Food & Water Safety
Do you know how to make water safe to drink? Survival is more than just about who can make fire with flint. Knowing how to store safe food and water is essential, and it isn't hard if you know a few basics!
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
Sometimes a disaster happens unexpectedly. You never know how long you may have to go without access to grocery stores or even running water. Knowing how to safely store food and create safe drinking water during a disaster is essential to staying healthy. In this action you can learn about important steps to keep yourself and family safe.
1Step 1: Water safety during a disaster
Your emergency supply kit should already have at least one gallon of water per day, for at least three days, for everyone in your household. However, there are some important tips on how to use water during a disaster and prepare extra if you need it.
Action: Learn how to safely use your emergency water supply.
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Unless instructed to do so by authorities, do not ration your drinking water! If you’re worried about running out, minimize your physical activity and try to stay cool to reduce your water needs, and then look for other water sources the next day if it's safe to do so.
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Don’t drink caffeinated beverages in place of water, as caffeine dehydrates the body and will just make you more thirsty.
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Use water you know is safe to drink. If you don’t have water you know is safe, follow the water treatment guidelines below.
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Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, make ice or make baby formula.
Action: Learn how to prepare water sources for drinking.
If you run out of clean water and have a water source like a lake, stream, pool, municipal or well water that might be contaminated, there are few ways to prepare the water to be safe to drink. Do not use water from radiators, hot water boilers, water beds or water contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals.
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Boiling: Bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute (or for at least three minutes if you live above 5,000 feet elevation.) Let it cool before drinking, and store in clean containers with covers. If the water is cloudy, allow it to settle then skim the clean water above the sediment or filter through a cloth or coffee filter before boiling.
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Note: Boiled water may taste flat or metallic. To improve the taste, you can add one pinch of salt to each quart of water (there are four quarts per gallon), or pour the water back and forth between clean containers a few times to add oxygen to the water.
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Chlorination: If you can’t boil water, you can use regular unscented household disinfecting bleach to sanitize the water.
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Using the table below, add the appropriate amount of bleach. Stir and let it sit for 30 minutes. It should smell slightly like bleach; if it doesn’t, repeat with another equal dose of bleach and let sit for an additional 15 minutes. If you still can’t smell the chlorine, discard the water and do not drink it.
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If the bleach smell is too strong after letting the water sit, just like with boiled water, you can pour the water back and forth between clean containers a few times and let it sit a few hours.
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Chlorine dioxide or iodine tablets: Follow the directions on the package, be sure to wait long enough until the water is purified.
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Filtering or UV light: You can purchase filters and UV devices to use for water treatment. Check the product information carefully and follow directions to make sure it will kill viruses, protozoa and bacteria, or add a disinfectant such as iodine, chlorine or chlorine dioxide after filtering.
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Emergency clean water sources: water from your hot water heater, melted ice cubes, water from your toilet tank (not the bowl) if it is clear and untreated, liquid from canned fruit and vegetables.
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Water from swimming pools, spas and collected rainwater can be used for personal hygiene and cleaning, but not for drinking unless it is treated.
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2Step 2: Food safety during a disaster
Action: Learn how to safely use your emergency food supply
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Keep food in covered containers and keep utensils clean.
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Don’t eat perishable food if it’s been warmer than 40 degrees for more than two hours.
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Check cans for expiration dates and conditions — don't eat if a can is expired, swollen or corroded!
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If any food has an unusual odor, texture or color, throw it out. Don’t taste food to determine if it’s safe to eat — this could make you sick, and that’s the last thing you need during an emergency!
Action: Learn about refrigerator and freezer safety.
If the power goes out, food stored in refrigerators and freezers can grow bacteria, which could make you sick. Remember: when in doubt, throw it out! Here are tips to help keep your food safe:
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Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. The refrigerator will generally keep food cold for up to 4 hours, and the freezer for 24 to 48 hours (if your freezer is full it will stay frozen longer).
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If you are able to put a block or bag of ice in the refrigerator or freezer, this should keep food cold for up to 24 hours.
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Put a thermometer in your refrigerator and freezer so you can monitor the temperature. The refrigerator should be 40 degrees or below and the freezer should be 0 degrees.
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Food from the freezer can safely be refrozen or cooked if it still contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if it were refrigerated. Find more information for specific foods here.
3Step 3: After a disaster
Action: Learn how to keep food and water safe after a disaster.
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Water safety: If there’s a chance that water lines have been damaged, use one of the treatment methods above until water supplies have been declared safe. Always refer to your local officials or public health department for safety recommendations.
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If you have a well and have lost power, run all faucets for a few minutes once the power is back on before consuming or using the water.
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Food safety: Throw out any perishable food that is no longer good.
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After a flood or water damage:
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Throw out any food that has had contact with floodwater, unless it’s in a waterproof pre-packaged container. This includes home-canned goods, which can’t be disinfected.
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Sanitize all utensils, counters, and surfaces that have come in contact with flood waters (including sealed food cans or packages). First wash with hot soapy water and rinse with clean, safe water. Then sanitize with a bleach solution of 1 cup of unscented household disinfecting bleach to 5 gallons of water. Let the items soak for 1 minute, then let air dry.
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