Loss of safe drinking water can be deadly. Most people, with few exceptions, will be feeling the effects if they do without water for more than 36 hours. Dehydration occurs much quicker than starvation. Our bodies can tolerate the loss of food much better. With an ample water supply, starvation is delayed many days, even weeks. The City water supply is vulnerable to the effects of a large earthquake. Contaminants can get into the drinking water supply through ruptures in the pipes, through the mixing up of sediments, through the adulteration of filtering systems, etc. Now, we take our water for granted. That will be dangerous after a big quake.

A good rule of thumb is: 5 GALLONS PER PERSON (MINIMUM)

NOTE: Treat your pet as a family member when thinking about how much to store.

• Bottled Water from the Store - 1- and 2-gallon sealed containers (NOTE: The 1- and 2- gallon containers you purchase in your local store are not designed for long-term storage and will begin to leak/fail after about 6 months. )

• 1- and 5-Gallon Seal-able Containers - From camping or survival stores. Be sure to sanitize container and treat the water that you are storing. Old bleach bottles, clearly marked, make good containers for water storage.

• 20-oz. to 1-Liter Designer Water Containers - Are usually marked with an expiration date, but are generally good for about two years

• 5-Gallon Water Bottles from Private Water Companies - Water companies claim their water and containers are good for up to five years, if still factory sealed & correctly stored in a cool dark location.

The concrete will leech chemicals into the water, contaminating it and also degrading the plastic bottle, causing failure.

For additional assistance, feel free to contact the Los Angeles Fire Department's Disaster Preparedness Section.

Los Angeles Fire Department
Disaster Preparedness Unit
5021 North Sepulveda Boulevard
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 USA

Telephone: (818) 756-9674
           Fax: (818) 756-9681