I got this info from another site and thought it was VERY good information.
Water: how much do you need?
Given the recent
chemical spill that may have contaminated the tap water of roughly 300,000
residents of a number of counties in West Virginia, drinking water is on
people’s minds. Ice storms, blizzards and unusually cold weather have also
disrupted the water supply to thousands if not tens of thousands of people
across the country recently.
How much water you
actually need every day is different from how much is used or in some cases
wasted.
According to the
USGS (United States Geological Society), the average shower uses two gallons
per minute while a bath in an average tub uses up to 36 gallons. Some tubs are
larger of course and this assumes they are relatively full.
You can use between
4 and 10 gallons washing dishes in an automatic dishwasher but the amount
depends on how efficient the appliance is. Hand washing dishes throughout the day
can use up to 20 gallons of water.
Oral hygiene
consumes one gallon of water per person each time they brush if they leave the
water running. Newer automatic washing machines can use 25 gallons per load.
One toilet flush is three gallons, hands and face washing one gallon daily and
watering outdoor plants can use 5 to 10 gallons per minute.
This breaks down to
the average person using between 80 and 100 gallons of water daily (USGS,
2013).
How Much Water
Do You Need
To sustain life the
average adult needs two quarts/liters of water/liquid daily. In hot weather
where you are sweating profusely, you may need in excess of a gallon of water
daily just to replace the lost fluids. You need constant hydration to prevent
dehydration regardless of the outside temperature.
People generally do
not think about dehydration during the normal course of the day because they
receive fluids in many forms. Coffee, teas, fruit drinks, soda to some extent,
energy drinks and those drinks designed to replace lost fluids all add to your
fluid intake. Once there is a shortage of water however, people will need to
concentrate on their fluid intake to avoid dehydration in any weather.
For short
disruptions in the water supply you probably only need to worry about water for
hydration, oral care and personal hygiene (sponge baths). After three or four
days, however you will need water for laundry and for cooking meals that are
more substantial. Most canned foods do not need water for cooking but dried
beans, rice and dehydrated/freeze dried foods, for example, will need water in
the cooking process.
Water Storage
When properly
stored water has an indefinite shelf life, but the containers do not. For
example, bottled water purchased from a retailer must have an expiration date
by law. It is not the water that deteriorates it is the container. The plastic
used will become brittle and breakdown overtime. The typical expiration date is
between one and two years from date of purchase. Sunlight and artificial light
will hasten the breakdown.
You can store water
in food grade plastic containers designed specifically for water and they come
in various sizes from five gallon thru 50 gallons and larger. Plastic milk jugs
are not ideal for storing water for any length of time because the plastic is designed
for short period of liquid storage. Milk is a perishable and the containers do
not need to sustain the liquid for long periods.
Water in blue food
grade plastic water barrels if filled with clean tap water can last
indefinitely if the water does not become contaminated for any reason. Water
will become “stale” from lack of aeration, and this will affect the taste
however. You can aerate water by creating bubbles in the water by moving the
barrel with the cap removed or by stirring with a sanitized stirring device.
Stirring or otherwise disturbing the water causes bubbles to rise to the
surface. The bubbles collect dissolved oxygen when they rise to the surface and
burst, this process then distributes it in the water to freshen it.
Never store water in
any container that is not approved for food storage. Never store water in any
container that had chemicals or toxins in it no matter how much you think you
have cleaned it.
Filtration and
purification by boiling or chemical means will not remove deadly toxins or
poisons, such as what may be in the tap water in West Virginia. You should
never immerse any parts of your body in any water you suspect is contaminated
with any type of toxin or chemicals. If your clothing becomes saturated from
contaminated water, remove immediately to prevent absorption of the chemicals
through your skin.
Certain chemicals
can have a lower flash point than the temperature needed to boil water so never
attempt to heat or otherwise attempt to purify any water source you suspect is
contaminated with chemicals.
