What if you suddenly had no water.

I'm a home winemaker so I have a few 6 gal glass carboys. I used to scrub them clean and cork them, but now that im urban I keep them all full of water, all the time, and only empty them when I need to make wine.

I use 1 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite per 6 gal carboy.

This will keep the water stable for 6-10 years and settles to the bottom after 6-8 months, so the upper gallons can be siphoned off as clean clear water.

That is the same rate for wine preservation and considered safe for consumption. I also have a group of filters that range from .2 micron to .002 micron so pulling water from the spring fed creek about 200yds away is a source. There again at .2 micron I would treat it the same as bacteria laden tap water.

Originally posted by wiandiii
I would suggest getting some 55 gallon food grade containers and a hand pump for them. Fill them and keep them in the basement with a few drops of bleach in them. In a small town as you have described they may be harder to find though. Next best option would be the jugs they use in office water coolers which come in various sizes. Maybe your husband will be a little more open minded about keeping some kind of survival items in the house now. At the very least you could point out those jugs of water are cheaper than the $100 taxi ride into town.

The $100.00 taxi ride will be the start of my debate we will have concerning emergency preparedness. Being I was paying such high dollar to get water to my home, I wet the quick route and went to wal mart which I ended up buying 6- 2/1 gallons and 9- 1 gallons of water to which know i use them to haul water from the neighbors home. However after husband gets home we will go to the local hardware stores and if I still cnat find larger containers we will either order online or head to the big city which is 150 miles away....( noting this because wher I live is a good location alot of hot desert inbetween us and the larger city)

Originally posted by Shadowalker
I'm a home winemaker so I have a few 6 gal glass carboys. I used to scrub them clean and cork them, but now that im urban I keep them all full of water, all the time, and only empty them when I need to make wine.

I use 1 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfate per 6 gal carboy.

This will keep the water stable for 6-10 years and settles to the bottom after 6-8 months, so the upper gallons can be siphoned off as clean clear water.

That is the same rate for wine preservation and considered safe for consumption. I also have a group of filters that range from .2 micron to .002 micron so pulling water from the spring fed creek about 200yds away is a source. There again at .2 micron I would treat it the same as bacteria laden tap water.

I have never heard of using potassium metabisulfate, being it keeps water good for 6 or more years its seems the best option. We justbought 1 acre adjining our souh side of the property, What I want to do is get my water area, my fuel area, and bugout area on that land....id put the fuel in the lowest lying area, the bug ot area ext then the water in the upper area. We have a lake it is about 1/2 mile walk from my home. again as i said in op i live atop one of americas largest auafiers, I will definately invest in a hand pump.....I think the water issue put me in line with reality and making me want to do soemething about it.

Originally posted by lbndhr


If I hadnt found a solution by about 5:00pm I was going to call american red cross, where my situation became bad is, I didnt even have containers to beable to bring water in. but that is all changig know. If somethign happen again later in life, I do have an option, it is the lake about 1/2 mile away...again know that i haev the containers I dont feel so trapped and helpless.

And when there is no red cross? Then what? No neighbors with pumping wells who will share? How about people pounding on your door dying of dehydration and wanting your last half gallon?

Turn it all around. You have a pr of monolithic bucket purifiers. You enlist those in need to supply the labor to bring water to you and in turn you give them a share for their work and a standard 2 liter ration like you give to other folks. Now you have a small group of people depending on you and grateful they are not dying a terrible, painful death. Do you think they will help you defend the water system? Nope they will try to steal it from you.

There is a lot more to this than meets the eye.

I am sorry you had a water emergency, but am so glad the lessons you are teaching us about them! Thanks for the OP. We all should take into account general preparedness at any given time. Duh, boy scouts were taught this as a foundation to their futures of being successful productive contributors of society. Unfortunately, the girls didn't get the same memo from my time era. So kudos to you! I am so proud of you.
I just wanted to add a resource, when checking over the recommendation of 4 drops of bleach to a quart of water is correct measure, it is. Here is a link biotech.law.lsu.edu... It has other good infos, too.

Hope you get your pump fixed soon. As an item for your stand when evaluating your contingency plans, you might want to consider adding a hand pump fixture to your well site. Don't forget with those, if you don't use it, it will need to be primed, in order to getting it going again. And hand pump wells have seals as well, old ones may need refurbishing.

One last thing check with your county's extension service. They can get you into contact with who in the area does any kind of land resource work. Ours has a website, just google your county name with extension service and see where it leads you. Knowledge really is power, gather your resources, study and find what resources and needs you have and commit to filling areas of deficit

your friend in threads..

edit: sorry, you had already commented on the hand pump. I was composing when you responded.

reply to post by lbndhr


A teaspoon will keep 30 of the 750ml bottles of wine stable. Its probably overkill for water but hey. I think sodium metabisulfite may be a little less harsh, but I dont have any on hand.

The same store will also have powdered citric acid. (vitamin C) Depends on what your comfortable with.

If your buying a bottle of commercial wine it has potassium metabisulfite in it, for long shelf life.




Note: wine contains sulfites. Not sulfates as previously mentioned. Still need more coffee.

Originally posted by Shadowalker

Originally posted by lbndhr


If I hadnt found a solution by about 5:00pm I was going to call american red cross, where my situation became bad is, I didnt even have containers to beable to bring water in. but that is all changig know. If somethign happen again later in life, I do have an option, it is the lake about 1/2 mile away...again know that i haev the containers I dont feel so trapped and helpless.

And when there is no red cross? Then what? No neighbors with pumping wells who will share? How about people pounding on your door dying of dehydration and wanting your last half gallon?

Turn it all around. You have a pr of monolithic bucket purifiers. You enlist those in need to supply the labor to bring water to you and in turn you give them a share for their work and a standard 2 liter ration like you give to other folks. Now you have a small group of people depending on you and grateful they are not dying a terrible, painful death. Do you think they will help you defend the water system? Nope they will try to steal it from you.

There is a lot more to this than meets the eye.

At this current time I do have option to call american red cross, fire department and if need to last option the police. Someday these options wont be available. This current situation I am in has brought my reality into a differnt place, bringing my problem into this post with the advice/information being shared this is helping me kick myself in the booty and prepare for that, one day it will all on me to survive and hopefully I will be prepared which i hadnt done much until know. ok im calling myself out here, I am a sheeple who is escaping their clutches and somehow the light/reality is getting through the fog of disceptions and deciets hence pushing me into survival mode....I think this was meant ot happen so I will prepare.

reply to post by SunflowerStar


Thank you for your support and kind words. We woman, me anyhow has become to dependant on my husband, and to make it worse he is more a sheeple then I have been. No its time I stand up and take care of it, myself and the situation. I will be ok, This is bringing a sense of inner strength.

You know something I wanted to add regarding the water outage it should had been stated in the OP, I have a small 10 x 20 sq. ft garden, I also have grass tress and shubbery. Obviously I wont water grass, trees shrubbery, but the garden need watered, when evaluating how much water I need everyday I added 15 gallons for the garden, 10 gallons in the am and 5 gallons in the pm. I dont think we consider this when we are creating our survival packages and plans. We have X amount of food to last 3 to 4 maybe even a year right? We have seeds to plant our gardens so we have something to eat within weeks, but, if electricity goes out, pump goes out, we loose fuel, whatever reason, how are you going to water that garden you are realying on to feed you and your family???

reply to post by lbndhr


If you are totally desperate,Grab a roll of bin liners,tape/tie them onto tree/bush branches (ones with as much green leaves as possible),with one corner of the bag lower than the branch-Do that to lots of branches and bushes and leave over a day and night-then collect the water the plants have sweated out.
That can give you enough water to survive that bit longer,plus you can do it over and over for a week or two before the plants start to die.

Also dig holes in a sunny spot,line with bin liner plastic/cling film etc then chuck a load of moss/green foliage in,all tied up on a string so its about half way down.Seal the hole with another bin liner and some rocks and again leave a day and night.
Remember to filter off any bugs that may be in the water though.Should have mentioned that for the branch bags as well.

Originally posted by Silcone Synapse
reply to post by lbndhr

 

If you are totally desperate,Grab a roll of bin liners,tape/tie them onto tree/bush branches (ones with as much green leaves as possible),with one corner of the bag lower than the branch-Do that to lots of branches and bushes and leave over a day and night.
That can give you enough water to survive that bit longer,plus you can do it over and over for a week or two before the plants start to die.

Also dig holes in a sunny spot,line with bin liner plastic/cling film etc then chuck a load of moss/green foliage in,all tied up on a string so its about half way down.Seal the hole with another bin liner and some rocks and again leave a day and night.
Remember to filter off any bugs that may be in the water though.Should have mentioned that for the branch bags as well.

edit on 12/6/2011 by Silcone Synapse because: brackets

good suggestions if the times make me that desperate, im actually going to write that in the survival log I need to create. thanks

reply to post by lbndhr


Good Job! You answered your own question. You took into account your garden needs and added it to your household needs. But I would switch the amounts on am and pm watering schedule. Less evaporation of water during the evening and overnight, than with the am watering. Meaning roots have moisture to absorb and won't be robbed as much from the affects of the heat during the day. Also consider grey water from household to water the garden, but look into using biodegradable detergents and soaps, some modern products shouldn't be recycled into the garden.

reply to post by lbndhr


Nothing beats a well with a hand pump. Lots of wells are too deep for that though. A large water storage tank might be an option for you. They make big square ones to transport juice concentrate in and those are water safe plastic with metal frames. If it was me next to the desert I would find a way to have one in the shade somewhere and one hidden no one knows about. Just to be safe.

They are called Tank Totes and come in food grade and non food grade. They look like this:

sandiego.reachoo.com...

reply to post by SunflowerStar


I hadnt thought about less evaporation in the day hours, I will deffinately change the water level schedule. yes my garden is most important in planniong, if a day comes and I am on my own literally on my own, my gardening skills will have to be pinpoint accurate. I am fortunate in I have "The Green Thumb" pretty much anything earthy I put my time into grows or becomes healthier. I have always been green thumb aware, but I have always been realying on myself for information. I do understand changing the water schedule thank you.

You would be surprised how long you can water a small garden from one of those totes using drip irragators and Pellet fertilizer in line. The key is to have all different flow drippers and use a moisture probe at an angle into the bottom of the roots. If they are too wet and the rest is about right then switch for a smaller dripper. Water as stated in the eves while you can see and test, and add a mechanical flow timer so its automated. then you only need to focus on the flow at each plant and adjust your timer.

I have a co worker in Israel. When he gets paid he buys more pipe and drippers and extends his garden further and further into the desert where nothing can grow. He drips the garden and they run a successful family produce stand from one of the worst places on earth.

Originally posted by Shadowalker
You would be surprised how long you can water a small garden from one of those totes using drip irragators and Pellet fertilizer in line. The key is to have all different flow drippers and use a moisture probe at an angle into the bottom of the roots. If they are too wet and the rest is about right then switch for a smaller dripper. Water as stated in the eves while you can see and test, and add a mechanical flow timer so its automated. then you only need to focus on the flow at each plant and adjust your timer.

I have a co worker in Israel. When he gets paid he buys more pipe and drippers and extends his garden further and further into the desert where nothing can grow. He drips the garden and they run a successful family produce stand from one of the worst places on earth.

How intriquing you mention this method. This garden I have we just finished planting about a week ago, we moved back into our home after being gone for a few years. Knowing I started the garden late I decided to wait until after the seasons end and during winter, ( which we have extremely mild winters, normal lows around 65 or higher) I want to do the underground irrigation system, it just makes sense to me get the flow directly to the root and you use so much less water with near zero evaloration. Well good news im feeling more positive about doing this know. thank you so muchly

They have this new fangled thing at home depot called visqueen. When spread out over an area ? It will generally
accumulate a lot of moisture over night. Maybe just what it takes to survive a stretch with no water.

Originally posted by randyvs

They have this new fangled thing at home depot called visqueen. When spread out over an area ? It will generally
accumulate a lot of moisture over night. Maybe just what it takes to survive a stretch with no water.

I will look into the visqueen.
Hey I wanted to say something to you that you should understand, "Go Sundevils"

Its cheaper and more effective to do the black tubing above ground dripper heads. All drip systems tend to clog and during your walk through you carry scissors and a small handful of assorted heads. As you spot clogged drippers you snip them off while the water is flowing and push a new one into the tubing. You can visually see them all working being key.

If you went underground tubing as they clog up you slowly watch an entire row die in front of you.

Its a risk management thing. if you have 10 tomato plants and a dripper clogs while your away. you lose 1 plant. If tube drip under the ground clogs you lose them all. Sometimes soil pressure will cause underground tubing to flatten in the heat and kink as well, shutting off an entire leg.

Originally posted by Shadowalker
Its cheaper and more effective to do the black tubing above ground dripper heads. All drip systems tend to clog and during your walk through you carry scissors and a small handful of assorted heads. As you spot clogged drippers you snip them off while the water is flowing and push a new one into the tubing. You can visually see them all working being key.

If you went underground tubing as they clog up you slowly watch an entire row die in front of you.

Its a risk management thing. if you have 10 tomato plants and a dripper clogs while your away. you lose 1 plant. If tube drip under the ground clogs you lose them all. Sometimes soil pressure will cause underground tubing to flatten in the heat and kink as well, shutting off an entire leg.

interesting, well youlay out a great arguement against the underground drip system, and infact I was just sitting here considering this, I decided sense my garden, ( it is a test garden where I will learn the best structure system and plans.) is a test garden I can always put the underground drip system in half the garden and above drip system in the other half, which ever brings the best result is what I will use in the final garden. The 10 x 20 garden I have going know, after I find the best system and create my new larger garden, the test garden will become a greenhouse which I want to sepcialize in specialty flowers. There are only a few flower shops here and I am almost positive they order their flowers from out of area, probably the big city that is 150 miles away. I figure I can start a specialty flowers garden and sell them locally at a discounted price. And if it would work out I could quickly add a larger green house from the monies I made.

reply to post by Shadowalker


yeah hand pump and i guess people have forgotten the days of old

and they are still seen on many farms around this country and this world

a windmill providing the power to the well