Emergency Water Sources

Depending on how serious the situation was, water providers may take days, weeks, or even longer to restore your water supply. You might thus need to locate safe drinking water sources elsewhere. If you can reach them, there are fortunately a number of sources you may use in and around your house. Verify that your water supply is uncontaminated before using your water heater or faucets. Any concerns about pollution will be reported by local officials to the media.

How to Get Water from the Hot Water Heater in Your House

You may get between 30 and 80 gallons of water per day from your home’s water heater for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene.

Determine where your water heater is located. Water heaters are often located in the garage or basement of freestanding homes, as well as in the closets of apartments and prefabricated dwellings.
Learn the type of water heater you currently possess. Water heaters can be powered primarily by electricity or natural gas. A pilot light, a gas line at the bottom, and a vent on top are the standard configurations for natural gas water heaters.
Cut the electricity to your water heater. You must take this action to guarantee your safety. It is advisable to have a screwdriver, safety goggles, gloves, and a flashlight in a readily available location.

Electric water heaters: Turn off the electricity to your water heater by flicking the appropriate electrical panel switch. (Think about making the small extra effort to find the right circuit breaker beforehand.)
Locate the on/off switch and turn the knob to the pilot setting on natural gas-powered water heaters; do not completely turn the heater off.
Turn off your water heater’s water supply. To turn off the water heater, find the water shut-off valve, which is usually found on top of the unit, and turn it clockwise.
Let the air in via your water heater. This can be done by turning on the hot water spigots in the main living area or upstairs of your house, or by opening the relief valve on the side of the tank by flipping the handle so that it protrudes straight up or out.
When necessary, open the drain valve located at the base of your water heater to empty water from the tank. To dump the water from your water heater. Put on gloves and safety eyewear for your own protection. Turn the spigot or screw to the right to shut off the water flow. Until the water in the tank is gone, keep doing this as often as necessary.

How to Use the Water Pipes in Your Home to Get Water

Prior to utilizing any water from your home’s pipes, make sure your water supply is clean. Then, find the main water valve and turn it off. This valve is usually found in one of three locations in a single-family home: the crawl space beneath the house, the garage, or the basement.

Next, find the highest point in your house and turn on a faucet to allow fresh air to enter your plumbing system. Next, utilize the lowest faucet in your house as your water supply, turning it on and off as required. If your house is one story, Your shower head can be the tallest “faucet” in your home, while your water heater or hose spigot are the lowest. Your water valve can be centrally positioned rather than in your living area if you reside in an apartment or condo. The location of your apartment inside the building and the number of people using the building’s pipes for water will determine how much water is accessible.

Additional Potential Sources of Drinking Water Within Your House

Melted ice cubes: Verify that the water used to make the ice was clean, or filter the water before drinking it.
Commercially packaged drinks, such sodas, juices, or other beverages you have on hand: Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages should not be consumed in big quantities due to the potential for dehydration.
Canned fruits and vegetables: If possible, try to find items that are packed in water; if not, you may still eat other canned food liquids.

Drinking liquids or eating canned food out of containers that have been flooded is not advised.

Emergency Outdoor Water Sources

For a number of reasons, using the water quality from any of the following sources may not be safe. If you must obtain water outside of your house, utilize one of the following sources, but be careful to purify or filter it before using it for drinking, cooking, or personal hygiene:

Rainfall
Rivers, streams, and other flowing waterways
Lakes and ponds
organic springs

Do Not Drink

Even after being treated or filtered, the following kinds of water are not safe to consume. Items with a star(*) might be useful resources for hygiene.

Water from water beds, radiators, or the bowl or tank of your toilet* Water from your hot tub or swimming pool
floodwaters
Water with things floating in it, or with an odd hue or smell
Water that you are aware of or believe may be tainted with hazardous substances, heavy metals, or fuel