Preparedness: Water


The prevailing wisdom says that in an emergency situation a person needs, at minimum, one gallon of water a day. 

Storing water takes up a bit of space but it is space well used. Bottled water can be stored beneath beds, in the back of the closet, in the basement, and even under sofas and chairs depending on how they're constructed. And don't be afraid to store water in the garage. If it freezes, it will also melt, but keep an eye on any containers that do freeze for damage. 

There is one place to store water that until recently I didn't think about. I wish I could say this was my idea, but I saw it on Facebook. 

Store water in your unused Mason jars. 

That's right. Those jars are sitting on the shelf waiting to be used. Fill them with water and pop a clean used lid or a Tattler lid on them, and add a ring. Don't let them sit there empty. A quart jar holds 4 cups of water. There are 4 quarts in a gallon. Therefore, a case of quart jars will hold 48 quarts of water equal to 12 gallons of water. 

When you need jars for a canning project, start a few days ahead of time and use the jarred water for cooking, water for pets and plants, and drinking. Or simply pour it out on canning day. Your choice. 

One other thing that is my habit to do is processing a jar of water when I need to add a jar or two to the batch of what's going in the canner to keep the jars in place. This becomes a jar of sterilized water which is great to have on hand for First Aid. I seal the jar with a Tattler lid, leave the ring on tight, and label it as sterilized water. 

Preparedness isn't Doomsday prepping. It's doing those things you can to avoid panic if the power goes out and you get snowed in. It's being able to successfully take care of your family in an emergency situation. It's taking some common sense steps so you can make it through the emergency. 

Next in series: Important documents and photos

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)


Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, pantry prepping, preparedness, inventory, home food preservation, Doomsday prepping, stock rotation, first-in first-out,  auto maintenance, get home go bag, freeze dryer, storing water

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