Hurricane Sandy was devastating to the northeast, and people are still in dire need of the most basic things. One of them is water, clean water. Fortunately, many companies have donated thousands of bottled water to victims still waiting for FEMA assistance. Water is always hard to come by in a disaster, that’s why it’s good to have a plan to store water and be prepared with a reliable water filtration system. Don’t let water pollution cause you to be stuck without one of the most basic necessities for life.
Waves of alerts are flooding in of tap water pollution caused by hurricane Sandy’s storm waters and flood waters in New Jersey and certain parts of New York. Residents are advised to boil water before using it to drink, cook, brush teeth, wash hands, or feed or wash pets.
In disasters like Hurricane Sandy safe drinking water is hard to come by, any water you find may not be 100% clean. Drink at your own risk. While bottled water is safer, you can’t be 100% sure it’s clean either, since the bottled water industry is not regulated at all. But what if there’s no bottled water to be found at all, what do you do?
According to NJ.gov to ensure your water is safe to drink, it should be:
Brought to a full bubbling boil for one minute or longer. This kills some organisms.
They recommend — something we would not advise here on this website — to add chlorine and iodine to your tap water which may help potentially contaminated water. Six drops of unscented bleach or eight drops of iodine will treat a gallon of water. Let the water sit for 30 minutes before using. This treatment will not, however, kill parasitic organisms, which is why bottled water is safer.
NJ.gov advises that private well water systems that are cloudy should be immediately flushed by letting an outdoor spigot run until the water runs clear, and wells should be tested for coliform bacteria before drinking.
The biggest concerns in water pollution are because of the parasites giardia and cryptosporidium, and bacteria like shigella and E. coli. These cause serious illnesses like high fever and gastrointestinal diseases such as diarrhea. Younger kids, the elderly and those already sick should be most careful because of their weaker immune systems.
See water safety advisories for areas in New York and New Jersey.
Prepare, Prevent and Stop Water Pollution
No one should wait until there’s a disaster to prepare. The Northeast is learning that the hard way. Because water is essential, it’s usually the first item you can’t find in the store. So find ways to save water and to always have clean water available for your family, right now. For example, when city water has been contaminated by a storm like Sandy, or a water main break, something that may be helpful is a Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System. Reverse Osmosis is a great water pollution solution. It removes all minerals and contaminants from your water.
A water ionizer is another great water pollution solution that we highly recommend. Anyone can buy one of these units and hook it right up to your kitchen tap. The best water ionizers remove 99.99% of all contaminates and bacteria while leaving the naturally occurring essential minerals in the drinking water. They alkalize your water, while making it a powerful anti-oxidant with disease fighting power. There’s absolutely no need to ever be without a clean supply of super healthy drinking water ever again. Here’s are two reputable water filtration companies, Aquasana for Reverse Osmosis Systems and Alkaviva for Ionized Alkaline Ultra Water.
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