At Home – Step 3 of 4

1. How Much Water?
2. Make Water Safe
3. Hidden Water

First, Read the Information You Need:

Did you know water is hidden in your home?

• Hot Water Heater – If there are no utilities, you Hot Water Heater isn’t working, but water is still in the tank. There is a valve near the bottom of the tank. Adults should use extreme caution when using this as a water source. It’s not for kids to do these steps as the water in the tank and the heating element are dangerous.
  Remember to let the water cool. Turn off the cold-water supply to the tank. Turn off the gas or electric heater to the tank. If the utilities come back on while you are using the tank as a water source, it will not be good.
  Open the drain valve at the bottom. The water may look murky due to sediment at the bottom of the tank, but it should become clear after the first bit is out.
• Melted Ice Cubes – With no power, those ice cubes will melt soon. Get them in a container so you can use the melted water to drink. Some people keep old 2-liter bottles of soda filled with water in their freezer. It helps keep the freezer cold longer when the power is out, and it is a water source when the frozen water melts.
• Water-Packed Can Goods – It might not taste as good, but water in a can of green beans, or a can of corn, is still a source of hydration if you need it. Careful of how much sodium may be in the canned goods. The liquid in the cans can be great for cooking, but it can change the taste of what you cook with it. Most will cook with it so you can keep the clear water for drinking.
• Water Trapped in Home Piping – The pipes that run water to your faucets have water in them. Again, adults should use this hidden source, not kids.
  Shut off the main water valve. Open the valve (a water faucet or shower head) at the highest point of your property (i.e. a 2nd floor shower head). Have a container ready under the valve at the lowest point and then open it.
  Gravity should force the water from the pipes from the highest point down to the lowest valve you just opened so you must have that container ready to catch it!
• Bathtub… Sort of. – Bath tubs do not contain water unless you fill them up. However, if you know a disaster is coming, many will fill their bathtub up with water. It isn’t in a sealed container, but it is often used to keep clean or to flush the toilets if you have your own septic system and only need to manually put water in the toilet bowl.

Second, Choose an Option:

Option 1: List the Sources

Option 2: Use a Source

Go around your home and list any hidden places you think water is that can be used. Also, figure out what is the highest faucet valve in your home and what is the lowest. If your parents ever need to try using water from the pipes, you already have a plan in place for them to try.

If you have all the sources in your home, why not try one of them out. The water pipes or water heater would need your parent to decide if it’s safe to try. Usually these are extreme methods and should not be done when you have utilities that work in your home. Instead, try tasting the water in a canned good. Fill up the bathtub and have a parent turn off the water to the toilet. Try figuring out how to get it to flush without the water filling up the tank. Empty the ice cube tray from the freezer into a container and let it defrost. See how different it tastes from your normal water. You could use it to cook pasta or something.

Congrats!

Juniors stop here. You’ve earned the Water Rocker!

Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors, and Adults, go Step 4!

Return to Water Rocker Step 2 page.

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