WATER - One gallon per day per person for drinking and cooking. Four to include hygiene, washing minimal dishes. (Stock up on paper plates.) - 2 cups for a cat. 2 qts. for a dog. - 1 gallon = 8 lbs. 5 gal. = 40 lbs. 55 gal. = 480 lbs. - If your well casing is wide enough, you may be able to bring up water with a modern 3well bucket,2 a length of pvc pipe or metal tubing outfitted with a one-way valve. The smallest size needs a bit over 3 1/2 inches clearance from your in-casing pump wiring. Call 1-704-292-1789 - If the power goes out, close the valve connecting you to public water to keep water from leaving your dwelling. (And later, toxic water from coming in.) You can then at any time open a faucet upstairs which will allow you to drain your water pipes through the lowest valve in the house. This will give you many more gallons of water. Drain all pipes before they freeze. - Remember the water in the hot water heater and the toilet tanks, which you may wish to clean now. - In warm weather, a lot of water can be harvested from dew, by spreading clean cloth out on the ground the night before, then wringing it out in the morning. - Most municipal sewer systems depend on pumping stations, and waste water may back up into your home if the power goes out. Talk to a plumber about installing a gate valve to prevent this. - A wealth of info. about water, and containers, at www.watertank.com - Store only in food-grade plastics. - 2-liter soda bottle handy size. Easy to store under furniture, etc. Or in liquor boxes, stacked. - Milk jugs may begin to biodegrade in 6 months. - Pick up containers at recycling centers, from friends, neighbors. - If water is clean when stored, keeps a long time, at least 3-6 months if kept cool and away from light. Store away from light to inhibit algae. - Have pump for 55-gallon containers. Or siphon, using 1/2 inch (internal) tygon tubing, clamped. - Fresh snow does not contain any life forms. But melt, to conserve body heat. Eating snow is very chilling. - Rainwater also free of micro-organisms. Can catch in containers from roof spouts. Let the first few minutes of rain rinse the roof first. Do not use water from asbestos roofs. - If you have to use water from rivers, etc. that are muddy, filter out the dirt before you run the water through your expensive water filtering unit. Use a coffee filter, or layers of cloth. - You can also make a good prefilter from a liter soft drink bottle. Cut off the bottom. Put in (now upside down) a layer of sand, a layer of charcoal (Not from briquettes, but from smashed up incompletely- burned wood, or buy ahead at a tropical fish place.), and another layer of sand. Muddy water poured through this will come out a lot cleaner than it goes in. Even sand without charcoal will help a lot. - Don9t take your expensive water filtering unit out of your house where others can see it. Bring water back home to filter it. - Never drink water that may contain the protozoa cysts of giardia or cryptosporidium. Dysentery is very dangerous, especially in times when medical help is scarce. - Cryptosporidium is entirely resistant to disinfectants, including iodine and chlorine. Giardia is becoming resistant to chlorine. The presence of these organisms in water is not detectable. (In 1993 over 100 died in Milwaukee from Cryptosporidium in the public water supply.) - Multi-Pure tight, solid carbon block filters with a pore size of 1/2 micron are able to filter out coliform and cryptosporidium. (Carbon blocks in general work better than granular activated carbon.) Giardia and crypto. range in size from 1 to 10 microns. - If you do not have a .2-micron filter, only boiling will ensure no giardia or crypto. Various sources give very different recommendations regarding the time needed, but 10 minutes at full boil will do the job. Three or six may not be enough. - Boiled water has had the air removed rom it and tastes terrible. Put in in a container with room for air and shake it a few minutes to aerate it. - Iodine and chlorine are both toxic substances, not desirable in drinking water. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, babies and people with thyroid problems should not drink water treated with iodine. Many others will not be able to swallow it due to gagging on the taste. If you plan to use iodine, try drinking it now. Plan to filter iodine-treated water with activated charcoal to remove the taste. - Carbon is excellent for removing chlorine from water. So you could use chlorine and then run it through carbon. Activated carbon also removes mercury. Volatile organics (benzene, dichlorethylene, carbon tetrachloride, dioxin, styrene, toluene, chloroform, viny chloride, trihalomethanes....) are removed by activated carbon. Carbon is the best treatment for removing organic chemicals, volatile organics, pesticides, herbicides, and chlorine. It is also best at taste and odor improvement. - Carbon cannot remove fluoride, nitrates and sodium. Distillation does. - Distilling does not remove chlorine or volatile organics. - Carbon filters remove chemicals in the way that a magnet attracts metal filings. They adhere to the carbon surfaces. One oz. of carbon has 1 sq. mile of surface area. So they must be replaced when they are full. Carbon filters lose the capacity to filter trihalomethane long before they lose ability to filter chlorine, so do not go by chlorine taste or test. - Filters that 3remove chlorine taste and odor2 usually have 10 micron pores. The new MatriKX CeramiKX blocks are 1/2 microns. - Giardia and crypto. range in size from 1 to 10 microns. Easily filtered with a .2-micron filter. - Bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella range from .2 to10 microns. Easily filtered out with a .2-micron filter. - The Berkefeld filter will remove E. coli, klebsiella, salmonella, giardia, cryptosporidium, cholera, and shigella from 2,600 gal. of water. www.noahspantry.com/filter.htm $259 - The Katadyn ceramic filter has pores no larger than .2 microns. The ceramic filter in the 3Pocket Filter2 model can be removed, cleaned and reinstalled 300 times, to filter 13,000 gallons. $269. www.y2ksupplies.com - PUR walter filters combine carbon with an iodated resin element, removing bacteria, viruses and giardia. 3The Scout2 sells for $89. Will filter 400 liters. www.backcountrygear.com - Pure Water filters from $25. www.pwgazette.com/gravity.htm (940) 382-3814 Same ceramic cartridge as the expensive brands. (They have 4 cartridges in a fancy container. This is one handy portable cartridge.) This is the one we chose ourselves. - Use 12 drops of 2% iodine per gallon of clear water, and 24 drops for cloudy water. - Use only non-scented Chlorox. 5 to 8 drops per gallon of clear water, 16 drops for cloudy. Let stand 1/2 hour. (Different chlorine products vary in concentration. If you have a 7-10% strength chlorine product, use only 4 drops.) - Far preferable to Chlorox or iodine is aerobic oxygen, available in stabilized drops. Aerobic oxygen kills all infectious anaerobic bacteria, while not harming healthful ones. Water treated with it remains good for 10 years if not left in sunlight or kept at over 130 degrees for long periods of time. Use 2 oz. per 50 gallons. - Aerobic oxygen is actually wonderful for our health, as it introduces much more oxygen into our bodies. 20 drops3 times a day in any cold liquid. People have reported benefits in following areas: energy and stamina, tooth decay and gum infection, HIV/AIDS, angina, asthma and emphysema, bronchial infections, poor circulation, epilepsy and Alzheimer9s, headaches, yeast infections, bladder infections, etc . HEALTH & WELL-BEING - State of mind has powerful effect on health. Spiritual practices of prayer, meditation, contemplation and chanting very helpful. - Diaphramic breathing also helps calm mind. And alternate nostril breathing. See a yoga book, or Chopra9s PERFECT HEALTH, which is also a good introduction to the world9s oldest and most complete natural health system, Ayurveda. - Start now to be in good physical shape next January. Improve diet. Exercise. - A rebounder ($40 new) is excellent for non-exertive exercise that clears the lymph system. You don9t need to bounce up in the air at all. In fact, can be done on one9s knees. It9s the up and down that moves the lymph, a bit like getting ketchup out of the bottle. - If you plan to store basic whole foods for Y2K, get used to eating them now, bit by bit. These are much healthier than processed foods. Cook one new recipe each week. - Drop addictions now! This will greatly improve your health. The things you are addicted to will likely not be available during Y2K outages, and that will be a very stressful time to go 3cold turkey.2 Gradually reduce your use now, and kick bad habits without headaches and other withdrawal problems. Cut by 1/4 each week for a month. Acupuncture, herbs and other natural health modalities and remedies will you help greatly in this process. See me or call me at home for more information. Or work with any good natural health practitioner. - Very important to keep active if you are homebound during outages. And maintain a regular schedule. Also, be organized. This helps a lot when the outside world is chaotic and beyond our control. - Talk with close friends or family members to air tensions and fears. Be sure your children have the opportunity to do this, too. Start now! - Explain to your kids why you are preparing. If you try to 3spare2 them by being not talking about it, they will be more worried. Be frank, and assure them that by preparing you are assuring your family will be all right even though daily routines will be different and some things they are used to may just not be available for a while. - When you have enough preparations in place to do so, have a practice drill. Turn off the power and try out all the lamps, stoves, etc. by actually using them to live with for a day or two. Then if the power goes out, everyone in the family will already be familiar with the changes, and it will be much less stressful. -Also, the drill may reveal things you forgot to plan for, or things that need to be improved on. - Involve the whole family in preparing. Give children meaningful things to do. Maybe collecting, washing and filling soda bottles with water? Thinking of safe places to hide cash? (Be sure to remember where cash is actually cached.) Labeling storage foods with dates, so they can be rotated? Making lists of things to have on hand? This will increase their understanding that your family can handle Y2K. - Make sure you have an extra pair of glasses. Get your dental work, etc. up to date. - Have a good supply of all hygiene products used regularly by all members of household. - Many say stock up on prescription drugs. Even better, read up on herbal remedies and find replacements for as many prescription drugs as possible. You can stock up on herbal preparations without a prescription, and this will be also be healthier. Work with a natural health practitioner or physician to ensure wise choices. - Among the medications that may not be available next year is insulin. (Most insulin is imported from countries not well prepared for Y2K.) If you start now, you may well be able to be free of needing it by next year. Are you willing to change your diet, etc. for a big upgrade in health? Again, work with a qualified natural health practitioner. - Bach Remedies and other flower essences can help greatly with worry, fear, stress, big changes, etc. Read about them and try them. One every family should have on hand is Rescue Remedy, which makes such a big difference in times of stress and for any trauma. - Gotu Kola is very good for a more peaceful mental state. - St. John9s Wort has been found by many to be more effective than anti-depressants, without the side effects. - Ginger is wonderful for warming up when chilled. Make a strong tea, or take 1/2 to 1 tsp. with very warm water. Also great for colds and sore throats. - Astragalus gives a big boost to the immune system. Good for all types. Excellent in drop form for pets. (Echinacea is not good for thin, cold folks. Is more of a cleanser.) - Read up on colloidal silver. (See Resources page.) Try it. Stock up on it. Consider getting your own colloidal silver generator. (Make with warm distilled water only.) CS is a natural antibiotic and is also antiviral! - Turmeric is another wonderful natural antibiotic. Antiviral! Kills mold, fungus, bacteria, parasites. Anti-histamine. Excellent anti-inflammatory. (Tested on par with or better than cortisone.) Lowers cholesterol, blood sugar. (Potentiates insulin production as much as threefold.) Anti-tumor. Strong anti-oxidant. Antiseptic and healing on wounds, burns, bruises. (Poultice with oil base. Butter good.) Good for diarrhea/dysentery. Helpful in all degenerative conditions. Etc. Preventive dose 2-3 grams, 2-3 times a day with meals. Double that for treatment. (300 mg. = 1 tsp.) Equally good for pets. Read TURMERIC, THE AYURVEDIC SPICE OF LIFE by Prashanti de Jager. www.dhanvantri.com 1-415-289-7976 - Keep your bowels moving! Stagnant bowels = toxicity = bad health. Have 2-3 BMs a day. If not, use warm water in enema bag while sitting upright on toilet/bucket/whatever to moisten bowels and stimulate movement. Water in till feel urge. Expel. Repeat and repeat. Bowels will move. - Have activated charcoal capsules on hand in case of food poisoning. Taken orally, activated charcoal quickly absorbs toxins. (Do not take except for emergencies. Taken regularly, it will absorb many of the nutrients in your food.) - MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) is a great healing substance, too. See Resources page. - To conserve energy do not drink anything to speak of with meals, which dilutes digestive enzymes and makes the body work harder than it should have to. Along the same lines, cold drinks make the body exert a lot of energy to reheat itself. - If someone gets hypothermia (dangerously low body temperature) do not give hot liquids. Do not heat hands, feet or place heat on kidney area, or place in hot bath. Heat the trunk of the body first, to avoid possible heart damage or failure from forcing cold blood into the heart. Best method is to heat the person with the body heat of as many people as possible, all surrounding him/her. No clothes (insulation). - Better to stay warm in the first place. It is not 3cool2 to go without a coat and hat in the winter - it is cold. -A lot of ordinary risks can be life-threatening in extraordinary times. - Get a copy of THE RED CROSS FIRST AID HANDBOOK. Read it. You may need to know how to handle an emergency. Not a good time to begin thumbing through an unopened book. - Make up your own first-aid kit after reading lists on Y2K internet sites such as http://casssandraproject.org - If you are concerned about possibility of nuclear meltdowns, etc. you can store potassium iodate. Research basement sheltering from radiation. Call me for websites on this one. - Much more on this subject, especially the natural health options. Feel free to call or e-mail. HYGIENE - If the water and sewer systems won9t work, we will soon be in deep doo doo. - If the pumping stations for your town9s sewer system are down, sewer may back up into your home. See a plumber for installation of a gate valve to prevent this. ( A 3checkvalve2 may blow out if there is much pressure.) Also install one-way valves in any floor drains in your basement. (3Sewer Stops2 414-524-0230(Waukesha) or 414-886-8522(Racine) - Some people plan to empty the water from a toilet and place a garbage bag in the toilet, folding the top over after each use. This will work a lot better if the bag is used just for feces. We pass a lot more urine than feces, and the bag will fill very quickly if you use it for both. And the urine may leak out when you try to move the bag. Better to have a bucket for urine. - Urine can more easily be poured out under a bush outside, away from dwellings. Most of it will quickly evaporate. It is not as much of a health hazard as feces, which would just pile up if dumped outside, and which may contain pathogens. - Diluted 4 to 1 with water, urine can be applied to your lawn and will not burn grass. It is high in nitrogen and good for your lawn. - Be sure to leave a cup or two of water in the toilet, to prevent back-up of sewer gas. - Feces does happen! What to do with it? Our family has purchased two Luggable Loos. (From Fleet Farm) This is a 5 gallon plastic pail with a removable plastic toilet seat. Again, this will work a lot better if reserved for feces. (Maybe you would like one for feces and one for urine, if you want a sturdy place to sit when you urinate.) - Feces will not smell if covered with a thin layer of organic material such as sawdust or ground up leaves. (Probably cat litter would also do. Maybe chopped up newspaper, though I have not tried it.) Each time you use your Loo, spread a thin layer of sawdust or whatever over the feces. We tried this. It does not stink! - If you use organic material to do this, you can actually add the contents of the bucket to your compost pile. Composted human manure is entirely safe and great for your garden. See book HUMANURE in Resources page. How to compost this usually wasted resource. Would be great for our soil and save our waters from terrible pollution if our society did this. - A fancy way to do this is with a composting toilet for around $900. Fleet Farm. Real Goods. Jade Mt. - Some folks plan to 3use a cat box2 of clumping litter, then scoop the goods into a garbage bag to store in the cold garage till they can get rid of it. - Wal-Mart and camping stores also sell a small flush unit for camping, but this unit is very impractical. Just for those addicted to flushing. It is a big waste of water to use it to flush your feces into a very small holding tank that you are then going to have to empty someplace. - Be sure to stock up on toilet paper. If you plan to compost, buy Seventh Generation toilet paper that is chemical free (available at Outpost) or another similar brand. - How will you do laundry? Jade Mt. and Real Goods sell a small portable hand-turned washer that uses pressure to force soapy water through 5 lbs. of laundry. (Locally avail. at 414-524-0230 or 414-886-8522) Store some biodegradable laundry powder. - If you are used to soft water, buy Boraxo and add it to laundry to soften the water. - Other items to have on hand for laundry are rubber gloves, clothesline, clothespins. more resources: Resources Nutraceuticals phone: 1-800-929-9979 website: www.nutraceuticals2000.com for: aerobic oxygen (2 oz. $13), excellent article on health benefits of aerobic oxygen, Guzzler pumps, barrel pumps, resealable buckets/gamma lids, mylar bags... - Water containers, great info. on water,.aerobic oxygen (2 oz $14 - for 50-75 gallons).... www.watertanks.com - Monitor Pumps phone: 1-608-882-2730 (Wisconsin) $500 -$800, to 200 feet, $290 to 25 ft. - Bosworth Guzzler pump 1-888-438-1110 Attach a hose line in and a hose line out, and hand pump out your basement, your water tank, or whatever. Three sizes. - Monitor Pumps phone: 1-608-882-2730 (Wisconsin) $500 -$800, to 200 feet, $290 to 25 ft. - Real Goods Renewable Energy Products www.realgoods.com phone: 1-800-919-2400 Solar energy products somewhat like Jade Mt. Rainwater barrels, books, video. Water filter pumps. Super Wash Pressure Washing Machine (Do 5 lbs. of wash in portable unit that creates pressure to penetrate fabric quickly w/ soap/hot water.) Lifetime guaranteed nicad batteries. The tech. help line very good here as well.

-- Shivani Arjuna (S Arjuna@aol.com), July 07, 1999