5 Ways Your Water Supply Could Still Fail

When people think about emergency water storage, hurricanes often come to mind first. But you do not need a hurricane in the forecast for your household’s water supply to be interrupted.

Water-main breaks, boil-water advisories, power outages, flooding and infrastructure problems can happen with little or no warning. A quiet weather forecast does not guarantee that clean water will continue flowing from the tap.

Here are five ways your water supply could fail and why it is important to prepare while the water is still safe and available.

1. A Boil-Water Advisory

A drop in water pressure, damaged pipe or possible contamination can cause local officials to issue a boil-water advisory.

Your water may continue flowing, but it might not be safe to drink, prepare food with, brush your teeth with or give to pets without first boiling or treating it.

These advisories can last for hours or several days, depending on the cause and the testing required before the water system is declared safe again.

2. A Water-Main Break

Water mains can break because of aging infrastructure, construction damage, shifting soil or sudden temperature changes.

A major break can reduce water pressure or completely interrupt service to a neighborhood. Repairs may take hours or days, and service restoration can sometimes be followed by a boil-water advisory.

Because water-main breaks are rarely announced in advance, households should maintain an emergency water plan throughout the year.

3. An Extended Power Outage

Public water systems depend on electricity to treat water, operate pumps and maintain pressure throughout the distribution system.

Backup generators help keep essential equipment operating, but a widespread or extended outage can still affect water treatment and delivery. Homes that rely on private wells may lose access to water immediately when the power goes out.

Severe storms, extreme heat, winter weather and equipment failures can all produce outages lasting longer than expected.

4. Flooding or Severe Weather

Hurricanes are not the only weather events capable of affecting drinking water.

Flash floods, thunderstorms, tornadoes and winter storms can damage pipes, overwhelm treatment systems or introduce contaminants into public and private water supplies.

Flooding can also make roads impassable, preventing families from reaching stores after bottled water and other emergency supplies are already selling out.

5. An Infrastructure or Cybersecurity Failure

Modern water systems depend on pumps, treatment equipment and computerized controls. Equipment failures, human error or unauthorized access can interfere with normal operations even when the weather is clear.

A water emergency does not always begin with a storm warning. It may begin with a local notice telling residents that water service has been interrupted or that the tap water should not be consumed.

That is why emergency water preparation should happen before a problem occurs.

Why Bottled Water May Not Be Enough

Emergency guidance generally recommends storing at least one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and basic sanitation.

For a family of four, even a three-day supply requires at least 12 gallons. A longer disruption requires considerably more. That amount of bottled water takes up valuable space, can be difficult to transport and may not be available once an emergency has been announced.

A bathtub water-storage system provides another option when advance warning is available and the municipal water supply is still safe.

How AquaPodKit Helps Your Family Prepare

AquaPodKit® is designed to turn an ordinary bathtub into a protected emergency water-storage system.

Place the liner inside a clean bathtub, fill it while the water supply is still safe and use the included pump to dispense the stored water when needed.

AquaPodKit has a recommended fill of approximately 65 gallons in a typical standard bathtub. Total capacity can range from approximately 65 to 100 gallons depending on the size of the tub.

AquaPodKit is:

• Made in the USA
• Manufactured using food-grade virgin resin
• Produced in a HACCP-certified facility
• Designed specifically for supported use inside a bathtub
• Compact and easy to store until needed
• Available with a hand pump for convenient dispensing

AquaPodKit should always be placed inside a bathtub before filling. It is not designed to be filled outdoors or used without the support of a suitable container.

Prepare While the Tap Is Still Running

Preparedness is not about predicting exactly when an emergency will happen. It is about making sure your household has options when something unexpected occurs.

Do not wait for a hurricane, boil-water advisory or neighborhood water outage to start thinking about emergency water.

Prepare while stores are stocked, the weather is calm and safe water is still flowing from your tap.

Get prepared today with AquaPodKit® Made in the USA and designed to store approximately 65 gallons of emergency water in a typical standard bathtub.