WATER SHORTAGE SURVIVAL GUIDE Informative guide on dealing with modern water crisis.
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Table of Contents
Introduction ...................................................... 4 Methodology...................................................... 5 Finding Clean Water..................................... 7 Storing Water ................................................... 9 Dealing With Polluted Water ................ 11 Dehydration
Symptoms ................................................................... 13 Treatments .................................................................. 15
Waterborne Diseaseas
Symptoms .................................................................. 17
Dehydration Dehydration
Treatments ................................................................. 19
Introduction
Dehydration
This publication is to be used in cases of severe water emergency. As critical level water shortages can last long periods of time, this information may be updated in later issues. Some equiptment might not be available to you that is described in the manual. Disregard the entire section where the equiptment is used. Equipment that is safe to use on contaminated water is often slow, costly, inconvenient and/or high maintenance. It makes the most sense to use the filtration equipment that best meets your normal daily needs and shift to water storage or alternative methods of water treatment in times of emergencies. The methods and cases described in this booklet are not guaranteed to work during certain chemical reactions in the water cycle due to complexities in modern factory chemical outputs. Please use the material responsibly and help share the information with others.
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Methodology
The ability to and find wate the most cruc for your survi 19
o transport er is perhaps cial element ival. Water is considered polluted when chemicals, pathogens, or contaminants are detected.
You must act quick in order to prepare yourself for a prolonged period without having access to ready-clean water.
Remaining calm is critical in order to stabilize your heart rate and fight dehydration. Rationing water should not be attempted as it leads to dehydrating the body and eventually wakenings your chances of being strong enough to find a new water source. Here are several reasons why you might not be able to find clean water when there is none available during your immediate surroundings or your home:
Ground water pollution occurs when chemicals, debris, garbage, oil or other harmful contaminants enter the ground water supply over time. Ground water is often a resource for our drinking water. If it isn’t treated properly, those harmful elements can cause serious health issues for human beings and domestic animals.
Natural catastrophes are the cause of water pollution effects as well. Major upheavals such as storms, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, and volcano eruptions have been known to disrupt the ecological system and pollute water.
Dehydration
The growth of algae due to food items, feces, or urea in the water source is also a source of water pollution. When algae grow in water, it uses up more than its fair share of oxygen, causing other living organisms in the body of water to suffer. Certain types of algae can be fatal if they reach an algal bloom stage, otherwise known as brown or red tides.
The process of contamination begins with tiny organisms called zooplankton and travels up the food chain through clams, birds, marine creatures, and ultimately, humans. These types of algae are considered toxic because they have been known to cause fatalities in humans.
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Finding Clean Water
In extreme temperatures the human body can require over a gallon of water a day. Always carry enough water that if the spring or intermittent stream at your proposed campsite is dry, you can make it back out. Don’t count on water being available just because the map shows a spring. You can probably trust people who have actually been there – so long as they were there yesterday, not the week or month before. Even in that case, bring along some extra water.
Following the Water In an emergency, your map, your eyes and your trowel are your best bets for finding water. Examine the map not only for springs and streams, but also for man-made structures like wells, cattle tanks and windmills. There may be a seep or spring nearby. Keep an eye out for cottonwoods, sycamores and seep willows growing in dry stream beds. They too may mean water is close at hand. If you find damp sand, dig down with your trowel. You may find water further down, or you may be able to wait until the depression fills up. Search out places in canyons where flash-flood waters have scoured away the sand and gravel, exposing bedrock. Shallow depressions in the bedrock, called tinajas, may have trapped pools of rainwater. If you’re hiking the ridges in hilly terrain, examine the canyon floors below you for the bright flash of sunlight reflecting in a water-filled pothole. Lava and limestone are porous rocks that often contain springs. A cave in a limestone cliff or a place where lava abuts a sandstone cliff may contain a seep or a spring. Look for the dark stains and green moss that mark seeps in sandstone cliffs. In the high desert in the winter months, examine the shady north sides of cliffs where the sun never shines. Lingering snow patches may provide a source of water. Whatever the source, an easily cleaned water filter will not only remove whatever critters may exist, but also the inevitable sand and silt. If you are near a coast, always head in the direction of the ocean. Ocean water is not drinkable,
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but all rivers and streams meet up before entering the ocean. If you are not near a coast, always head downhill. Water flows downhill, and you will increase your chances of finding it if you travel downhill. Another great way to find a source of water is to follow a dried up creek bed. Creeks and streams eventually meet up to form rivers, so by following the creek bed you are sure to find water.
Digging These deserts all receive some rainfall or snow, though it may be months between such events and there may not be any readily available surface water such as lakes or streams. In such deserts, one way to find water is to dig for it. Water often seeps just beneath the surface, where it is retained by underlying layers of rock and cannot evaporate since it is not exposed to the sun. The key to finding such hidden reservoirs of water is to know where to dig. Dry washes are often located in ravines or hollows between hills or in the bottoms of canyons in mountainous deserts. These washes are streambeds in times of rare rains and can become raging torrents in a flash flood. Water is often found by digging in such dry stream beds. You can make an educated guess as to where to dig by looking for signs of moisture, such as damp sand. If conditions are too dry for this to occur, look for areas along the streambed with the most vegetation and dig adjacent to this greenery. Chances are you’ll find moisture within a couple of feet of the surface if there is much plant life nearby. Water often collects beneath the surface in areas of the streambed where there are sharp bends. Dig near the outside of such bends if there is no indicating greenery anywhere to be found. If you do find water by digging like this, it may not be in large quantities. When you dig down and find wet sand or gravel, keep scooping out this material until water gradually seeps into the hole. If there is not enough water to dip out and drink in a conventional way, you can sponge it up with a shirt or other article of clothing and squeeze it out into your mouth
Rock Formations Water can also be found in natural rock pockets that are common in arid mountains and hills.
Sometimes these natural pools can contain a large quantity of easily obtained surface water. Before drinking such water look for signs of mineral poisoning by checking for signs of animals using the water. If you see lizard, rodent or other animal tracks leading to and from the pool, but don’t see any remains of small animals nearby, chances are the water is okay to drink.
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.
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.
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.
Dehydration
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
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Storing Water
Water storage is important. Having an ample supply of safe, clean water is a top priority in an emergency. Amount of Emergency Water to Store Whereas a quart of water or other fluid daily will sustain life, according to the Department of Defense and the Office of Civil Defense, it is recommended that a gallon of water per day per person be stored for food preparation and drinking. A gallon provides added comfort and accommodates increased fluid needs at higher altitudes or warm climates. An additional one-half to 1 gallon per day is recommended for bathing and hygiene, and to wash dishes. How much water should I store? The rule of thumb is to store at least one gallon per person per day for at least 3 days (for earthquake preparedness). That’s 2 quarts for drinking and 2 quarts for food preparation and sanitation. A family of four should store a minimum of 12 gallons of water. Personally, I recommend at least a 10 day supply of water and a 30 day supply if it all possible. Use the following guidelines when storing water: 1. Store drinking water in carefully cleaned, noncorrosive, tightly covered containers. 2. Store containers in a cool dark place. DO NOT store in direct sunlight. Polyethylene plastics (prepackaged milk and water bottles) are somewhat permeable to hydrocarbon vapors. Keep away from stored gasoline, kerosene, pesticides, or similar substances. 3. Stored tap water should be rotated every 6 months. Prepackaged bottled water should be rotated once a year. Check the pull date on the container. Be sure it didn’t sit on the store’s shelf for a year before you purchased it. Self Serve Bottled Water should be rotated once a year, as long as the water treatment process includes ozonation.
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Containers That Can be Used for Water Storage Food-grade plastic or glass containers are suitable for storing water. One-, three- and five-gallon water containers can be purchased from most outdoor or hardware stores. Any plastic or glass container that previously held food or beverages such as 2-liter soda bottles or water, juice, punch or milk jugs, also may be used. Stainless steel can be used to store water which has not been or will not be treated with chlorine; chlorine is corrosive to most metals. 55 gal drums, designed specifiacally for water storage can be difficult to transport, if the need arises, but are of a tremendous value in an emergency .When looking for additional food grade containers, the bottom will be stamped with HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene) and coded with the recycle symbol and a “2″ inside. HDPE containers are FDA-approved for food. Containers without these designations aren’t OK because of possible chemical interactions between the water and the plastic. Clean used containers and lids with hot soapy water. Once the containers have been thoroughly cleaned, rinse them with water and sanitize the containers and lids by rinsing them with a solution of 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Leave the containers wet for two minutes, then rinse them again with water. Remember to remove the paper or plastic lid liners before washing the lids. It is very difficult to effectively remove all residue from many containers, so carefully clean hard-to-reach places like the handles of milk jugs. To sanitize stainless steel containers, place the container in boiling water for 10 minutes. Never use containers that previously held chemicals.
than use whatever you can. If you are wearing a parka or windbreaker, scoop the water up with this. If not, use your clothing. Assuming the normal hiker doesn’t carry pots around with them, you are going to need a different way to boil water. Find a spot where the ground is soft and muddy, and dig a basin into the ground. It should be about half a foot deep, and at least a foot across. Line the basin with plastic or clothing, so no mud gets into your water. Pour the water into the basin.
Where to Store Water Clearly label all water containers “drinking water” with the current date. Store the water in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Do not store it near gasoline, kerosene, pesticides or similar substances. When potable water is properly stored, it should have an indefinite shelf life; however, it’s a good idea to use and replace the stored water every 6 – 12 months. Rotating water this way provides you with an opportunity to experiment and check the amount of stored water against what you require. It also serves as an additional precaution against bacteria or viruses growing in containers which may not have been thoroughly or properly cleaned and sanitized. If you have freezer space, storing some water in the freezer is a good idea. If you lose electricity, the frozen water will help keep foods in your freezer frozen until the power is restored. Make sure you leave 2 to 3 inches of space in containers because water expands as it freezes.
Dehydration
4. Rotate your stored water with the water you use on a regular basis. This practice helps insure you don’t have water stored longer than one year.
If you have a reliable water source If you happen to come across a stream, river, lake, or any other body of water, consider yourself lucky. If you don’t have a container of any sort,
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Dealing With Polluted Water Effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in what locations.
Many bodies of water near urban areas are highly polluted. This is the result of both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or illegally dumped by industries. Farmers often use chemicals to hinder bug infestations or other diseases from damaging or ruining their crops. They may also use chemicals to enhance the growth of their crops. Either way, these chemicals seep into the ground water or run off into lakes, creeks, or rivers, causing water pollution. Humans are affected by the heavy metals ingested by the fish and shellfish, causing health problems and sometimes death. The heavy metals in water have also been linked to severe birth defects, a damaged or suppressed immune system, cancer, fertility problems, and developmental problems in children. Ground water pollution occurs when chemicals, debris, garbage, oil or other harmful contaminants enter the ground water supply over time. Ground water is often a resource for our drinking water. If it isn’t treated properly, those harmful elements can cause serious health issues for human beings and domestic animals. The growth of algae due to food items, feces, or urea in the water source is also a source of water pollution. When algae grow in water, it uses up more than its fair share of oxygen, causing other living organisms in the body of water to suffer. Certain types of algae can be fatal if they reach an algal bloom stage, otherwise known as brown or red tides.
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Debris tossed onto land eventually makes its way into storm drains and then returns to surface water. Ships and boats discharging human waste or chemicals into the water directly are simply speeding up the pollution process.
When and How to Treat Water for Storage f you find a stream of water (which is one of the first things that you should look for - very important) don’t drink the water raw. It may very well contain bacteria that would give you terrible and painful diseases. So you must sanitize the water. You can boil it, and unless you want to lug around a heavy pot, you should always have some aluminum foil in a survival kit to mold into a pot (and yes, you can boil water in foil). In an emergency, if you do not have water that you know is safe, it’s possible to purify water for drinking. Start with the cleanest water you can find and treat with one of the following methods: * Boiling and chlorinating: Water can be purified by boiling. Boiling times may vary from state to state, depending on altitude. In Colorado, the water is safe to use once after it has been boiled for three to five minutes and
has cooled. If you plan to store boiled water, pour it into clean, sanitized containers and let it cool to room temperature. Then add 5-7 drops, or 1/8 teaspoon, of chlorine bleach* per gallon of water (1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons). Stir or shake the solution to mix it. Cap the containers and store them in a cool, dry place. * Filtering and chlorinating: You can filter water if you have a commercial or backpack filter that filters to 1 micron. These are available in sporting good stores and are recommended for use when back-packing. They are not recommended to clean large volumes of water. Filtering eliminates parasites such as giardia and cryptosporidium, but it may not eliminate all bacteria and viruses. Therefore, it’s recommended that 5-7 drops (1/8 teaspoon) of chlorine bleach* be added per gallon of filtered water (1/2 teaspoon for 5 gallons). Stir or shake the solution to mix it. Wait 30 minutes before using the water, or cap the containers and store them in a cool, dry place. *Use liquid household bleach that contains 5.25 percent hypochlorite. Do not use bleaches with fresheners or scents as they may not be safe to consume. The above treatment methods use a two-step approach so less bleach is needed, yet giardia and cryptosporidium are destroyed through boiling or eliminated by filtering. Chlorine may not be effective against these parasites. Since adding too much chlorine to water can be harmful, it’s important to be as accurate as possible when measuring.
Despite all the mothods listed here if you are not eqipped with the exact tools you will run a hugh risk of catching a waterborne disease. A clean source of water is recommenede d unless you are moderately or severely dehydrated.
* Distillation Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt and other impurities. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot’s lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.
Dehydration
Most water filtration devices are designed for use on microbiologically safe water. Don’t assume they are safe to use on contaminated water. Check with the manufacturer to be sure. You could also use iodine tablets to sanitize the water.
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The Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration
Every move y be potentially are in a stage dration proce immediately.
Dehydration is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on how much of the body’s fluid is lost or not repl
Symptoms of dehydration usually begin with thirst and progress to more alarming manifestations as the need for water becomes more dire. The initial signs and symptoms of mild dehydration in adults appear when the body has lost about 2% of it’s total fluid. These mild dehydration symptoms are often (but not limited to):
Increased heart rate Increased respiration Decreased sweating Decreased urination Increased body temperature Extreme fatigue Muscle cramps Headaches Nausea Tingling of the limbs
Increa Increa Decrea Decrea Increa Extrem Muscle Headac Nausea Tingli
Thirst Loss of Appetite Dry Skin Chills Skin Flushing Head Rushes Dark Colored Urine Dry Mouth 19 Fatique or Weakness
you make can y fatal if you e three dehyess. Seek help
lenished. When severe, dehydration is a life-threatening emergency.
If the dehydration is allowed to continue unabated, when the total fluid loss reaches 5% the following effects of dehydration are normally experienced: When the body reaches 10% fluid loss emergency help is needed IMMEDIATELY! 10% fluid loss and above is often fatal! Symptoms of severe dehydration include:
Be aware that these are not the only symptoms of severe dehydration that may manifest in response to dehydration, these are simply the most common. Symptoms of dehydration will differ from person to person because the body is a complex network of systems and everyone’s body is different. When these systems are disturbed due to loss of fluids there will be several common symptoms shared by most bodies, but there may also be unusual or unexpected responses depending on the particular person in question. Age also plays a part in the
manifestation of symptoms. Signs of dehydration in a child will not be the same as those experienced by a teenager, adult or in the elderly. Dehydration prevention is the best treatment for every age group. heatstroke is always around the corner.
severe dehydration may result in seiz ures, permanent brain damage, 14 or death.
Dehydration
ased heart rate Muscle spasms ased respiration Vomiting ased sweating Racing pulse ased urination Shriveled skin Dim body vision ased temperature mePainful fatigueurination Confusion e Difficulty cramps breathing ches Seizures a Chest and Abdominal pain Unconciousness ing of the limbs
Treatment of Dehydration
Intravenous fl hospitalizatio necessary for severe dehydr
Untreated severe deh
Muscle spas Vomiting Racing puls Shriveled Dim vision Painful uri o Confusi n Difficulty There are many things that can cause dehydration, the most common are vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, malnutrition, and plain old failure to replenish liquids lost from sweating and urination (Not drinking enough water). Many illnesses and diseases can trigger acute dehydration due to the increased body temperature and sweating that usually occur. This is why your doctor tells you to drink plenty of fluids when you are ill. Your body uses fluids to expell toxins as well as to keep your system flexible, lubricated and running smoothly.
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Increased heart rate Increased respiration Decreased sweating Decreased urination Increased body temperature Extreme fatigue Muscle cramps Headaches Nausea Tingling of the limbs
fluids and on may be se d skin moderate to Chills Head Rushes ination ration.
hydration may result in seizures, permanent brain damage, or death.
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Drinking fluids is usually sufficient for mild dehydration. It is better to have frequent, small amounts of fluid (using a teaspoon or syringe for an infant or child) rather than trying to force large amounts of fluid at one time. Drinking too much fluid at once can bring on more vomiting.
Electrolyte solutions or freezer pops are especially effective. These are available at pharmacies. Sport drinks contain a lot of sugar and can cause or worsen diarrhea. In infants and children, avoid using water as the primary replacement fluid.
breathing
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Dehydration
Intravenous fluids and hospitalization may be necessary for moderate to severe dehydration.
Waterborne Diseases
Human infectious diseases are among the most serious effects of water pollution, especially in developing countries, where sanitation may be inadequate or nonexistent. Waterborne diseases occur when parasites or other disease-causing microorganisms are transmitted via contaminated water, particularly water contaminated by pathogens originating from excreta. These include typhoid, intestinal parasites, and most of the enteric and diarrheal diseases caused by bacteria, parasites, and viruses. Among the most serious parasitic diseases are amoebiasis, giardiasis, ascariasis, and hookworm.
constipatio cough headache loss of ap stomach pa
Developed countries are not immune to the problem of infectious waterborne diseases. In 1993, high cryptosporidium levels in Milwaukee’s drinking water supply sickened more than 400,000 residents. That was an unusually extreme case, but transmission of disease agents such as bacteria and cysts via contaminated but poorly treated municipal water is more common than it should be. Every year, an estimated seven million Americans are sickened by contaminated water. This is only partly due to drinking water—contamination of recreational water (such as beach water) is also a problem.
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bleeding f diarrhea delirium
on
Typhoid Typhoid is usually transmitted by water or food, in much the same way as cholera. People who are infected excrete live bacteria in their feces and urine. They are usually contagious for a few days before any symptoms develop, so they don’t know they need to take extra precautions. If they don’t wash their hands properly, the typhoid bacillus can be transferred to food or water and from there to another person. Also, it can be spread directly from person to person via contaminated fingers. About 3% of infected people, whether treated or not, become asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella typhi. This means that they continue to shed bacteria in their feces for at least a year and often for life. Most asymptomatic carriers are senior women with gallbladder disease. There are a small number of typhoid carriers in every country. Even Canada and the United States report dozens of locally transmitted cases of typhoid each year, though most cases in these countries are among travellers or people immigrating who are ill when they arrive.
ppetite ains
Other complications of typhoid occur when large number of bacteria get into the bloodstream, causing bacteremia. They can travel to the lungs, causing pneumonia, or to the lining of the brain (meningitis), the bones (osteomyelitis), heart valves (endocarditis), the kidneys (glomerulitis), the genital or urinary tract, or the muscles.
Dehydration
from the rectum 19
Waterborne Disease Treatments
Typhoid
is treated with antibiotics, which usually clear up symptoms in less than a week. Very few people die of typhoid if they are properly treated. However, they are likely to be infectious for at least a week after symptoms pass. About 10% of people remain infectious, excreting the organisms in the stool for three months or more. The long-term carrier state is unlikely to occur except for those with gallbladder disease. Careful handwashing after bowel movements and prior to food handling will prevent transmission.
constipatio cough headache loss of reh ap stomach int pa
Preventing typhoid is all about avoiding contaminated food and water. The same healthy practices will also help protect you from diseases such as cholera and hepatitis A, which are transmitted in the same way.
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ant bleeding f zin diarrhea delirium
requires immediate treatment because the disease can cause death within hours. * Rehydration. The goal is to replace fluids and electrolytes lost through diarrhea using a simple rehydration solution, Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), that contains specific proportions of water, salts and sugar. The ORS solution is available as a powder that can be reconstituted in boiled or bottled water. Without rehydration, approaximately half the people with cholera die. With treatment, the number of fatalities drops to less than 1 percent. * Intravenous fluids. During a cholera epidemic, most people can be helped by oral rehydration alone, but severely dehydrated people may also need intravenous fluids. * Antibiotics. Recent studies show that a single dose of azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax) in adults or children with severe cholera helps shorten diarrhea duration and decreases vomiting. * Zinc supplements. Research has shown that zinc may decrease and shorten the duration of diarrhea in children with cholera.
ppetite hydration ains travenous fluids tibiotics from the rectum nc supplements 19
Dehydration
on
Cholera
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Dehydration
“When you’r it’s too late t about diggin
re thirsty to think ng a well.� Japanese Proverb
Keep the publication in a dry place away from direct sunlight. Issue No. 1 November 9, 2009
Ref No. 738373376848