In case you missed Part 1 on Friday about the drought currently affecting the UK, have a quick read by clicking here and just in case you are still not convinced by the greater extremes of weather affecting the UK, take a look at this article in The Guardian.

Everybody knows that water is the most precious resource during an emergency, as a person can survive for weeks without food (honestly!), but only a couple of days without water. As such, this should be your top priority for your home preparedness plan.

Of course, water storage can be useful in numerous situations ranging from having to turn off mains during a leak in your home, to contamination of the local supply (including from flooding) or drought.

I have touched on home water storage in previous posts (here and here), but now I want to look at it in more detail.

How much water do you need for an emergency?

As a bare minimum, you should have a three day water supply as part of your 72 hour survival kit (click here for a more info on them) as this is usually how long it takes for the government and other agencies to provide alternatives.

Ideally, your 72 hour survival kit should consist of 3-4 litres per person per day (i.e. 9-12lt per person) and should be enough for drinking as well as a small amount for hygiene and cooking. Children, the elderly and those with medical needs may even require more so adjust according to your needs.

But that’s a hell of a lot of water!

Clearly, if for instance you are preparing a family of four with young children, this is going to be a significant amount in both volume and weight, and it will be very difficult to carry if you have to leave your home (particularly without a vehicle), which is the whole point of the 72 hour survival kit in the first place.

As such, you should consider adding a filtration system such as the Aquamira Frontier Pro, which is small, light and can be attached to any standard drinks bottle, or the Life Saver Bottle, used by the British Army in Afghanistan and can filter up to 4000 litres.

Both filter nearly 100% of the pathogens and bacteria, allowing you to exploit any fresh water source while reducing the need to carry large amounts.

Make sure you think carefully about the needs of you and your family, and prepare accordingly. Don’t let small things which might affect your supply turn into the major drama of not having enough water to drink.

In part three on Friday I will look at longer term water storage, including appropriate containers and treatment.

Until then, don’t delay, prepare today!