Best Places to Find Water in the City Post-SHTF

We all know how important water is so I’ll spare you the rule of threes speech. But I will say that we might find ourselves working harder in a grid down event or post collapse situation causing us to drink more water than normal because we won’t have access to all these convinces we have today.

Hopefully we all have some amount of water stored and are prepared for this situation, but the amount of space that water takes up makes it very difficult to hide, and the amount of water we use means that at some point or another that water will be gone.

Water is the driving force of all nature.”

In this blog, we’re going to cover places you can find water after a disaster that many will simply overlook.  These are places you can find in a typical urban, suburban environment and with a little knowledge and a few tools, they will provide water that can be easily processed giving you a precious gallon or two to ensure your survival.

This blog is a stand-alone video in collaboration with several other fantastic YouTube preparedness channels as part of the 30 Days of Preparedness Collaboration and National Preparedness Month.  I will link to these channels in the comments below that are involved in this project.

After the electricity goes out, the failure of the water system is probably second.  You are hopefully sitting on your stored water when it does. Still, you will need to continue to collect water and get it from other sources to maintain a supply of drinkable water and extend your chances of survival through a disaster.  The truth is, water is all around us, even in the desert.  I’ll structure a dozen or more locations working out from your home where you can find water after a disaster.  You just need to know where to look for it and how to extract it.  When others are desperate and fighting for every drop, you’ll be a couple of steps ahead of everyone armed with this knowledge.  Let’s dive in…

Let me be upfront and tell you that this isn’t a video about water storage, treatment, filtration, or purification.  When a prolonged disaster impacts an area, the municipal water supply can be rendered unsafe to drink.  So, have a plan to make your water drinkable.  And if you don’t have a water storage setup, I would encourage you to do so now as there is no better option.

So let’s look at some of the overlooked places where you can find water after a disaster starting in your home and moving outwards.

1. Your Home

If a storm is approaching and you have enough advanced warning, top off all your water supplies.  Fill all your large containers, sinks, and bathtubs.  Don’t forget any ice in your refrigerator will keep things colder when the power goes out, but as it melts, you will want to capture the water.  There is also water in your pipes you can access even if the municipal water stops and can be accessed by opening your lowest tap or faucet.  If you suspect the water coming to your house is compromised, immediately shut off the water valve coming into your residence to protect the water in the pipes.  Even when pumping stations fail, municipal water sources use as much gravity as possible to get water to you.  The power may be out, and the water will eventually stop flowing to you, but it will still flow for a while, so capture as much of it as you can, as long as you have no reason to believe it’s contaminated.

2. Canned Foods

Canned foods are typically packed in either sugar or sodium water.  Don’t throw that water out.  You can use any fruit syrups directly in your cooking or drink them straight for an energy boost.  The saltier brine like your vegetables and beans can be mixed with a little stored water to provide vital electrolytes.  You should avoid drinking the saltier brines straight, as this could dehydrate you.  If you can dilute it a little by adding water, you will derive more significant benefits.

3. Hot Water Heater

You walk by, probably every day, around 40 to 50 gallons of water stored in your water heater, but would you know how to tap into it after a disaster safely?  Here’s how: Start by turning off the gas supply line by turning the valve to the off position.   Then you may want to wait awhile to allow your water to cool off. Then find the larger lever, which is the water source line, and close that off as well.  Then, open the pressure relief valve to vent any high pressure.  Finally, with a bucket under your water heater, open the drain valve to capture the water.  If you do this in 5-gallon increments with a 5-gallon bucket, you can get a solid 40 to 50 gallons here.  You can show a neighbor how to do the same in exchange for another five or more gallons off their water heater.

4. Toilet Tank

I know this may be a bit hard to believe, but that back tank of your toilet has some of the cleanest water you will be able to get your hands on after a disaster.  The water comes in fresh from your municipal lines and is sealed off from fecal matter, so you could, in a crisis, drink it right out the back of the toilet, but it never hurts to treat it or filter it just to be safe.  If you use chemicals in the reservoir like the kind that releases with each flush, you will need to treat and filter the water.  The water in the tank is good, but you have to be genuinely desperate to drink from the bowl.  You would definitely want to treat that water before you drink it from there; however, it is okay for your pets.  Many bacterias that would make us sick they don’t even notice.  Don’t overlook this supply of water.

5. Irrigation Lines

Do you have sprinklers in your yard?  If you do, you are surrounded by water.  Most irrigation lines are 3/4 inch or 1 inch.  There are 231 cubic inches in a gallon.  If my math is correct, the average suburban lot of 5,000 square feet will have a little over 420 feet of PVC irrigation, including lateral lines.  If that’s a 1-inch line, that’s going to be at least two gallons and likely more of water just sitting in the underground lines of every similarly built house in your subdivision or neighborhood.

To tap into this water source, you just need to know the width of the male threaded riser, have polyethylene or vinyl tubing to put over that riser, and the lowest sprinkler head.  If there is a lower head in the system, it may weep naturally when the system is not on, and it is easy to identify in older systems. If the sprinklers are all built level, you can tap into anyone, but you may need a hand pump to extract the water.  In fact, a hand pump with extra tubing will be a great addition to your prepping supplies because it will allow you to run a line to water sources that are out of your reach.

Clear the dirt from around the sprinkler head with a shovel or trowel.  Unscrew the sprinkler head and quickly put the tube on the riser.  The water may have sufficient hydrostatic pressure to begin to flow and drain.  If not, a small hand pump will be of great use to you.  Also, a large sponge will allow you to collect water that is lost between the time you detach the sprinkler head and attach your collection tube.

Just realize that water meant for irrigation is not 100 percent safe for consumption.  Always treat and filter water collected in this way.

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