The flooding in southeastern Kentucky underscores the importance of emergency preparedness.
There are many types of emergencies that could affect tap water, including the following:
- Natural disasters, like earthquakes or hurricanes
- Contamination resulting from stormwater runoff
- Vandalism
- Sabotage/terrorism
- Waste leakage
- Major water main breaks
- Power outages
- Civil unrest
- System malfunctions
- Human error
It’s nearly impossible to anticipate exactly when these events might occur and how they might impact us, but we can plan to try to minimize any inconvenience.
It’s recommended that, depending on your personal circumstances, you should store enough water to sustain yourself and your family for between three and 14 days in airtight containers that are preferably new. Storing drinking water in containers that previously stored other liquids, such as milk, could promote bacteria growth. Store these containers in a cool location and change them out every few months to keep the water fresh.
Suppliers may use traditional and/or social media to issue a “boil water” or “do not drink” notice when testing indicates a problem.
DrinkTap’s Water Emergencies page also offers tips in case you’re caught in a water emergency.