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Does anyone have good ideas on what to do for a SHTF water supply? Has anyone built cisterns, rain water collection systems or drilled a well, even if hooked to public water? If rain water, how do you filter for drinking? And this discussion is on water SUPPLIES, not just stores you have saved (bottled, bags, barrels, etc.) as I would like to get ideas on how someone would guarantee their supply long term. Rain catching seems to be the cheapest, as it can be done with food-grade 55gal drums and some PVC pipe. However, a well would be ideal but costly. Are there any other ideas for those that don't have a stream or river running nearby?
Water requirements are always assumed to be eight 8oz. glasses a day. However, this assumes a 150lb adult exercising only 20 minutes a day. During SHTF or EOTWAWKI, Gathering food, hunting, gathering firewood, farming, preparing raw food and all the other work will cause all of us to work hard more than 20 minutes a day. Also, the American adults I know fall nowhere near 150lbs average weight, so this water requirement is exactly useless. Therefore, I found an online water calculator here. When I plugged in my stats, I found out I need FOURTEEN 8oz glasses of water a day if I only work hard 20 minutes a day. That's 12.25 gals for a two week period, or 61.25 gals for a two month period. This is a LOT of water!
The other thought that makes a well more desirable would be the ability to sell/barter water to others. If you have a well, you can trade fresh, clean water for food, ammunition, clothes, whatever. Since a well is stationary, holding the property and defending it would be a top priority. I found this site which could make it cheaper if you wish to provide the labor, but would have to be done while public water is available or you have a portable pump.
Are there any other thoughts out there?
Water requirements are always assumed to be eight 8oz. glasses a day. However, this assumes a 150lb adult exercising only 20 minutes a day. During SHTF or EOTWAWKI, Gathering food, hunting, gathering firewood, farming, preparing raw food and all the other work will cause all of us to work hard more than 20 minutes a day. Also, the American adults I know fall nowhere near 150lbs average weight, so this water requirement is exactly useless. Therefore, I found an online water calculator here. When I plugged in my stats, I found out I need FOURTEEN 8oz glasses of water a day if I only work hard 20 minutes a day. That's 12.25 gals for a two week period, or 61.25 gals for a two month period. This is a LOT of water!
The other thought that makes a well more desirable would be the ability to sell/barter water to others. If you have a well, you can trade fresh, clean water for food, ammunition, clothes, whatever. Since a well is stationary, holding the property and defending it would be a top priority. I found this site which could make it cheaper if you wish to provide the labor, but would have to be done while public water is available or you have a portable pump.
Are there any other thoughts out there?