How to Get Emergency Drinking Water from a Water Heater

Most people never give their water heater a second thought; however, did you know that anywhere from 30-50 gallons of emergency water can be found in your water heater, depending on its size? It is said that the human body requires around a gallon of water per day to survive, depending on conditions, and that’s not including the water needed for cooking or bathing. Typically, your average 40 gallon water heater would supply a single individual with enough safe drinking water for at least 5 weeks.

Today I am going to show you how to access this water. It’s a pretty simple procedure, and in a grid-down situation, having this extra water on hand could save your life. This information is also good to know should you ever have a water heater that starts to leak; if you catch it in time, shutting down the cold water intake to the tank and draining it would prevent any water damage. When removing water from the tank, the first thing that you should do is turn off the power at the breaker-box. If yours is a gas heater, turn the thermostat to the “pilot” setting. Once you have turned off the power or gas, you then may continue with the following steps.

Step 1: Turn off the Water Supply / Only for Leaking Water Heater

Normally, if you have a leaking water heater, you are going to want to shut off the cold-water intake line going to the water heater so that water won’t continue filling the tank. My water heater is marked with Red/Blue Indicators so I know which line is the cold-water intake line. However, if yours is not marked, feel the pipes and put a tag on the cold one so you know for future reference. Just follow the pipes coming out of the heater and you should see the shut off valves. When removing water from the heater to use in an emergency, you’re going to want to leave these lines open. Leaving the water lines open can actually recover a couple of extra gallons that are in the pipes of your home, but if there is any chance the water supply could be tainted, be sure to close the cold-water intake line.

Cold-Water Inlet Marked With Blue Water Intake/Outlet Shut Off Valves

Step 2: Removing the Hot/Water

Next, you are going to want to open one of the hot-water faucets in one of your sinks. This will prevent a vacuum from forming in the lines, allowing the water to flow. After you have opened one of the hot water faucets, go back to your water heater and locate the drain valve. The drain valve is located near the bottom of the tank, and it looks like an outside garden faucet, only without the knob. Once you locate the valve, connect a garden hose (preferably a drink safe hose), like the one shown in the photo below.

Step 3: Open the Drain Valve

You can remove water, as needed, by opening the drain valve to collect the water. The valve on most water heaters is slotted like a regular screw so you’re going to need a screwdriver for this. Slowly open the valve. In doing so, keep in mind that some older water heaters may have some sediment built up at the bottom of the tank, so you might want to run it through a bandanna or t-shirt. Water can be stored for up to six months, so if you are getting water from a tank that has been sitting for longer than six months, you will want to use a quality water filter to purify the water. If by any chance the grid should come back up, remember to refill the water tank before supplying it with power again; this is to prevent damage to your water heater. You do this by first making sure the drain valve is closed, and then opening up your cold-intake valve if you had it closed. Keep in mind, if you have a well with a pressure tank, you can get additional water from the pressure tank as well.

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Following a disaster, clean drinking water may not be available, or your regular water source could become contaminated. Prepare yourself for an emergency by creating and storing a supply of water that will meet your family’s needs.

Unopened commercially bottled water is the safest and most reliable source of water in an emergency. If you do not have bottled water, you can make your water safe to drink by following the instructions listed on our Making Water Safe in an Emergency page and using clean containers to collect and store your water.

• Store at least 1 gallon of water per person per day for 3 days, for drinking and sanitation.
  • Try to store a 2-week supply, if possible.
  • You should consider storing more water than this for hot climates, for pregnant women, and for persons who are sick.
• Observe the expiration date for store-bought water.
• Replace non-store-bought water every 6 months.
• Store a bottle of unexpired unscented liquid household chlorine bleach (label should say it contains between 5–6% of sodium hypochlorite) to disinfect your water, if necessary, and to use for general cleaning and sanitizing. Replace the bleach bottle after expiration date.

When storing safe water (water that has been treated to make it safe to use), it is best to use food-grade water storage containers, which do not transfer toxic substances into the water they are holding. FDA-approved food-grade storage containers can be found at surplus or camping supply stores. Contact the manufacturer if you are not sure if a storage container is food grade.If you are not able to use a food-grade water storage container, be sure the container you choose:

• Has a top that can be closed tightly
• Is made of durable, unbreakable materials (i.e., not glass)

If possible, use a container with a narrow neck or opening so water can be poured out.

DO NOT USE containers that previously have been used to hold liquid or solid toxic chemicals (bleach, pesticides, etc.)

In an emergency, water contaminated with germs can often be made safe to drink by boiling, adding disinfectants, or filtering.

IMPORTANT: Water contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals will not be made safe by boiling or disinfection. Use bottled water or a different source of water if you know or suspect that your water might be contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals.

In emergency situations, use bottled water if possible; bottled water is the safest choice for drinking and all other uses. If bottled water is not available, the following methods can help make your water safe to drink.

*Note: These methods are listed in order of what is most effective at making your water safe.

1. Boiling

If you don’t have safe bottled water, you should boil your water to make it safe to drink. Boiling is the surest method to kill disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

You can improve the flat taste of boiled water by pouring it from one container to another and then allowing it to stand for a few hours, OR by adding a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of boiled water.

If the water is cloudy:

1. Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
2. Draw off the clear water.
3. Bring the clear water to a rolling boil for 1 minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes).
4. Let the boiled water cool.
5. Store the boiled water in clean sanitized containers with tight covers.

If the water is clear:

1. Bring the clear water to a rolling boil for 1 minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes).
2. Let the boiled water cool.
3. Store the boiled water in clean sanitized containers with tight covers.

2. Disinfectants

If you don’t have safe bottled water and if boiling is not possible, you often can make small quantities of filtered and settled water safer to drink by using a chemical disinfectant such as unscented household chlorine bleach. Disinfectants can kill most harmful or disease-causing viruses and bacteria, but are not as effective in controlling more resistant organisms, such as the parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Chlorine dioxide tablets can be effective against Cryptosporidium if the manufacturer’s instructions are followed correctly. If the water is contaminated with a chemical, adding a disinfectant will not make it drinkable. To disinfect water with tablets that contain chlorine or iodine:

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the label or in the package.
  • Chlorine dioxide tablets can be effective against Cryptosporidium if the manufacturer’s instructions are followed correctly.
  • Iodine and iodine-containing tablets (tetraglycine hydroperiodide) or chlorine tablets are not effective against Cryptosporidium.

To disinfect water with unscented household liquid chlorine bleach: If the water is cloudy:

1. Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
2. Draw off the clear water.
3. Follow the instructions for disinfecting drinking water that are written on the label of the bleach.
4. If the necessary instructions are not given, check the “Active Ingredient” part of the label to find the sodium hypochlorite percentage, and use the information in the following table as a guide. Typically, unscented household liquid chlorine bleach in the United States will be between 5-8.25% sodium hypochlorite, though concentrations can be different in other countries. Using the table below, add the appropriate amount of bleach using a medicine dropper, teaspoon, or metric measure (milliliters).
5. Stir the mixture well.
6. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes before you use it.
7. Store the disinfected water in clean, sanitized containers with tight covers.

About the Program

Anheuser-Busch has a longstanding tradition of providing emergency drinking water and supplies for disaster relief efforts. Every year Anheuser-Busch periodically pauses beer production to can emergency drinking water to be ready to lend a helping hand during natural disasters and other crises. Building on this commitment, the brewer teamed up with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) in 2019 to deliver 1 million cans of water to volunteer firefighters across the country.

Keeping firefighters hydrated during long incidents or disasters such as wildfires is a critical need for fire departments, yet many volunteer departments struggle with limited budget and resources. To help departments meet this need, Anheuser-Busch is continuing its commitment in 2020 and has pledged to donate 1.5 million cans of clean drinking water this year through the Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters program.

Application

The general application period is NOW CLOSED. Applications are still being accepted for a declared wildfire emergency. To request emergency drinking water for a declared wildfire emergency, please email Lori at [email protected] with the subject line: NEED CANNED DRINKING WATER – DECLARED WILDFIRE EMERGENCY FOR [DEPARTMENT NAME, CITY, STATE]. Please provide full contact information, number of pallets needed, address where the water should be delivered, and proof of declaration. Refer to the FAQ section for more information.

Sign up to receive updates through the NVFC Dispatch or check back on this page for new announcements.

Questions? Contact Lori Shirley at [email protected] or 1-888-ASK-NVFC (275-6832).

Water Drop Locations

Scroll over the red boxes to see which departments have received a water drop. Click on the department name to view a photo or local news story (if available).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my department eligible to receive the water?
To apply for the donated drinking water, departments must meet the following requirements:

• Responded to wildfires in 2019 and plans to respond to wildfires in 2020
• Be all-volunteer or mostly-volunteer (over 50%)
• Serve a population of 25,000 or less
• Be located in the U.S. and be legally organized under state law
• Must be available to accept the water delivery, store requested amount, and utilize amount by ‘best by’ date on package (canned water has a shelf life of 365 days from the packaging date)
• Demonstrate a need for the water
• Departments are encouraged to submit one application per application cycle. Subsequent applications received for that department will be subject to additional review.

How much water should I request?
Please be sure you can store the quantity you are requesting and are able to utilize the requested amount by the ‘best by’ date on the package. Canned water has a shelf life of 365 days from the packaging date. Exact delivery size is not guaranteed and may vary depending on current quantity available. Please see below for specifications.

Primary package is standard sized 12 oz. can

• 1 case = 24 cans (4 x 6 packs in a cardboard tray)
• 1 pallet = 98 cases
  • Pallet Dimensions = 37″ W x 34″ D x 63″ H
  • Pallet Weight = 1,960 lbs. (20 lbs./case)
• 1 Full Truckload = 22 Pallets

Can I apply for additional water if my department utilizes the initial quantity?
Departments are encouraged to submit one application per application cycle. Subsequent applications received for that department will be subject to additional review.

Can I share the water with other departments in my area?
You can share the water with other departments in your area and mutual aid partners. Please note this on your application and list the departments you intend to share with. Listed departments will be considered as a subsequent application if they also apply.

When will the water be delivered?
If your department is in an area that is a declared state of emergency or is in immediate need due to wildfire, please note that on your application and your application will be processed immediately. Otherwise the projected delivery will be in the fall.

How will the water be delivered?
You will be notified once your application is approved and connected with an Anheuser-Busch local wholesaler partner. Your department and the local wholesaler can then coordinate delivery time and logistics. Water delivered by the local wholesaler will arrive in an Anheuser-Busch beer branded truck. In certain instances, your department may be asked to pick up the water depending on current local wholesaler capabilities and resources. If this is an issue, the department should communicate immediately to the wholesaler so alternative arrangements can be made if available.

What should I do if we won’t be able to utilize all the water we received before its expiration date?
30 days before your water is about to reach its ‘best by’ date, please notify the NVFC by emailing Lori at [email protected] with the subject line: CANNED DRINKING WATER EXPIRING FOR [DEPARTMENT NAME, CITY , STATE]. Anheuser-Busch local wholesalers will work to get your department fresh inventory.

Can the water only be utilized during wildfire response, or can it be utilized for any department response activity?
The water donation is intended to be utilized for wildfire response efforts but can be utilized to provide critical hydration when/where needed. It cannot be sold or redistributed for financial gain (e.g. fundraising).

Does my department have to currently be responding to a wildfire or in an area with a declared state of emergency to get the water donation?
Your department does NOT have to be in a declared state of emergency. You can request water during the application cycle in preparation for your wildfire response efforts. Departments requesting water that are in a declared state of emergency due to wildfire will be processed immediately. Those not needing immediate attention will be fulfilled per the application cycle.

What if my department is in a declared emergency due to wildfire but the application period is not open?
If you need immediate assistance but the application period is closed, email Lori at [email protected] with the subject line: NEED CANNED DRINKING WATER – DECLARED WILDFIRE EMERGENCY FOR [DEPARTMENT NAME, CITY, STATE]. Please provide full contact information, number of pallets needed, address where the water should be delivered, and proof of declared wildfire emergency from your local, state, or national authority.

My department is not tax exempt. Will that keep us from getting water?
If your department is NOT tax exempt, you are still eligible to receive the water. However, you must note on your application form whether your department is tax exempt or not in order to process the water donation. The NVFC and Anheuser-Busch will work with departments on an individual basis to receive the donation in accordance with state and federal regulations.

Access to safe water is the most important provision to have on hand in times of emergency. FEMA recommends having access to 1 gallon of water per person per day for a minimum period of 3 days. That’s 3 gallons of water per person. Emergency Water can be obtained by buying it outright or retrieving it from existing water sources such as your water heater. Contaminated water can be made safe to drink with water purification tablets or a water purifier. In terms of packaged emergency drinking water, we offer space saving Mainstay Water Pouches, convenient Puravai Water in a Reusable Canteens, and Long Shelf Life Blue Can Water in cans. Emergencykits.com offers solutions to meet the needs of every emergency situation.

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It doesn’t take much to make your local water supply undrinkable; in fact, boil orders and even do-not-drink orders are pretty common occurrences during a natural disaster. That’s why you need to take emergency water storage seriously.

During most disasters, water is going to be one of your top priorities. If you haven’t started stockpiling water, you need to get on it soon – it’s literally is a matter of life or death!

Converting Your Bathtub into an Emergency Water Storage Container

A bathtub is the perfect setup to quickly add some last-minute water to your emergency stockpile. While I would never rely on this as my primary means of water, I do think it’s a great option to supplement your supply, and should be something you do the moment things start to go bad.

If you have warning, or suspect your water supply may become compromised, you need to kick your bathtub storage plans into gear.

Commercial Bathtub Water Storage Systems

While you can simply turn on the tap and fill the tub, I advise buying a commercial storage kit like the waterBOB – it’s a lot safer and it will keep your water free from contamination.

The waterBOB is made from heavy duty food grade plastic and can hold up to 100 gallons of water. The system is incredibly easy to use; just place the liner in any standard bathtub, attach the fill sock to the faucet and fill the WaterBOB to capacity. When you need the water, just use the included siphon pump to dispense the water into a jug.

Remember, water should be on the top of your emergency preparedness list. At minimum, you need to stockpile two weeks’ worth of emergency water. 1 Gallon Per Person, Per Day.

I have a background in business administration and an interest in frugal living and home projects.

This guide will break down the process of accessing drinking water from a fire hydrant.

Getting Water From a Fire Hydrant in a Worst-Case Survival Situation

In certain situations, you may be able to obtain emergency drinking water from fire hydrants. Should you do so, and is this even legal, you may ask?

For the most part, opening a fire hydrant on a municipal water line is against the law and should never be attempted. Secondly, if the hydrant is still pressurized, the force of the unregulated water could cause injury or even death. Also, if citizens begin randomly opening fire hydrants, this may result in a loss of pressure when it is needed for actual firefighting.

Private Subdivision Water Systems

Only in the most dire of emergency situations—one in which your subdivision has its own private water supply, and where you have obtained permission from the system owner—can you begin to attempt to obtain drinking water from a fire hydrant. In disaster situations, where there is no power available for the main water station to operate pumps, or if there are no reserves left in overhead or gravity supply tanks, there may be thousands of gallons of potable water still left in the system.

Water supply systems often feature “low point drains,” which are used by the water company to periodically drain sediment from lines. Often there will be a fire hydrant at these low point drains. Even if the local water supply system has been de-pressurized, there may still be water available in hydrants at low spots, and it may still be under some amount of pressure. How much pressure remains on the line depends on the height and amount of remaining water in the lines above the low spot. A 4″ pipe, for example, can hold .653 gallons of water per linear foot. See chart below.

Note: Never trust the quality of water obtained from fire hydrants when the main water supply has been down for an extended period of time, or after an earthquake. Following an earthquake, there may be breaks in the line which allow back-flow of sewage, and the entire line can be contaminated.

Water Filters & Purification

Water is a fragile resource. All it takes is a flood, chemical spill, or other disaster to make your water unfit for drinking. Even streams and rivers in the wilderness can look deceptively clean, when in reality they carry harmful substances that would make anyone who drinks it quite sick.

Water filters take that unsafe water and turn it into a clean, drinkable resource, so you won’t be left high and dry when your water supply becomes unexpectedly unusable. With many options to choose from, you’re bound to find a water filter that suits your needs for both emergencies and outdoor adventures.

Emergency Water Filters & Treatment Systems

Water is one of our most precious, natural resources – vital to life and good health. However, clean water is never guaranteed, especially during an emergency. As part of your emergency preparation plan, invest in a high-quality water filter to ensure you can access clean drinking water during times of disaster. Emergency water filters can transform unsafe, contaminated water into clean, drinkable water. The filters keep your family protected and hydrated during emergency situations. Camping water filters and survival water filters are also available for your recreational pursuits.

Several types of water filters and treatment systems are available through BePrepared.com. Single use filters allow users to sip potentially harmful water directly from a source. The filter removes contaminants, including E. Coli and Giardia, with no additional treatment. Single-use filters are perfect for emergencies or survival situations. They are also ideal for hikers and campers, as they are lightweight and easy to store.

Not all water filtering systems are the same. Invest in a high-quality water filter designated for emergency use. These filters will protect against the many possible contaminants occurring during emergencies, including chemical spills, leaving only fresh-tasting, contaminant-free water. Filters designed for recreational use may not be able to filter out the same kind of contaminants and chemicals.

Other water filtering systems are available to treat larger quantities of water with ease. Filter cartridges and ready-to-use purifying water bottles are critical to an emergency plan. Even if bottled water is available, the filtering systems will become vital for long-term disaster survival. Water purification tablets, the only ones registered through the EPA, are also available to treat harmful water without causing a chemical taste.

Prolong the lifespan of your water heater by draining it down at least once a year. Here’s how:

There are two main types of water heaters, gas and electric. The instructions below address both types.

Electric: Turn off the electricity to the water heater. (You may need to turn off a breaker or remove a fuse in your electrical panel to ensure the unit is deactivated.)
Gas: Turn the gas dial to the lowest temperature setting or “Pilot.

Your hot water heater is now clean and ready for continued use. Most professionals recommend draining and flushing your hot water heater annually.

Getting water for emergency use:

Should an emergency arise and you need access the safe drinking water in your hot water heater, simply drain the water as described below.

If you only need a small amount of water, you can open the drain valve slowly and empty hot water into a suitable container. Keep in mind the water will be very hot so a metal or heat resistant glass container would work best. Remember to protect your hands, arms and face from hot splashing water or the hot container!

Turn the electricity off to the hot water heater or the turn the gas valve to “Pilot” (as described in step 1 ) if you intend to use all the water in your hot water heater. Also, turn off the cold water supply valve to isolate your hot water heater from potentially contaminated public piping systems (which can occur as the result of an earthquake). Allow several hours to pass before you attempt to drain large quantities of water from the hot water heater. Open any hot water faucet in the house and open the drain valve to capture clean drinking water. The water may still be hot, so protect yourself accordingly.

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This page contains information on how to survive by finding drinking water in the open sea and ocean in an emergency situation, also you will find useful tips on how to desalt seawater and evaporate it.
Finding water is more important than finding food, because without food you can live for weeks, but without water you can’t live more than three day. Your survival in the open seas depends upon your ability to use the available survival equipment, and your special skills to apply them to cope with the hazards you face as well as your will to survive. But most importantly your ability to improvise, because every survival situation is different, so think and improvise by taking advantage of what you have available to you.

Finding Water in the Open Sea

The lack of drinkable water could be a major problem on the open seas. Seawater should never be ingested in its natural state. It will cause an individual to become violently ill in a very short period of time. When water is limited and cannot be replaced by chemical or mechanical means, it must be used efficiently. Similar to being in the desert, conserving sweat not water, is the rule. Survivors should keep in the shade as much as possible and dampen clothing with seawater to keep cool. They should not over exert but relax and sleep as much as possible.

Tips when Looking for Water in the Open Seas

• Don’t drink seawater (it will only make you thirstier).
• Conserve sweat not water (relax and sleep as much as possible).
• Don’t eat unless you know you have water available.
• Make good use of your fresh water.
• Collect rain water in containers or anything you can find.
• Collect dew at night or when it’s foggy. Use solar stills as well if you can.
• Blue ice is safe to melt and drink.
• Suck the bones of fish and eyes (they contain water).
• Improvise with the tools you have available to you.

Even though you’re surrounded by water in the ocean, finding water that you can drink is hard. So if you have food, don’t eat it because digestion requires a lot of water. If you are low in water and rationing yourself, you should avoid eating until you find water. It is possible to survive much longer without food than without water.

The minimum amount of water considered necessary to stay in good shape is 1.3/4 pts (1 litre) per day. It is possible to survive with 2 to 5 oz (55 to 220 centiliters) per day. It’s important to note that this amount of water is very small for normal situation, and can weaken the body overtime, but it that’s what it takes to stay alive, so be it. That’s why when you will be surviving at sea for an unknown duration of time, it is necessary to ration the water to the minimum needed to survive.

You don’t need to drink much water on your first day because your body still contains much water. For survival situation only: It is recommended to decrease your water ration progressively. The first 2 to 4 days you should drink 14oz (400cc). After you should reduce to 2 to 8 oz daily. This of course will depend on the climate, whether it’s very hot or very cold. Symptoms such as discomfort, absence of saliva, cracking of lips and weakness are normal. If delirium starts, the victim needs more water. (This rationing might not be healthy, but unless you find alternative source of water you might have to follow it to survive).

If you must eat, then you should first eat your carbohydrate food (sugar and starches) and not proteins (unless you have enough water). Proteins requires much more water than carbohydrates. So avoid fish and dried food if short on water.

If it rains, you can collect rainwater in available containers and store it for later use. Storage containers could be cans, plastic bags, or the bladder of a life preserver. Drinking as much rainwater as possible while it is raining is advisable. If the freshwater should become contaminated with small amounts of seawater or salt spray, it will remain safe for drinking. At night and on foggy days, survivors should try to collect dew for drinking water by using a sponge, chamois, handkerchief, etc. Drink all you need when it’s still raining, but if you have been on a rationed diet, drink very slowly as to not vomit (a normal reaction after forced drinking following dehydration).

Solar stills will provide a drinkable source of water. Survivors should read the instructions immediately and set them up, using as many stills as available. (Be sure to attach them to the raft.) Desalter kits, if available, should probably be saved for the time when no other means of procuring drinking water is available. Instructions on how to use the desalter kit are on the container.

Only water in its conventional sense should be consumed. The so-called “water substitutes” do little for the survivor, and may do much more harm than not consuming any water at all. There is no substitute for water. Fish juices and other animal fluids are of doubtful value in preventing dehyration. Fish juices contain protein which requires large amounts of water to be digested and the waste products must be excreted in the urine which increases water loss. Survivors should never drink urine, urine is body waste material and only serves to concentrate waste materials in the body and require more water to eliminate the additional waste.

In Cold Regions: In polar regions, ice is easily collected from icebergs. The surface of the ocean might also freeze and provide ice. If the ice is old enough (a year old. It is usually blue-gray like on glaciers), it will have lost its salt concentration. You can melt it to drink, or just suck it. Be sure to taste it first to make sure it isn’t salty. Also you might be able to collect ice on the surface of various equipment. When very cold, you might also be able to freeze sea water in containers. The salt will freeze last and concentrate in the middle. You can then break the side and separate it from the center to get low saline water.

In Dry Regions: Rain is very scarce in dry places, however nights might bring much condensation. You can collect the drops of condensation with a canvas or plastic tarp (or sail) set as a bowl (to cover the maximum surface area, make sure the water collected gets funneled the proper way to be stored. (don’t forget to rinse the fabrics.

Again, don’t drink seawater, the temptation to drink seawater has always been greatest for sailors who have expended their supply of fresh water, and are unable to capture enough rainwater for drinking. For more tips about getting water check our page Getting Water to Survive

More information: We hope this page was helpful and provided you with some survival techniques on how to find drinking water in the open sea. Check out our main page for more survival scenarios here Survival Guide, knowledge is light, and knowledge can save your life. Make sure you do your best to know what to do in a survival situation and then hope for the best.