Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2019 September 13

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September 13

protecting water tank from hurricane

I'm reading that bottled water is being airlifted into the hurricane-stricken parts of the Bahamas, and I remember similar things from other hurricanes. Would it really have been that hard to set aside a supply of water on the island ahead of time, either specifically for the hurricane or just kept around at all times, to be dispensed to residents in case of emergency? The article Olympic-size swimming pool conveniently says that such a pool holds 660,000 gallons of water, so having a comparable volume around seems doable and would free up transport capacity for other stuff. Just wondering. Bottled water is always the first thing people think of and it has always seemed crazy to me. Ziploc bags work pretty well as impromptu water carriers as long as you don't throw them, so they would be ok for dispensing into from tank trucks or whatever. Just a thought. Thanks. 173.228.123.207 (talk) 05:18, 13 September 2019 (UTC)

Propositioning emergency supplies, including water, is a strategy that's sometimes used. There are some limitations though:

• Often there is little time to make such preparations.

• It's often not clear exactly where a hurricane will hit worst, meaning these preparations may be needed in many places, most of which will not be used.

• It must be assumed that the transportation infrastructure will be disrupted, meaning that those emergency supplies must be within walking distance of each person. So, many smaller supply depots are needed instead of one large, central depot. And "walking distance" may be much shorter than pre-storm, as it involves walking over debris, downed trees, etc.

• Leaving personnel to weather the storm and then deliver the supplies may not be possible. The other alternative of bringing in personnel afterwards may also be difficult, as there may not be any place for a helicopter to land, so they would need to rappel down ropes. And these personnel would also need equipment and supplies (and maybe weapons to protect themselves and the supplies from looters). You could also leave the supplies unguarded and allow the locals to distribute them, but this could go wrong if an armed gang gains control of them, keeping in mind that lawlessness may result following the storm.

• The locals need to be informed of the location of the supply depots. Since communications are likely to be down, maybe some form of automated loudspeaker and/or lights at night would work, as long as the batteries, and maybe solar cells, lasted.

• To survive the storm and not be washed out to sea, the supplies may need to be anchored to bedrock. Not something that can be done all that quickly.

• Ports and airports may be overcrowded with evacuees, making delivery of supplies harder. Instead of sending in cargo planes and ships, the best you might be able to do is ship what supplies you can on passenger planes and ships headed to pick up evacuees.

• Once the supplies arrive at ports, delivering them to their end locations would also be difficult, due to roads crowded by evacuees. Then evacuating the staff who deliver them would also be difficult. SinisterLefty (talk) 08:15, 13 September 2019 (UTC)

Drinking bottled water may be crazy if you have a reliable supply of piped drinking water, but it does make sense in an emergency. Bags or pouches need to be opened and a significant amount of the content is likely to be spilled, whereas a bottle controls it better. And water mains and pumping systems, of course, may be damaged in the emergency. --76.69.116.4 (talk) 09:32, 13 September 2019 (UTC)

On forrested islands in the Mediterranean there are water reservoirs kept for fire fighting. However the Water quality for human consumption of the stagnant water is doubtful without on-going Water treatment. DroneB (talk) 12:04, 13 September 2019 (UTC)

Drinking water can be stored indefinitely, but only under some very specific conditions:

• It must be stored in an airtight glass container, as water will react/interact with either plastic or metal over time.

• The cap/seal is also tricky, as a metal or plastic lid poses some risk, but less so if there's an air gap between the cap and the water. Better yet, use a glass lid with a silicone rubber seal, and also leave an air gap.

• The water must be sterile to begin with. This requires home canning techniques as are used in sterilizing preserves in mason jars. SinisterLefty (talk) 11:10, 16 September 2019 (UTC)

Also note that in addition to drinking water, there's need for water for bathing, washing dishes and clothes, cooking, etc. That water doesn't need to be quite so pristine, especially if the final rinse is done with potable water. So, it could be stored in plastic containers and doesn't need to be sterilized. You would have to mark it clearly as "not for drinking", though. SinisterLefty (talk) 00:49, 17 September 2019 (UTC)