Friday's Thoughts and Other Stuff (Water)

Dear Preppers and Survivalists,

106th Street After a Water Main Break (ca 2011)

photograph by

Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York

Apologizes
I apologize for the lack of posting over the last few days and weeks, stuff has been happening.


The Night Before
I was washing clothes, last Wednesday, put everything in the dryer and went to bed.

O.K.

I really washed the dishes, surfed the internet, put the clothes in the dryer, then went to bed. After brushing my teeth of course ; - )


The Event
I awoke the next morning, my usual time for a workday, went into the bathroom and ... My housemate hadn't flushed.

Oh, well. I hit the handle and 'clink,' nothing happened.

No big deal, I opened the back of the toilet and no water, so I rattled the float and nothing happened. Checked the valve, and it was open. Rattled the float again, and nothing happen

So, ...

Into the kitchen, turned on the water and ...

Nothing happened.

Not a big deal. It had been very cold the night before, so I immediately thought 'Water Main Break.' I looked out the window, nothing. I looked out the backdoor, nothing. I looked out the front door, nothing.

So, ... I got dressed and headed to work.

DIY Toilet (ca 2017)

photograph by

formerchemistuow

Sanitation
Of course, I still had to pee, so I stopped and pissed against a tree, in the backyard, as I walked to the car.


Confirming My Hypothesis
Needless to say, I drove around the neighborhood, a little bit, and found some heavy equipment. I had confirmed my water main break hypothesis!

I didn't want to bother the workers, so off to breakfast because we didn't have water to clean up the dishes.

30-Gallon Water Barrel (ca 2017)

photograph by

Emergency Essentials

Water
Before I continue, I have to mention some thoughts that I had about the situation.

First, I thought about using some of my stored water for filling the back of the toilet, to flush.

Well, ...

I only keep three gallons at the apartment, as recommended by the federal government, so ... That idea didn't work.

Second, I thought , 'My family needs to add more water to our preps.'

Of course, this water doesn't have to be drinkable water, so I could use any old container, as long as it didn't hold oil or other dangerous chemicals.

Third, my last thought was about, 'Which size of container should my family use, for our particular situation, especially "If" I want to store more potable (drinkable) water?'

I immediately thought of either 55-gallon or 30-gallon barrels for our expanded water supply.


Work
I arrived a little bit early, so I called Katniss, my wife. I immediately shared my predicament, and she laughed, as all good women do when their husbands are in no immediate danger, then suggested I call the Water Department.

Of course, I had already thought of that, but was waiting for the office to open, at 8 am.


8:14 AM
Well, ... To make a long story short, there was no water main break in the area, so they nice lady scheduled a crew to come out to the house to look at the meter, after more pressing issues were resolved.

No big deal, I had more then enough of my own stuff to keep me busy. Plus, she promised me someone would call.


4:00 PM
Of course, no one called, so I called back about the status of the situation. I received a polite apology and was told a crew was on the scene, working the situation.

My heart left with joy, hearing 'They are working the problem.'


5:00 PM
I arrived at 'Home Away From Home' (HAFH) and the crew was still working!!!

Needless to say, I walked up and started asking questions.

Digging a Ditch

Naaman, Israel  (ca 1940s)

source

Kfar Masaryk Archive

The Story
The crew had popped the top on the water meter, applied some heat, and ... It still didn't work.

So, ...

They were going to call another crew, to dig up the city's water line.

That crew would get there, ... As soon as possible!!!


Options
Of course, I had several options. I could head to a China-Mart for 10 gallons of water, use the local fast food's restroom, or pee in a bottle and poop in a plastic bag.

I choose neither. Instead I conducted an ...


Emergency Evacuation
Now, don't get me wrong. I could have hung around, suffering, but instead I decided to leave town.

Really, ... I took a four hour drive to a Holiday Inn Express. After I collected a change of clothes, bathing supplies, my razor, my computer, and some other odds and ends.


Crazy
Now, don't think I'm insane to leave the house, just because we didn't have water.

I was headed to a class, anyway. I just hadn't planned to spend the night.

But, ...

I saw this as an opportunity to test my emergency evacuation plans, so I took it.

An Australian soldier assigned to Task Group Taji

conducts an after action review with Iraqi soldiers (ca 2015)

photograph by

Spc. William Marlow, U.S. Army

After Action Review (AAR)
I learned from the military, that after every operation to complete an AAR.

The After Action Review is pretty simple. The team talks about ..


The Good and Bad
I had stored water, just no enough.

I had an emergency evacuation bag packed, just not the right items in the bag

I had emergency funds, just not in the right form.


Changes
The next item, to talk about in an AAR, is the things that need to change or be modified, like ...


Water
Like I said earlier, I had the recommended supply of water for an emergency (one gallon, a day) but, it wasn't enough for this event.

So, ... The changes I will make are ... None, for this item.


Emergency Evacuation Bag
While I was at the hotel, I took the complimentary shampoo and body wash, along with the bar of soap, to add to my bugout bag. I will probably look for bigger bottles to have a larger amount of washing supplies. Plus, I will add a full size bar of soap because the hotel bar is already breaking into several pieces..


Emergency Funds
If you have been reading GSIEP, these past few years, you know I suggest having a few dollars at home, in a safe place, for emergencies.

Well, ... I had enough cash, for a night's hotel stay, but I didn't want to use it.

So, ... I used my credit card.

Now, newer folks are going to ask, 'Why, didn't you use your cash, for this event?'

Easy, I keep a credit card just for emergencies and travel.

I always make sure this card is paid off, every month, so I can use it. Plus, it add miles for a free trip for me and Katniss, in a few years.

Sorry, I didn't answer the question.


Think About It
I had the ability to use my emergency supplies, but was it really an emergency?

I could have used my drinking water, but ... What would I use for drinking water, "If" the water didn't get turned back on, and I couldn't leave the house?

I could have used my emergency cash, but did I really need to use it? I still have a job, a small credit line on a credit card, so I could preserve my cash. Plus, what would I use, "If" we had lost electricity and telecommunications from a winter storm?

Lastly, I could have used my emergency evacuation bag, as it was packed, but would it have worked in this situation, headed to a class, as I needed to blend in and smell nice?

Yes, I took some stuff out of the emergency evacuation kit; however, I left all of the items in the car. Just in case, I might need them during the four hour drive. Plus, I added some items to fit the situation.


Success or Failure
At the end of the day, you and your family are going to face danger and uncertainty, how you solve the situations are going to be up to you.

But, ...

If you have basic supplies, a plan, and use y'all's brains, you and your family just might survive the tough times ahead