Safe Water is an essential part of survival.

The Necessity of Safe Drinkable Water

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  Facts about Survival

• Safe Water supplies can be disrupted.

• Water must be located within 1 to 2 days.

• Drinking unsafe water can have severe consequences.

• Dehydration causes dangerous symptoms and even death.

  While a human can survive weeks without food we all need water. Without water dehydration occurs within a very short period of time. Within two to three days, if water has not been found, a human will perish. Water is a priority, along with Shelter and Fire, in any survival situation. Obtaining Water and knowing how to make it safe to drink are important survival skills that just may save your life.
 

Dehydration

  Dehydration is caused by a lack of enough drinking water. This could be caused by a lack of water or simply by not drinking enough water to compensate for the climate and physical exertion. The symptoms of dehydration can severely effect your ability to survive a disaster situation. Weakness and confusion can cause a waste of valuable time or render anyone useless. Avoid dehydration by locating and treating safe water. Learn to recognize dehydration in yourself and others. Take appropriate action before symptoms progress.

Some Symptoms of Dehydration
Mild Dehydration
Thirst or Dry "Cotton" Mouth	Headache, Dizziness	Decreased, or  Dark Urine
Progressed Dehydration (Previous symptoms and  the following)
Weakness, Lethargy	Confusion	Dizziness, Fainting, Vision impairment
Severe Dehydration (Previous symptoms and  the following)
Seizures, Tingling	Sunken Eyes	Shriveled Skin
Increased Respiration	Delirium	Death

Where Can Water Be Found?

  Water is all around us in many places of the world, in other places it is harder to come. Water is not always safe to drink. Water that has not been treated to make it safe to drink may contain fecal contamination or other bacteria and viruses. The effects of drinking contaminated water can strike quickly with severe consequences. These can include severe diarrhea which can lead to greater dehydration, disease and even death.

The Water in the ditch to the left is contaminated with raw sewage. This is another example illustrating the need to properly filter and treat water before drinking it. The Sewage is not immediately noticeable and often is not detectable by sight. This water could be used as safe drinking water once it has been properly treated, but not before.

During Floods and other disasters the contents of local Sewer Treatment Plants may be released due to damage into the environment. This release along with sewer pipes and Septic systems cause flood waters to be very contaminated, posing a great health risk to anyone drinking this water that is untreated.

Some Symptoms Of Drinking Contaminated Water
Explosive Diarrhea	Gas, Stomach Cramps	Vomiting, Nausea
Fever	Lethargy	Dehydration
Dehydration could be fatal in a survival situation, without clean water and no available help.
Symptoms may appear in 2 days to 2 weeks after contamination. Once symptoms develop the person may become contagious to others, continuing the spread of any pathological microorganisms they are infected with.

   Treatment and Prevention

   Field treatment involves drinking enough clean water and may include rest and anti-diarrhea medication, if needed, such medication should be included in your medical kit. Recovery in a healthy adult should occur after some time, usually less than two weeks, some people who are infected may not experience severe symptoms.

Prevention includes

1. Treating water properly.

2. Washing hands with soap and water after using the rest room.

3. Washing hands with soap and water before eating.

4. Washing hands with soap and water before cooking.

5. Do not allow anyone to contaminate food or fresh water supplies by touching or handling with unclean hands. Keep infected people away from these supplies.

6. Use soap and clean water and a disinfectant solution of 10% bleach to clean and disinfect any possibly contaminated items.

Clean drinking water is an essential to life, without it man will perish from dehydration in a few short days. Continue and find out how to properly treat water and make it safe for drinking, cooking and cleaning.

Finding Drinkable Water >>