Sam Spade's San Francisco

I subscribe the the Cole Hardware e-letter. Cole Hardware is a locally-owned business that I support 100%. Here is an excerpt from the newsletter that is important and useful information to everyone living in San Francisco.

An adequate supply of water is one of the highest priorities of disaster preparedness. A major earthquake could damage the pipes that bring water into San Francisco, break water mains, or even break water lines leading into your building. AFTER a disaster is NOT the time to search for water or water containers! Plan ahead.

Preparation:
Responding to a major disaster will require heavy exertion. Plan on each person drinking a gallon of water each day. Add to this a minimal amount of water for cooking and hygiene. Altogether you should store enough water for two gallons per person per day. Expect and prepare to be without utilities for several days to several weeks -- store 10-15 gallons of water per person.

Storage:
Thoroughly clean sturdy 3- or 5-gallon water storage containers with handles. Add about four drops of regular unscented household liquid bleach per gallon of water (approximately one scant teaspoonful per five gallons of water). Use chlorine bleach with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite as its only active ingredient (e.g., Clorox). Seal containers tightly, date and label them as drinking water and store in a cool, dark place that is likely to be accessible after a major earthquake. Pour out, clean and refill water storage containers at least once a year.

In an emergency, you may be able to use the water stored in your water heater, your building’s plumbing system or the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl). Purify water from the toilet reservoir tank before using. To access water in the plumbing system, open the highest water faucet in your home (to let air in), and draw water from the lowest faucet.

Purification:
The easiest methods are chemical purification using chlorine bleach or boiling. Use two drops of ordinary liquid bleach per quart of water (four drops per quart if the water is cloudy). Shake and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Boiling water for three to five minutes should kill most harmful microorganisms. After boiling, pour water back and forth between two clean containers to improve the flavor by putting oxygen back into it.

Conserve but never ration.
Going even one day without water will severely deplete your strength and effectiveness. In a water shortage, refrain from watering plants or washing clothes, but don’t fail to stay well hydrated. If supplies are short, drink what you need and try to find more later.

For more disaster preparedness information see www.colehardware.com/tipscats/disaster.htm.