousands of people your household, how much storage space you
will also be attempting to prepare at the last have and how long you would like your supply
minute and bottled water will be one of the to last.
first things to sell out.
Obviously, the more water you have, the more
Still, if you do not have a good supply of water prepared you will be. But the fact is, most
on hand, you should try to find some even if it people simply do not have the space to store
means driving to several stores to do so. sufficient amounts of water for the long term.
That is why your preparation should include
YOU WON’T ALWAYS HAVE WARNING plans of where to source and how to collect
water, as well as how to purify it.
Running around to several stores looking for
water in the hours before a hurricane or other The general rule of thumb is that you should
disaster is inconvenient, but at least you will have one gallon of drinking water per day
have a chance to prepare. This is not always per person. While this is more than is
going to be the case. There are many types of generally needed per day to survive, if you are
particularly active – for example, clearing

3 4 PAT R I OT S .CO M 2021 © COPYRIGHT

 HOW TO SOURCE IT, TREAT IT, STORE IT AND MAKE IT LAST

debris in the hot sun – then you will need to In all cases, you want to be sure to store
drink more. water away from light and heat. A cool, dark
space is best. You also want to be mindful of
You should also have another one-half gallon the potential for containers to leak. For this
or so per person for sanitary purposes and for reason, you should not store bottles where a
handling other tasks, such as rinsing dishes. leak could damage wood floors or cause other
types of damage.
If you assume 1½ gallons of water per person
per day, you will be in good shape. You should For those with limited space, the types of
aim for at least a three-day supply, but that is containers you choose is important. There
a bare minimum. How many days’ worth you are options that enable you to stack the
decide to store is up to you, but you should try containers, allowing for more storage in a
to store as much as possible. limited space. If feasible, take advantage
of space under beds or consider dedicating
part of an extra closet to your storage. Some
people raise their bed for the purpose of
adding extra storage space beneath.

Storing water outside is not ideal. As

mentioned above, you want to avoid extreme
temperatures and sunlight. If it is your only
option, aim for storage in a carport or other
covered area where you can at least avoid
direct sunlight.

TYPES OF STORAGE CONTAINERS

Even if you have access to water, such as
a stream or nearby lake, you still need to There are many types of storage containers
consider a water storage program. Many types appropriate for storing water. Below are some
of disasters could cause the water source ideas.
to become contaminated, forcing you to rely
on your stored water for survival if you can’t Repurposed Containers: These include soda
purify it. bottles, juice bottles and any other containers
you have used that can be filled with water.
WHERE TO STORE WATER There are a couple of things to keep in mind
when using repurposed containers for water
Some people are lucky enough to have a storage:
basement or large garage in which they can
dedicate space for their emergency water and • Durability – These bottles and containers
food storage. Others live in small apartments were not designed for long-term use. For
and simply do not have the extra space. Still, that reason, they are more apt to develop
if you are creative, you should be able to find leaks than containers designed to be more
ways to store enough water to last your family durable.
for weeks in an emergency.
• Clear – Many of these containers are
clear. This makes it more likely that algae

2021 © COPYRIGHT 4 PAT R I OT S .CO M 4

 YOUR PERSONAL WATER SURVIVAL GUIDE

may develop as none of the light is being to buy barrels designed for water storage.
filtered. That being said, these containers These barrels will be made of food grade
are better than nothing. If you do use plastic and will be resistant to light and algae.
repurposed containers for all or some of Water storage barrels can be purchased in a
your water storage, it is important to rotate variety of sizes, including those ranging from
the water and to keep the water out of five to 55 gallons. You will also need a siphon
direct sunlight. and a spout, and many barrels come with
them. If yours does not, they can be
Bricks: Water “bricks” allow you to safely purchased separately.
and easily store, transport and access your
water supply. Some come with a convenient Pouches: Mylar pouches, similar to those used
interlocking design for easy stacking in BPA- with the boxed storage kits, are a good choice
free containers. for water storage that doesn’t take up a lot of
room. Mylar pouches are available in a variety
Make sure to get the kind that contains three to of sizes, so you can tuck them away in any
four gallons of drinking water and includes an extra small spaces around your home. They
easy-opening lid, built-in spigot and carrying are also lightweight and easy to move.
handle. Very portable, they take up very little
space. While they are not too easy to puncture, you do
need to treat them with care to avoid leaking.
Boxes: Boxed water storage kits are a great
choice for a number of reasons. Prepackaged Water: In addition to containers
you fill with water, prepackaged water is
• The boxes, each of which holds five another option for your water storage plans.
gallons, can be stacked, making this a The most common would be jugs and cases of
good choice for those with limited space. drinking water. These are fine for short-term
You can easily stack 20 or more gallons in storage and must be rotated regularly.
most closets and still be able to use the
closet for other purposes. For long-term storage, consider the following:

• The boxed water storage kits keep out light Canned Drinking Water: Canned drinking
completely, making this a good option for water is sealed in a number 10 can, just like
long-term storage. dehydrated foods intended for long-term
storage. The water has been treated in a way
• Should you have to bug out, boxed water that makes it suitable for storage for up to
storage kits are easy to take with you. 30 years. The cans are easy to move, can be
Unlike large barrels that can be too heavy stacked and there is little chance of leaking.
to move, each box only weighs about 40 The downside is that the canned water is pricy
pounds. when compared to other options.

Each kit includes a Mylar pouch you fill with Prefilled Pouches: Pouches containing
water. The pouch is then placed inside the box individual servings of drinking water are a great
for easy stacking. addition to emergency kits kept in a vehicle,
go bags or school emergency kits. Each pouch
Barrels: For large quantities of water storage, contains about four ounces of drinking water.
barrels are a good choice. You want to be sure

5 4 PAT R I OT S .CO M 2021 © COPYRIGHT

 HOW TO SOURCE IT, TREAT IT, STORE IT AND MAKE IT LAST

Boxed Drinking Water: Prepackaged boxed for several years. It is very difficult to store
drinking water is sold in four- and eight-ounce enough water for that period of time, which is
options. They are another good choice for why learning how to source, collect and purify
emergency kits, but take up more room than water is so important.
the pouches.
SOURCING AND COLLECTING WATER
SHORT-TERM STORAGE TIPS
Sourcing and collecting water can be
• For short-term storage, rotation is important for both the short term and the long
important. Be sure to use and replace your term. Even if you have stored water, it might
cases of water, as well as water stored in not be enough. For that reason, it is important
repurposed containers. to know where you can find water. For the long
term, it is important because storing enough
• For very short-term use, such as when a for months and years is virtually impossible.
disaster is imminent, use the tips above
and fill your bathtub, sinks and any other Know Sources Near You: Become familiar
container you can find. The water in the with water sources near you. This includes
tub should be used for sanitary purposes lakes, streams and similar sources. As
rather than for drinking. This is also true mentioned above, you will not be able to rely
for any water stored in containers that are solely on these sources, as it is quite possible
not food grade or that once held non-food for them to become contaminated. The key in
items. your emergency water plan is diversity, so this
could be one of the important pieces of the
LONG-TERM STORAGE TIPS puzzle.

• If you store water in the proper containers

and under the proper conditions, you
will not need to rotate the water as often
as with your short-term storage. That
being said, it is still a good idea to rotate
the water occasionally. One of the best
ways to do this is by conducting practice
drills, during which you only use your
stored water. Such practice drills will be
discussed below.

• Sometimes water can develop a bad taste

after being stored for a period of time.
This does not necessarily mean the water Rain Collection: Learning the basics of rain
is “bad.” Often, simply pouring the water collection is one of the best things you can
back and forth from one container to do in terms of your water survival planning.
another will allow the water to aerate and Rainwater collection generally includes four
improve its taste. steps:

Some people have emergency food storage • Collecting the rainwater

pantries that would sustain their families

2021 © COPYRIGHT 4 PAT R I OT S .CO M 6

 YOUR PERSONAL WATER SURVIVAL GUIDE

• Channeling the rainwater to tanks or during the daylight hours and is in a low
barrels for storage lying area.

• Purifying the rainwater • Dig about 15 inches down. You will need to
dig this deep in order to get any water. The
• Distributing the rainwater sides of the hole should not be straight up
and down. Instead, you should aim for a
There are many rainwater collection bowl shape.
systems. Some are homemade, and it is quite
inexpensive to get started. Others are more • Place your collection container in the
industrial and are a bit more costly to set up. center and cover the entire hole (including
Some think rainwater can only be used for container) with plastic sheeting.
gardening and similar purposes. But if you
have the proper purification systems in place, • Place a rock over the container and use
you can use rainwater for everything, other rocks to hold down the sides of the
including drinking water. plastic sheeting.

For the most basic of rainwater collection In the morning you should find that the
systems, you need to simply cut one of your condensation has collected in your container.
drainpipes and divert it to a large barrel. Be Because water collected in this manner may
sure to have more than one barrel on hand, so contain bacteria and other impurities, it is
you will be able to collect as much water as important to purify the water before use.
possible during a good rain. 

Wells: If possible, consider installing a well on
Some of the most elaborate systems will your property. As is the case with other water
include huge underground rainwater collection sources, the water can become contaminated,
tanks. This allows you to collect much more but as mentioned earlier, it is about having
water without the need to fill your yard with different options at your disposal.
storage barrels or tanks. This is also a good
option if you do not want it to be common
knowledge that you have a rainwater collection
system in place.

There are plans for do-it-yourself collection

systems online and a simple search will yield
you the names of companies that specialize in
installing rainwater collection systems.

Underground Water Still: While this will not

provide you with a significant amount of water,
if done properly you can get about a quart per
day. Below are the steps required to create an Cactus: You may have seen a survival show in
underground water still. which someone got water from a cactus in a
survival situation. If you plan to spend time in
• Choose a location that gets plenty of sun the desert, you should get to know the various

7 4 PAT R I OT S .CO M 2021 © COPYRIGHT

 HOW TO SOURCE IT, TREAT IT, STORE IT AND MAKE IT LAST

types of cacti you may encounter, as well as between 30 and 60 gallons of water on hand at
the basic methods of acquiring water from all times. It is important that you learn how to
each. access that water. Most hot water heaters have
a valve from which you can access the water,
• Not all cacti are safe to eat or drink from. but you will need a hose or pump to make
Some are poisonous and drinking water collecting the water easier.
from them can put you in danger.
Drain Pipes: As a last resort, you can cut
• It is important to learn the proper methods your pipes and drain any water that may have
of getting water from each type of cactus. settled in the pipes. Be sure to have containers
If you use the wrong method, you could ready to catch the water so that none goes to
waste what precious little water there may waste.
be in the cactus.
TREATING WATER
• If you plan to be in the desert, be sure
you have some tools with you, including If you do not have sufficient potable water in
a machete. Getting water from a cactus your storage or find yourself in an emergency
without a machete will be very difficult. situation in which you will need to treat water,
there are several methods to consider.
Swimming Pools: Swimming pools can be a
source of emergency water, but there are a few
things you’ll need to keep in mind.

• After a loss of power, the pools will quickly

begin to grow algae. That doesn’t mean
you will not be able to use the water, just
that extra treatment steps will be needed.

• Some are surprised to learn that it is

possible to drink water from a swimming
pool. Because different pool owners use
different chemicals, it is best to only
consider drinking the water from a pool for Boiling: Boiling water will kill pathogens and
which you know how the water has been bacteria, making many water sources safe for
treated. drinking. You must boil the water for at least
three to five minutes. If you are worried about
• Some chlorine is safe to drink. The FDA losing some of the water through evaporation
says that water with no more than 4 parts during the boiling process, simply cover
per million is safe to drink. Before drinking the pot.
pool water, you should boil it for at least
one minute and also run it through a high- If possible, filter the water before boiling. This
quality water filter. is especially important if the water appears
cloudy or has visible debris.
Hot Water Heater: Depending on the size of
your water heater, you have somewhere Filters: There are many different types of
water filters. A high-quality water filter

2021 © COPYRIGHT 4 PAT R I OT S .CO M 8

 YOUR PERSONAL WATER SURVIVAL GUIDE

can mean the difference between having Tips to Curb Your Use:
safe drinking water and having to drink
questionable water. • Ration drinking water. Know how much you
need each day, then ration it throughout
Ideally, you will include two water filters in the day. While rationing is important, you
your kit. The first will be a small pump type should always drink when you’re thirsty.
filter, like the ones you would use for camping.
The other would be larger and would have the • Rather than taking a normal bath, wash up
ability to process larger volumes of water. using a basin a few times a week and save
a full bath for once or twice a week.
If you are serious about emergency
preparedness, high-quality water filters should Think Like a Pioneer: Imagine if you had to find
be high on your list of items to add to your kit. and then carry every drop of water you used.
In a survival situation, this is how you need to
Chemicals: There are two chemicals think. Even if your emergency water supply is
commonly used to treat water: chlorine and neatly stored in your basement, you need to
iodine. Keeping iodine in your emergency think like a pioneer so you do not waste even
kit is a good idea, as it is effective at killing one drop.
many bacteria found in water. You must keep
in mind, however, that water treated with Gray Water: If part of your survival plan
iodine is not safe for everyone, particularly the includes growing your own food, you will need
elderly, pregnant women and those with an water for your plants. Consider collecting gray
allergy to iodine. Iodine must be safely stored water for this purpose. Gray water is water
at the correct temperature or it will lose some left over after bathing or washing clothes or
of its potency. dishes.

All you need to treat water with chlorine is It is safe to use this water for watering plants,
simple household bleach. For every quart but you should only use it on older plants and
of water, add two small drops of chlorine use cleaner water when tending to seedlings.
bleach and allow the water to sit for about
30 minutes. If the water is very cloudy, add a NOTE: While practicing conservation is
couple more drops and allow it to sit an extra important, you should not conserve drinking
30 minutes. water. Instead, drink what you need. Many
people have been found in the desert. They
If you keep bleach in your emergency supplies died of thirst with a canteen full of water
for this purpose, be sure to rotate it every because they thought it best to conserve. You
three to six months, as the potency of bleach need water, so drink what you need.
diminishes quite quickly.
IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICE
MAKING WATER LAST
An important part of your survival planning,
In a survival situation, you will need to including water storage, is practice.
conserve water and other supplies. Here are
some tips to curb the use of water. Drills: Do drills a few times a year with your
family, during which you turn off the water
supply and survive for a few days using only

9 4 PAT R I OT S .CO M 2021 © COPYRIGHT

 HOW TO SOURCE IT, TREAT IT, STORE IT AND MAKE IT LAST

your emergency water storage and source

collection methods. This type of practice will
ensure that every family member is familiar
with the various treatment and collection
options.

The drills will also make everyone much more

prepared should an actual emergency arise.
This will greatly reduce the amount of stress
each person will endure as they will already be
familiar with how to deal with only using your
emergency supplies.

If you do not already have an emergency

water plan in place, today is the day to start
developing one. There could come a time when
you do not have access to water and rescuers
are unable to reach you for days. Should such
an emergency arise, the preparation you make
now could be the difference between life and
death.

2021 © COPYRIGHT 4 PAT R I OT S .CO M 10

2920 Berry Hill Dr., Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37204
(800) 304-4202 | 4Patriots.com
V1.2