Natural Disasters
The United States government considers California one of areas most prone to Natural Disaster. Constantly at threat of high magnitude earthquakes, brushfires, mudslides and heat waves, Californian’s should be thinking about how they can prepare for emergency situations.
This is even more true now as we face one of the worst droughts in the states history. A drought so bad that NASA Satellites have captured photos of brown desert over the Sierra Nevada’s which were white with snow just last year.
Water Storage
Considering this, water storage is one of the most important parts of an emergency preparedness kit. Though the body can survive up to 21 days without food, without water it can only go on for 3 to 5 days. When the temperature rises the body can even become dehydrated in less than an hour.
However, water storage can be a difficult thing to maintain. Not only are there questions of how much water to store, but you also have to deal with the possibility of contamination.
While these issues have been a source of concern for many years, new technologies such as those developed by Life Systems Group are already solving these issues in homes across the state. In a disaster situation, there is no such thing as too much water. However, storage conditions often limit the amount of water that each household can maintain.
The general rule of thumb from organizations such as FEMA is that each home should store a minimum of a three day supply of one gallon of water per person, per day. However, in extreme heat the core body temperature requires a greater amount of water to avoid the risk of dehydration and stroke.
2 to 3 Gallons Per Day, Per Person
Considering this as well as the current drought, Dave Foucar of Life Systems Group says, “the world health organizations suggestion of two to three gallons of water per person, per day is a safer estimate.” When storing that much water you run the risk of contamination through stagnation. When water does not have proper flow it becomes more susceptible to bacteria growth.
FEMA suggests preventing contamination by treating the water with chlorine bleach along with replacing stored water every six months. However, this is so inconvenient for the average family that stored water is often times no longer potable by the time emergency strikes.
The city of Santa Monica is addressing these problems through the implementation of a new flow through tank called LifeTank. Invented by Mick Benson, LifeTank’s flow through technology is easily installed directly into an existing plumbing system. A hose in, hose out system allows flow during normal water use to replenish the supply. When water is used it flows from the city into the top of the tank while being pulled from the bottom of the tank into the home.
This creates a flow of water that keeps it fresh without maintenance. The tanks come in 80 to 120 gallon sizes that are uniquely linkable. Since the tanks can be connected the system is extremely adaptable to various needs. There are many things to take into account when considering your emergency water supply.
Fema
While FEMA offers advice on how to effectively store water in the home, new solutions such as LifeTank are transforming the way that water is stored. LifeTank’s simple installation into already established home plumbing systems makes it attainable by the average home user, while the linkable tanks make it versatile enough to be used in large-scale applications.
LifeTank’s new technology is already installed in homes across the state, making it an exciting and life saving development to water storage issues. For more information about LifeTanks and to download a list of Water Conservation Tips and Storage Solutions that are important for your home during this drought emergency, click here.
Be prepared, water safety and storage
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