How can too much water cause not enough?
It seems counterintuitive to see on news broadcasts that flooding causes water shortages. We take a look at why that is and what you can do to ensure that, should your home or community be flooded, you won't be short of safe drinking water.
Flooding and water shortages often occur simultaneously because floods can damage or contaminate the systems that supply clean drinking water. It's not uncommon, after major hurricanes in the southern United States, for millions of people to temporarily lose access to safe drinking water despite being surrounded by floodwater.
Here are the main reasons:
1. Floodwater contaminates clean water sources
Floods can carry sewage, animal waste, chemicals, fuel, oil, and sediment into rivers, reservoirs, wells, and groundwater supplies. Water treatment plants may have to shut down or issue “boil water” notices because the water is no longer safe.
2. Water treatment plants are overwhelmed or damaged
Water treatment facilities are often near rivers or coasts, which is where flooding is usually worse. Severe flooding can damage pumps and filters, flood machinery, block access for workers, and cut off the electricity. Power outages alone can prevent pumping stations, purification systems, and desalination plants from working
3. Pipes and distribution networks break
Flooding can wash away roads and underground infrastructure. Damaged pipes can leak treated water, allow contaminated water into the system, and reduce water pressure; low pressure alone can create contamination risks.
4. People suddenly need more water
Flood water is filthy and leaves homes, furnishings, roads, and pavements covered in sludge when it subsides. People need clean water to clean up, and this creates extra demand that can strain already damaged systems.
5. Rural wells and groundwater become unusable
Floodwater can seep into wells and aquifers, making them unsafe for days or weeks. This is especially common after hurricanes and river flooding. In remote areas where households are dependent on private water supplies, this can make their water undrinkable without extra purification.
So how do we prepare?
The simplest solution is to keep a supply of bottled water, but that's only practical for small families or for short periods of time. Water takes up a lot of space; three litres a day for three days (72 hours), for a family of four, means at least 36 litres of water sitting in a cupboard somewhere - and that's just drinking water. If you want to wash in clean water, wash up dishes, or prepare food, those 36 litres won't last very long at all.
A LifeSaver Jerrycan or LifeSaver Cube will take up far less space than bottled water and will provide much more than 36 litres of purified water; the Jerrycan can treat up to 20,000 litres on one cartridge, with the smaller Cube purifying up to 5,000 litres. That's enough to last months, if not years, cut off from your normal water supply.
You can fill them from almost any 'fresh' water source, so if your basement is submerged or your garden is now a pond, you can fill from there. If you've been advised that tap water is compromised - even though it's still running - you can fill from the tap. And if you need to leave your home, you can take them with you, reducing your dependence on emergency supplies provided by the government or local community.
There's much more to being prepared than a water supply; read more in our Emergency Kit blog. If you'd like to know more about our water purifiers for emergency or home use, please get in touch.