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INEFFECTIVE MOLD PRODUCTS
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 How to Find Emergency Drinking Water Supply in Buildings After a Flood, Fire, or Earthquake Disaster
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- Where to look for emergency water supplies in a disaster
- Places to find drinking water in an emergency such as after a hurricane, flood, or earthquake
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest.
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This chapter outlines possible places to obtain some drinking water in an emergency following a disaster such as an earthquake, flood, or fire and before rescue workers have arrived. In a companion article, DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY PURIFICATION, we describe methods that can be used to purify or sanitize drinking water in an emergency.
In Flood Response Checklist we outline key actions you should take after building flooding to minimize mold damage, and includes some safety warnings. Our photo at page top shows some brownish water in a toilet tank: actually the water was fine, the stain was from iron and rust in the original water supply - materials accumulated on the interior of the toilet tank. The water we removed was clear and sanitary.
Before entering a building that has been affected by a disaster such as fire, earthquake, or flood, see BUILDING ENTRY PROCEDURE for some safety warnings for occupants, building owners, or volunteers who may find themselves indoors in a disaster area and without immediate assistance from rescue workers or other experts
© Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
How to Obtain Emergency Drinking Water after Area Flooding, Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Fires
Some of the water sources listed below may be considered as desperate measures appropriate for people trapped in a building or those whom emergency relief workers have been unable to reach.
How to obtain emergency drinking water after flooding:
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- Municipal water supply: try turning on the tap at a clean sink in the building; after some storms, fires, and even earthquakes, the public water supply may be operating in some areas. But do not assume that the water is safe to drink without boiling or disinfecting it until you are told that it's ok. The water supply source, pipes, or other system components may have been flooded and contaminated.
- Private well water: do not assume that private well water is sanitary and ok to drink even after flood waters have subsided. If the well and/or water equipment such as water tanks, piping, pumps, have been submerged, it is likely that repair and equipment cleaning/sanitizing are needed. See WELL CHLORINATION SHOCKING PROCEDURE and see WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT
- Bottled water: if un-opened bottled water is available it should be safe to drink, but if the bottles were flooded it will be necessary to clean and disinfect the bottle exterior before opening.
- Bottled or canned juices or foods: sealed food containers such as cans or bottles of juice, soup, fruits, vegetables, should contain liquids that are safe to drink provided you make sure to clean and sanitize the container before opening it.
- Remaining ice: if the disaster event has been brief, water may be available from melting ice cubes.
- Condensation of fresh water on cool surfaces has been collected and used as a survival aid in some circumstances. Do not however drink air conditioner condensate, dehumidifier condensate, or humidifier tank water - these are usually contaminated with bacteria.
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- Distilled water:
if you have electrical power and a home water distiller such as shown in our photo, this equipment can produce a limited quantity of safe drinking water.
The yellow color you see in the container at right is due to discolored plastic - the water in the container, produced by the distiller, was clear and sanitary.
Camping suppliers provide portable water purification equipment that does not require electrical power, such as pumps using ceramic filters.
Be sure the containers used to collect the distilled water are sanitary.
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- Water heaters as a source of emergency drinking water: You may be able to obtain safe water from undamaged water heaters.
Even though the water heater in our photograph has been flooded, it may be possible to extract potable water from inside the water tank.
Be sure that a basement like the one we show is actually safe to enter before approaching the water tank, including safety from structural collapse, electrical shock, or toxins in the standing water on the floor.
Never try to drain water from a water heater tank without being sure that the electrical power to the unit is off.
It will be easier to get water running out of the tank drain near the bottom of the water heater (that valve shown below the lower red panel in our photo), if you can let air into the water tank as water is running out. This can be accomplished by opening a nearby hot water valve at a fixture higher than the water tank, or by opening the relief valve or a water shutoff valve air bleeder on the water tank itself.
Be sure that the drain used to remove such water has been cleaned and that you use a clean container to collect the water. If the water from the tank has been exposed to flood waters but looks clear it may still be contaminated and it may need to be boiled or disinfected.
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- Water pressure tanks: clean water may be available from inside private well system water pressure tanks.
But be careful; usually the pressure tank is located in a low building area which is likely to have been contaminated by floodwaters. If the pressure tank is sealed (and if you see that its gauge shows that the pressure tank is still under pressure), the water inside the tank may be uncontaminated.
The pair of water tanks shown here (it was a poor-recovery rate well that needed lots of in-house water storage) would provide nearly 50 gallons of potable water taken from the drain valve below the water pressure gauge at the left-most tank.
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- Rooftop water tanks and cisterns may be available and are a good source of potable water in most cases as the tanks are more likely to have remained above floodwaters on taller buildings.
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- Toilets & Showers as an emergency drinking water source:
It may be possible to salvage water from the toilet flush-tank if the toilet was above floodwaters and has not been flooded or buried in debris.
The water in a toilet bowl should be assumed to be contaminated and would need to be boiled and disinfected before use.
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- Shower pipes as an emergency drinking water source:
There may be a small volume of water remaining in a bath shower vertical pipe that will drain back through the tub spout in the upper level of a building that was not flooded. Place a clean container below a clean tub spout and open the diverter that switches water between the tub spout and the shower head.
If the shower was last used with the diverter in that position, a small amount of water may remain in the shower pipe.
Unfortunately this is a desperate measure - the total volume of water in the shower riser pipe will be small. Possibly there you can find and drain other building pipes that were above the flood level to find additional water.
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- Rainwater: if rain continues to fall, use a clean container to collect rainwater, possibly from a downspout; but that water should not be considered safe for drinking before it has been sterilized, because it has run over a building rooftop and through possibly unsanitary gutters and downspouts.
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- Drinking water wells that were inundated by flood waters should be pumped out and the water tested for purity before drinking. See our well sterilization procedure using household bleach which is detailed at When & How to Shock or Chlorinate a Well. If in doubt, call your local public health authority. Ill health effects often occur when people drink water contaminated with bacteria and germs.
- Human urine as a water source for emergency survival has been used by people trapped in mines, and has made a life-or-death difference for trapped miners in some instances.
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How to Treat Water to Sanitize it For Drinking
Beware that most advice about purifying water, including the tips we have collected below, address biological contaminants in water, such as bacteria. But be careful. If your water supply has become contaminated by pesticides, heavy metals, or other chemicals, disinfecting the water will not correct those unsafe conditions. The principal methods used to purify water when camping or in an emergency include:
- Boil the water
- Use chlorine (bleach, sodium hypochlorite) to purify the water
- Use iodine or an iodine product to purify the water
- Use a water purifying pump such as models sold by camping equipment suppliers to purify the water
Basic water purification procedures are described in detail at DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY PURIFICATION.
Advice If Using a Garden hose to collect water?
Do not collect water from a water heater, water pressure tank, or rooftop tank by using a garden hose that was contaminated by floodwaters unless the hose has been properly cleaned and disinfected.
Building Flood Damage, Cleanup, and Mold Prevention Articles (Green Links shows where you are)
Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP A Guide to Mold Cleanup Procedures
FLOODS & MOLD CLEAN/PREVENT A Guide to Dealing with Flood Damage & Mold Prevention &r Cleanup of Flooded Homes
FIRST PRIORITIES When Responding to a Flooded Building
BUILDING ENTRY PROCEDURE How to Enter a Building After a Building Flood
DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY PURIFICATION How to purify emergency drinking water, how to remove odors
DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY SOURCES Where to find drinking water in an emergency
ELECTRICAL SAFETY for Flood Damage Inspectors
Foundation Inspection for Flood Damage
FLOOD RESPONSE CHECKLIST Checklist of Key Steps to Minimize Mold Damage After a Building Flood
INEFFECTIVE MOLD PRODUCTS Ineffective Mold Products and Procedures to Avoid in Mold Cleanup/Prevention
FURTHER STEPS PREVENT MOLD Further Steps to Avoid Mold Damage After a Building Flood
WHEN TO STOP LOOKING FOR MOLD after Flooding: When is a Mold Cleanup Job Complete?
GENERAL MOLD PREVENTION Preventing Future Mold After a Flooded Building Cleanup
FLOOD DAMAGE RFERENCES References on Mold Prevention and Flood Damage
FLOOD VENTS How to Use Flood Vents for Structural Protection from Flooding
- Flood Venting in Foundations and Enclosures Below Design Flood Elevation
SEPTIC SYSTEMS & FLOODS What to Do after a Flood - Septic Flood Response, Safety, Health, Maintenance, Repair Advice
SEWAGE CONTAMINATION IN BUILDINGS how to detect and respond to sewage backups
SEWAGE PATHOGENS in SEPTIC SLUDGE what are the contaminants in sewage
Wind Damage to Roofs how to assess and identify wind damage to roofs
Technical Reviewers & References
Particular thanks are due to experts and also consumers who read these articles and suggest corrections, changes, and additions to
the material. Content suggestions, technical corrections and content critique are invited for any of the content at our website.
- Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia TM Website
- Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. (727) 595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com 11/06
- Hankey and Brown home inspectors, Eden Prairie, MN, technical review by Roger Hankey, prior chairman, Standards Committee, American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI. 952 829-0044 - hankeyandbrown.com 11/06
- Arlene Puentes, a licensed home inspector, educator, and building failures researcher in Kingston, NY. 11/29/06
- Wilderness Medical Society has advice about boiling water for consumption
- Princeton University - www.princeton.edu
- Technical reviewers are invited to comment or ask questions - contact us
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