Yesterday I woke up, used the bathroom, and went to wash my hands. I turned on the faucet, only to discover that we had no water! It was only 6:00 a.m. Fortunately, I keep a supply of emergency water on hand. I have a ten gallon container of drinking water, some distilled water in a gallon jug for my soapmaking, and water bottles for Lula and I in the fridge. I also keep a pitcher of filtered water next to the sink.
I breathed a sigh of relief, poured some of the filtered water into a recycled gelato container, and took it into the bathroom. I rinsed my hands with it, soaped them up with my homemade shea butter goat's milk soap, and then poured more water from the container over them to remove the soap film. I wiped my hands dry on the clean towel, feeling very relieved that I had a backup water supply.
After returning to the kitchen, I breathed another sigh of relief that I had water available to make coffee, since I am such a coffee addict. I would have had to drive to Starbucks if I hadn't stored this water for emergencies.
I had planned to wash my sheets, but waited for the water to come back on, (which it did, around 8:00 a.m.) I was able to get my load of washing done, and hung it out on the clothesline in the sunshine to dry. I also really appreciated the fact that I could take a hot shower. Most of us take all of these things for granted. It was comforting to feel clean and to stay on schedule with my housework. Do you have extra water stored in case of an emergency?
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We sure do. We've actually been bringing our drinking water from the mountain until we sell that house. Natural well water has trace minerals that we want as long as we can. Glad yours wasn't out that long and you had enough for coffee 😉 I agree on the importance of morning coffee! 😂
ReplyDeleteHi Lady Locust, Your description of the mountain and well water sounds so healthy and delicious.
DeleteThanks for your lovely post! I actually don't usually keep extra water but I'm going to take care of that tomorrow! And the thought of no coffee? Please, no!!
ReplyDeleteHi lizellen, Welcome, and thanks for commenting. It is wise to have a stockpile of everything that you need. One never knows...
DeleteIt's funny how we take so many things for granted. I should probably keep a supply of bottled water just in case. We get notification if the water is being turned off so it would be a very rare occasion that I would be totally stuck.
ReplyDeleteHI Cherie, Our water system is from the 1940's. It really needs to be updated. We have our water shut off regularly. It makes all the difference to have a supply readily available.
DeleteWe had high winds and snow last night (actually still do) and we lost power overnight. About a half hour after we hooked up our generator upon awakening, the power came back on. I was almost disappointed as I was ready to do without! But in reality, having a generator as a back-up spoils us. And we only needed it for our freezer and refrigerator (and coffee maker...lol) and space heaters. Our gas stove was able to be lit by a lighter or match, and the gas fireplace has a battery back-up. So we could have done without, as the food could be put out on our deck in freezing temperatures. Andrea
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea, Good for you for being ready. It sounds like you have a well thought out plan. Those freezing temperatures put you in an entirely different situation than those of us in milder climates. That's a good point about the outdoor refrigeration.
DeleteWe keep several gallons of water in the refrigerator. It is important to rotate the stored water every few months as it will get stale! Rotated water gets used to water the pots outside. I love the first sip of hot black coffee each morning! Our coffeemaker is on a timer so it is fresh and ready when we get up.
ReplyDeleteHi Anita, That's true. I used to housesit at a gorgeous home in The Palisades that had a coffeemaker that was set on a timer. It was such a treat to wake up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee! It was kind of like room service...
DeleteHi Angela, Wow, having no water for days is a whole different story. You really have to be prepared. Some of my neighbors have water tanks and generators. I have hurricane lamps, but have rarely needed them. You just never know what will happen, though.
ReplyDeleteYour post reminded me that I really don't have water stored for an emergency. I do that during the hurricane season, but not throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteI should keep at least a couple of gallons of drinking water.
Hi Nil, Yes, it's a good idea. It's something we really need. I always think about those people in Hurricane Katrina that needed water. That was awful.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had that water stored for an emergency, and the water was turned back on after only a couple of hours. I have several gallons of drinking water (bottled water) on hand for emergencies/in case of earthquakes. I also have my 50 gallon water heater, as a secondary source of stored water.
ReplyDeleteYour ice plants look lovely! Such a pretty shade of purple!
Oh, that's a good point, Bless. so do I. Those flowers are actually near the bus stop, around the corner from me.
Deletei have a small tank down on the chook shed which is normally also used for drinking water but with the last 3 months being so dry & hot it is now empty, just needs a good heavy downpour to fill it back up & no, otherwise i don't have 'emergency' water. we get notices if our water is turned off & i think i have 1 bottle in the fridge. my pantry is full of other staples that are needed
ReplyDeleteone day i hope to have a much bigger tank (20,000gal) installed on the house but it's a way off yet.
your post has me thinking more of what i need to have on hand for emergencies though
thanx for sharing
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ReplyDeleteThat large tank sounds excellent, Selina. I like having smaller jugs that are easy to lift, too.
ReplyDelete