Water Supplies During a Disaster

No doubt about it, the weather is certainly crazy. Luckily, Middle Tennessee has been spared most of the really bad weather such as flooding, tornados, or extreme ice, but can anyone remember the flood of May 1, 2010? Or the tornadoes of April 15-16, 1998?

When the Water Supply is Disrupted: Disaster

When disasters strike, there is always a chance that the water supply will be disrupted. Water mains can collapse, causing whole neighborhoods to be without running water. The electricity can go out, causing pumping stations to fail. Power failures can also cause your home filtration systems to fail, resulting in impure drinking water.

If you know that a disaster is coming, It is a good idea to fill pitchers and gallon containers with fresh water, so that you will have some water to use while the water lines are being prepared.

Is the Water in Your Toilet Tank Safe to Drink?

Note: The water in your toilet tanks is perfectly safe to drink. If the water is completely out to your house, avoid flushing unless you have to. The old adage “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down” applies in these situations.

If the power goes out in your neighborhood for more than 4 hours, you can call your water department to make sure that the pumping stations are working and that the water in your home is clean. If the water appears cloudy, off color, or has a funny smell, do not use it to wash dishes, bathe, cook, drink, make baby formula, or make ice. Get bottled water from a reliable source, or boil water before using for these purposes. As a general rule, coming to a rolling boil for at least one minute should kill most harmful organisms.

Contacting Water & Electric Service

You should have the phone numbers for your water and electrical service posted in a handy place in case of outages. If a natural disaster strikes your neighborhood, above all, remain calm, get your family members to a safe place, and use caution once the danger is past. And remember, the likelihood of your needing to use any of these measures is extremely small, but it never hurts to be informed. Stay safe!