Did you ever stop to think about how much water we actually use?
I just finished canning peaches, and thinking that in a SHTF situation, where water may be at a premium, canning takes way too much water to make it a viable way to store food. During the growing months, we may have all we can do to get enough water for growing food (and for our own drinking, cooking, sanitation). Perhaps a solar dehydrator would be a better alternative for food storage.
Do you think canning is a good choice?
I guess it would depend a lot on the water supply and how hard it would be to get it and/or make it potable. If we have a shallow well and a hand pump, it might not be too much of a factor, except for getting it from the well to the cooking area. But almost any other source of water would need to be filtered/sterilized before it could/should be used for canning.
I am assuming that electricity would be out also, so that a deep well pump would only work as long as there was enough fuel for a generator.
Rain water can be used for non consumption purposes, but still the amount needed would probably exceed water storage containers, especially if we had a dry summer.
It has been said that each person needs a gallon a day for drinking, and another gallon or two for hygiene. But I think I must have used at least 20 gallons not counting washing of the jars and then the pots afterward...all for 14 pints of peaches. If I were canning every day for a month or so, it would get old real fast, IF I could get that much water in a potable state consistently.
Probably we have all thought about the day to day water needs in a SHTF, but what about the amount needed for food production, food preservation, washing dishes and pots and pans (can't use paper plates forever) or for laundry. A child in diapers would need a lot of water just to keep the kid clean, and then to wash the diapers.
What about when someone is sick, and/or incontinent. Just trying to keep clean linens so they are comfortable and sanitary would be overwhelming...it's overwheling enough when we just turn on the spigot.
Yikes, I think I need to re-think my water situation.
Has anyone in this group looked into some way to pump from a deep well without electricity?
Other than mutant zombies (think bang-bang) water seems to be the biggest challenge.
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You are correct. Potable water is a huge challenge once the infrastructure breaks down. Google "manual well pump" and you'll find a ton of options. Solar/wind are options. There was a thread on Frugals about this also. We tend to waste water because it is cheap and easy to access. If it were priced like a agricultural commodity (probably will be within 100 years), it would be expensive.
ReplyDeleteI have a print-out for a desalination system, but it will work for other water sources as well. I will give everyone a copy.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cindy. What kind of volume can be expected...and I suppose since you said other sources, that it could be used on rain water????
ReplyDeleteThe desalination(& distillation)process is for smaller amounts of drinking water for emergencies. Depending on the size of the containers it can be increased to some degree. The benefit of this system is that you can use it in a parabolic solar oven or solar box oven to purify. So you gather free water and use the sun to make it potable. We are talking survival during hardpressed times of great need, but having the knowledge and ability can save lives.
ReplyDeleteAnother avenue I would like to address, is that of gathering rain water. It is always wise to filter and purify all rain water due to contaminants. Most of us consider the roof as a main source and allowing rain water to run into rain barrels, or some sort of catch/cistern. For permanent use this is the best, but can be expensive and the water is dirty.
Another method is to hang a cord between two poles or posts out in the open and pull it tight. Clothespin some painters plastic drop cloth to the cord and spread it out as full as possible but on a slight angle. The water that runs down the plastic can be collected at the bottom in a clean PVC pipe with a slit in it that accomodates the plastic. A slight tilt in the PVC pipe will allow the water to run into your container at the end. Filter the rainwater through a paper coffee filter and then boil for at least 10 minutes at a good rolling boil. If you are near a fence, you can hang the plastic from the fencetop, or off the bumper of your vehicle if need be. Just try to get the plastic away from objects that will drop unnecessary debris on the plastic's surface. Painter's plastic drop cloth is thin but extremely cheap for a large piece.
Check out this link for info on rain water harvesting and rain barrel building:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.harvesth2o.com/faq.shtml