Water: how much, where and how to treat it
Water is what you can last the shortest without.
- Count on 3 litres of drinking water and another 10 litres for cooking and hygiene per person per day.
- Store bottled water somewhere dark and cool. Finish an opened PET bottle within 24 hours.
- Water in the bathtub is no longer drinkable after 24 hours. After that it is only for washing and flushing.
- If unsure about quality, boil it. A filter stops bacteria and protozoa, tablets also kill viruses, but use them only for a short time.
- With chemical contamination ordinary filters do not help: drink only bottled water and do not wash fruit or vegetables in tap water.
- Do not drink utility, rain or surface water. Rainwater can be collected for flushing.
- When supply returns after a long outage, let the water run for at least 30 seconds first.
- For hygiene without water, keep wet wipes, hand sanitiser and disposable plates.