Water Conservation

How to Conserve Water during a Pandemic

Knowing how to conserve water during a pandemic or other natural or man made disaster can mean the difference between survival and failure to survive—for your family!

Water conservation is a survival skill.
Photo courtesy of Peter Harris

Assume that you will not be able to use the same quantities of water that you are used to using. If you do have a disruption of services, you will have a limited amount of water to use (limited to what you have stored or have access to). Make sure that you have an emergency water storage supply . And, conserve every drop that you do have!

Avoid Water Use

For a short time you might consider using paper plates and bowls and plastic flatware. If you have access to kindling and wood, you might have a camp fire with baked beans (cooked in the opened can), hot dogs, marshmallows, etc. No pots or pans to clean! Save water!

Put Water Conservation on Automatic

Place a brick (or two) in the tank of your toilet to reduce the amount of water needed per flush. You can do this now and benefit from reduced water usage immediately.

Use Water Over and Over

Use the rinse water from the dishes or from rinsing your sprouts to water plants (e.g. herbs) or to give water to the dog or cat. Water used to cook pasta can be used to wash the dishes--it's already hot! Be creative with the ways you conserve water.

Double the usefulness of your water. When making potato or macaroni salad, boil the potatoes and eggs together. (Also saves energy and dish washing) Make one dish, stove top meals.

Use Small Containers for Water Conservation

When washing dishes, use a plastic basin instead of the sink. Use a mixing bowl, half filled with clean water, to rinse the dishes.

Use a small container (i.e. a cottage cheese container) with warm water and a wash cloth to take a sponge bath. When cleaning, which you NEED to do during a pandemic, use small containers instead of a large bucket to save water.

Water Saving Devices

Use a pressure cooker when possible. Pressure cookers decrease the amount of water needed for cooking and also cut your cooking time (and fuel use) by 2/3.

Wash Clothes without a Washer

Use 3 five gallon buckets. Put detergent and water in the first bucket and rinse water in the other two. Use a new (dedicated to laundry) plunger to agitate your clothes. Soak for a couple hours and rinse. The water that you use for clothes should not be your drinking water. You may need to disinfect it just the same.

If you’re lucky enough to have an antique washboard, you’re in business!

Hang clothes outside on a clothesline. Or hang a clothesline in your unfinished basement. In urban areas you may need to use a wooden folding clothes dryer (available from department, discount and building supply stores). or rig up something in the bathtub area.

The Luxury of a Shower

If you have a good source of water but no water pressure/flow, consider using an unused 2 gallon bug sprayer (NEW, clean and dedicated to this purpose) for a temporary shower.

If painted black, it has the additional advantage of capturing the sun's rays to heat the water if you place it outside or in a sunny window. This shower design can be improved by using a kitchen sink sprayer and hose. Learn to take a "navy shower". Suds up when the water is off. Then rinse.

Hopefully, you will not be forced to go to extreme measures for water conservation during a flu pandemic. However, if your utilities are stopped for any length of time, you want to be ready. Make sure that you have a plan and that you have the equipment and tools that you will need.

More on Pandemic Survival Skills

Emergency Water Purification

How to Keep Cool

Emergency Heat

Survival Cooking

Simple Cooking

Sprouting

No Refrigeration

Importance of communication

Emergency Lighting

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