How to Prepare for Water Emergencies

When boiling just water won’t work.

Rail cars carrying ethanol in Raymond, MN (Image courtesy of CNN.)

There have been plenty of stories about water emergencies and water crises over the past months, starting with East Palestine, OH and the most recent one in Raymond, MN.

It might seem impossible to think we can react to such catastrophes in any meaningful manner, given that they have an outsized negative impact in such a short amount of time; the very definition of an emergency.

So what do we do?

First, we realize what we can control and what we can’t control.

The things we can’t (immediately) control are the water purification processes at our local Water Works, what gets spilled when a train derails, and how the government responds.

Next, we realize the things we can control.

The things we can control are how much we prepare for such an emergency and how we react to that emergency.

When preparing for a water emergency, there are two main paths to follow: purifying the current water supply or using an alternative water supply.

Purification

There are several types of water purification systems available, with the most common being reverse osmosis and gravity filters.