Water Filtration

Clearly, you won't be able to store enough water to meet your long-term needs.

Luckily, you can augment your water supply by obtaining and purifying locally-available water.

First, look around the immediate surroundings of your home. Where are there natural water sources? Wells, streams, etc. Try using Google Earth to get a picture of your neighborhood. Use this as a map, and mark the locations of water supplies, if they are difficult to find.

You'll need to be able to transport water from the source to your home. An easy, and cheap, way to do this: Obtain a small metal wagon (like a Radio Flyer-type). Look around garage sales and at thrift stores for one. Why the wagon? Simple: it's easier than carrying water containers, especially if you are sick or injured. Even if you're in good condition, save your strength. Buy a few water containers from Walmart or some other retailer. Mark these containers "Unfiltered Water", so you and others know not to drink from them. You can secure these containers to the wagon with cord or bungees.

You'll need to purify any locally-obtained water, too. For safety's sake, consider all natural water supplies contaminated, especially after a disaster, which can introduce pollutants into water supplies.

Rather than buy filters (which are expensive), you can make them.

First, you'll need sand. Instead of buying it, try finding it for free. Beach sand will work. Another idea: if your local highway department uses sand instead of salt to de-ice the roads, they'll have tons of the stuff. Ask if you can have a gallon or two of it.

Sift the sand through a colander to remove any foreign matter. Bake the sand in your oven at 250 degrees for an hour to kill any microorganisms and to remove any moisture. Store it in clean, dry glass jars with lids. Store several jars of it, if you can, and write "Water Sand" on the lids.

Next, you'll need cheesecloth. Either buy a roll of it, or get creative about finding some for free.

You'll also need a coffee can. Poke several holes in the bottom of the can (punching them from the inside, so the holes pucker outward). Line the can with cheesecloth, and let the cloth hang over the rim. Pour about three inches of sand into the can, and shake gently to settle the sand. Rubberband the cheesecloth around the rim to prevent it falling inside. You now have an effective water filter.

To use it, pour water slowly into the filter. You don't want to create a water/sand slurry inside, so pour slow and let the water trickle, little by little, through the sand, into a container. Label this container "Filtered/Not Yet Boiled", so you know not to drink from it or mix it with water from other containers. Every 20-30 gallons, change the cheesecloth and sand inside. You can reuse the sand by sifting and baking it again.

Once filtered, boil the water and pour into a drinking water container. This will kill microorganisms too small to be captured by the filter.

There you have it: Finding, obtaining, transporting, and purifying water, on the cheap.