No waterKāore he wai
Imagine having no water for three days or more. How would you wash, cook, clean? What would you drink?
Water supplies could be affected in an emergency. Have a supply of stored water for three days or more.
Top tips
Bottling water
Keep your empty water and fizzy drink bottles, give them a good clean and fill them with water. You need three litres of water for each person for each day that you are without water. Don’t use milk bottles. They are hard to clean and could make you sick. Don’t forget to store water for babies and pets too.
Long-term water storage
You can keep stored drinking water for up to a year if you add non-scented household bleach. Use half a teaspoon for every ten litres of water and don’t drink it for at least half an hour after mixing. Label each bottle with the date it was filled. Store bottles in a cool, dark place.
Stay fed and washed
Remember to store water for cooking and cleaning as well. You can use the water in your hot water cylinder, but store some extra in large plastic containers.
Freeze it
You can also fill plastic ice cream containers with water and keep them in the freezer. These can help keep food cool if the power is off and can also be used for drinking.
Talk about the impacts
Understanding the impacts of an emergency can help you get through. Have a chat with the people in your household and work out what you’ll do in these situations.
