Verify that your home is leak-free! Many homes have hidden water leaks.
1. Turn off all faucets both inside and outside your home.
2. Look at your water meter (usually located in a ground vault somewhere near the front of your home).
3. If the dial is moving, you may have a leak. Make a note of the meter reading (the numbers on the dial).
4. Leaving all water turned off, read your water meter two hours later. If the meter shows a higher number, there is probably a leak somewhere in your yard or home.
Repair dripping faucets
1.Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year, which will add to the cost of water and sewer bills.
2.Visit your local hardware store to find the needed parts or to get further repair instructions.
Check toilet leaks
1.Add a few drops of food coloring to the tank or use a leak test kit.
2.If the toilet is leaking, color will appear in the toilet bowl within 30 minutes.
3.Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, readily available and easily installed. CLWA or your local water supplier can provide you with a free toilet leak test kit.
If you have already prepared for the next earthquake, this is the page for you. Just print this page and get started today!
Storage of Water Before an Earthquake
How much water should you store?
You should have enough water to last three-seven days and that you should store a minimum of one gallon for each person for each day you expect to be without water. The Santa Clarita Valley summers are very hot, so you may wish to store more than the minimum. Don't forget water for your pets. If you have freeze-dried meals stored for emergencies, remember to calculate the additional water needed to reconstitute your food.
How should I store my water?
Your water should be stored in a durable container out of the sunlight.
Option A:
Storing water in one-gallon bottles would be difficult since the bottles don't stack well, but one-gallon bottles are easy to transport. When you have purchased the total number of bottles you need, you will want to start a rotation program to keep the water fresh. Do this by adding a new bottle to your supply each time you go to the market and put your "oldest" bottle in the refrigerator for daily use.
Option B:
Most markets sell three-gallon bottles which would still take a lot of space, but are still easy to carry. To keep your stored water fresh, you can rotate your supply by putting all the bottles in a row. Use a bottle off one end of your row and place a fresh one from the market at the other end of the row.
Option C:
Buy water from a water delivery service in five-gallon bottles. You could use the same rotation plan used in Option B to keep your supply fresh.
Option D:
Purchase a new, clean 50-gallon plastic barrel and the special wrench to remove the barrel caps. These can be purchased from several sources. Check the phone book for barrel and drum suppliers or earthquake products and services. A barrel takes up less total space than any of the options above and the price of the barrel should be less expensive than purchasing the water in bottles. Once the barrel is full it will weigh more than 420 pounds, so be certain to think about where you will store it. You will also need to purchase a small hand pump to get water from your barrel. These can be purchased at your local sporting goods or recreational vehicle supply store.
First time barrel use: Rinse out your new barrel and add 1/4 cup recently purchased liquid laundry bleach (see bleach specifications below) and fill the barrel with a clean hose. Let stand for 24 hours. Drain the barrel. Don't waste this water; wash your car with it. Place the barrel in its permanent location and add 1/4 cup bleach and fill with water. Install the cap and tape a note on the barrel stating the date that you filled it.
Once a year: Drain the barrel, add 1/4 cup bleach, refill with water, and date the barrel. The chlorine will be gone by this time, so you can use the drained water for plants.
Sources of Water After an Earthquake
If your normal water supply is off and you have not stored water, the following places are possible sources:
Recreational vehicle or camper.
Your water heater. To drain, first turn off the water heater's gas/electric supply. Close the water inlet valve on top of the heater. Open any hot water faucets or disconnect the water line on top of the water heater. Drain water into a container from the faucet at the bottom of the water heater.
Don't use water from the following sources for drinking because the chemicals in them could cause you to become ill. Adding bleach or boiling will not make the sources below safe to drink but they may be used for bathing and flushing toilets:
Swimming pools
Spas or hot tubs
Your fish pond
Emergency Water Disinfection After a Disaster
If you are not certain that your water is safe to drink or your local water company has issued a "boil order," (listen to your radio for boil order announcements) you should disinfect the water before drinking it.
You can disinfect water that you are unsure of by one of several methods:
Boiling
Bring the water to a rapid boil and let it boil for at least one minute. Never use charcoal barbecues indoors to boil your water.
Bleach disinfection
Water may be disinfected with recently purchased 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite bleach (household bleach). Do not use bleach that has active ingredients other than sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleach. You can keep your emergency supply of bleach fresh by rotating your supply. Buy a gallon of bleach and put this with your earthquake supplies, use your previous bottle for your laundry. This assures that your bleach is at its maximum disinfecting strength. It is also ok to use the new "Ultra" type bleaches as long as they are not scented.
Using the chart below, add bleach to the water you want to disinfect.
Mix the water and the bleach thoroughly by stirring or shaking in a container. Let the water stand for 30 minutes before using. You should be able to detect a slight chlorine odor after 30 minutes. If not, repeat the process and let stand for an additional 15 minutes.
Clear Water Amount of Bleach
One Quart 2 drops
One Gallon 8 drops
5 Gallons 1/2 teaspoon
Cloudy Water Amount of Bleach
One Quart 4 drops
One Gallon 16 drops
5 Gallons 1 teaspoon
Reverse Osmosis Pump
Backpacking and boating supply stores have small reverse osmosis pumps that can remove minerals and bacteria. Carefully read the directions that come with your unit.
