When discussing emergency preparedness, there is quite a bit of talk surrounding emergency food supplies and storage, but what about water preparedness?

Food is a necessity; we all know that. Who likes to even go a half day without food? Not me! But if we had to, we could survive days, and even weeks, without food.

That's not true with water, though. It's hard to go a few hours without water, especially when you know you don’t have any. The thought of possibly not having accessible water is really hard to fathom.

Our Family Experienced Water Disaster

We experienced a local temporary disaster recently when a main water pipe burst, leaving everyone in our neighborhood without running water for a few hours.

It was an eye-opening experience, seeing the many ways we use water but suddenly couldn't. After that experience, I’d much rather lose my electricity for a day than my water!

What about natural and man-made disasters?

What about a number of disruptions in our city's water supply? Or perhaps there’s a contamination from a spill or toxin leak. How do you prepare?

Emergency Preparedness – Water

No matter where you live, there is the possibility of emergencies cropping up out of nowhere.

I happen to live in the south where multiple months every year there are tornado warnings because of crazy weather.

How would I provide water for my family if we lost our house? What if the whole neighborhood were affected?

Would I really enjoy standing in a long line for a few bottled waters? I think not!

Maybe you live in an area with earthquakes, hurricanes, or snowy regions. Are you prepared?

I have thought about the possibilities of having to deal with water contamination and even the thoughts of retrieving water from a stream, lake, or river.

I've thought a long time about emergency water storage. In the past, we’ve filled several two-liter bottles with water just in case. But in a real emergency, this wouldn’t last long, when you need water for drinking, cooking, washing hands, etc.

My Solutions – Water for Emergency Kit

This has been a really tough subject for me only because it's as if I don't want to face reality.

I can't live each day as if the water from my faucet will always flow and I'll be able to filter it properly.

It's not very wise to be unprepared. You don't have to live in fear, but it's smart to be ready for the unexpected.

My first solution for water preparedness is having portable water filters on hand.

A portable water filter is beneficial because it's not dependent on your faucet.

If you have a water filter attached to your house system, that won't help you in an emergency when the water is out.

A portable water system is also beneficial in case you need to leave your house. You can take it with you to have clean water anywhere.

I have a larger system and I have a small one. They are all easy to transport.

But not just any portable water filtration system will do. It must be a quality filter and tested to eliminate most harmful contamination.

Water for Emergencies: Option #2

My second solution for preparing for emergencies is acquiring some sort of water barrel to keep in the garage.

There are several different types of water barrels and some people prefer to have more than one. If you have the space, this is a great idea.

These barrels hold a lot of water and can sit in the corner of your garage with no problems.

There are a few things to know about how to store drinking water in a water barrel, so if you take this route, be sure you learn about it first.

Final Thoughts on Water Preparedness

I don’t claim to know everything there is to know about emergency preparedness, but I do have natural instincts. And I want to make the best decisions to protect my family during an emergency.

What about you? Please leave a comment at the end of this post because I want to know your thoughts on water preparedness.  Do you have water for emergency kit?