Verify that your home is leak-free! Many homes have hidden water leaks.
Here's a way to check:
Turn off all faucets both inside and outside your home.
Look at your water meter (usually located in a ground vault somewhere near the front of your home).
If the dial is moving, you may have a leak. Make a note of the meter reading (the numbers on the dial).
Leaving all water turned off, read your water meter two hours later. If the meter shows a higher number, there is probably a leak somewhere in your yard or home.
Insulate your water pipes. You'll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.
Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year, which will add to the cost of water and sewer bills.
Consider installing an "instant" water heater on sinks that are located far from your main water heater so you don't have to let the water run while it heats up. This will reduce heating costs for your household. These units are sometimes referred to as "point of use" water heaters.
Bathroom
Check for toilet leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear in the toilet bowl within 30 minutes. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, readily available and easily installed. CLWA or your local water supplier can provide you with a free toilet leak test kit.
Take shorter showers. Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low-flow showerhead. Some units are available that allow you to cut off the flow without adjusting the water temperature knobs. CLWA provides free showerheads to Santa Clarita Valley residents at its annual Open House in May and at other community events or by calling (661) 513 1253.
Use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first and filling the tub only 1/3 full.
Don't let water run while brushing your teeth, shaving or washing your face.
Retrofit household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors. CLWA provides free aerators to Santa Clarita Valley residents at its annual Open House in May and at other community events or by calling (661) 513 1253.
Kitchen
Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.
When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Rinse in another basin filled with hot, clear water.
Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.
Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.
Saving water outdoors
Your Lawn
It's easy to over-water your lawn! A good rain can eliminate the need for watering for as long as two weeks. If your grass springs back up after you step on it, it does not need to be watered.
Water lawns during the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speeds are the lowest. This reduces losses from evaporation.
Do you see water runoff from your yard each time you water? This could mean that the lawn needs aeration. When you aerate your lawn, you give the water somewhere to go besides down the storm drain.
Irrigation & Sprinklers
Don't water your street, driveway or sidewalk. Position sprinklers so that water lands on the lawn and shrubs, not paved areas.
Install sprinklers that are the most water-efficient for each use. Microsprinklers, drip irrigation, high efficiency nozzles and soaker hoses are examples of water-efficient methods of irrigation.
Do a weekly check for broken or clogged sprinkler head and replace them right away. Make sure you are watering your yard and not the driveway or sidewalk. Broken or poorly adjusted sprinklers may go unnoticed since sprinklers are often set to operate during early morning hours.
Maintenance
Do not hose down your driveway or sidewalk. Use a broom to clean leaves and other debris from these areas. Using a hose to clean a driveway can waste hundreds of gallons of water.
Outfit your hose with a nozzle that stops water flow completely when not actually using the water. Remember to turn off the water at the faucet when you are finished using the hose. CLWA provides free nozzles to Santa Clarita Valley residents at its annual Open House in May and at other community events.
Do not leave sprinklers or hoses unattended. Your garden hose can pour out 600 gallons or more in only a few hours. Use a timer to remind yourself to turn it off.
Check all hoses, connectors and spigots regularly. Replace hose washers to eliminate leaks.
Car Wash
Consider using a commercial car wash that recycles water. Many car washes display a sign stating they recycle water.
If you wash your own car, use a bucket for the soapy water and a hose shut-off nozzle. CLWA provides free nozzles to Santa Clarita Valley residents at its annual Open House in May and at other community events.
Gardening Tips
Plant drought-tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees. They require less watering and they usually will survive a dry period without any watering. Visit CLWA's Conservatory Garden to see examples of water-efficient plants and irrigation methods.
Raise your lawn mower blade to at least three inches. A lawn cut higher encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds soil moisture better than a closely-clipped lawn.
Avoid over-fertilizing your lawn. The application of fertilizers increases the need for water especially in the summer months. Don't fertilize monthly, instead apply fertilizers which contain slow-release, water-insoluble forms of nitrogen.
Mulch to retain moisture in the soil. Mulching also helps to control weeds that compete with plants for water.
Why prepare?
If you have already prepared for the next earthquake, "Why Prepare" would sound like a pretty silly question. However... after the last earthquake, are you one of those who promised your family and yourself that you would be better prepared for the next one?
Well, if you still haven't prepared, this is the page for you. Just print this page and get started ...today!
Storage of Water Before an Earthquake
How much water should you store?
Most experts say that you should have enough water to last three to seven days and that you should store a minimum of one gallon for each person for each day that you expect to be without water.
The Santa Clarita Valley summers are very hot, so you may wish to store more than the minimum. Don't forget water for your pets.
(If you have freeze-dried meals stored for emergencies, remember to calculate the additional water needed to reconstitute your food.)
Example:
You have a family of four people (four gallons), a dog (one gallon) and a cat (one gallon) for a total of six gallons per day. You decide that you want to have enough water to last a full week. Multiply six gallons by seven days for a total of 42 gallons.
How should I store my water?
Your water should be stored in a durable container out of the sunlight. In the example above, we calculated that we needed 42 gallons of water.
Options A through C are for families who buy bottled drinking water.
Option D is the most economical method for storing this amount of water.
Option A:
Storing 42 gallons of water in one-gallon bottles would be difficult since the bottles don't stack well. On the other hand, one-gallon bottles are easy to transport and you could buy a couple bottles each time you go to the market. When you have purchased the total number of bottles that you have calculated, you will want to start a rotation program to keep the water fresh. Do this by adding a new bottle to your supply each time you go to the market and put your "oldest" bottle in the refrigerator for daily use.
Option B:
Most markets sell three-gallon bottles. Our calculations above would require that you store14 bottles. This would still take a lot of space, but three-gallon bottles are still easy to carry. To keep your stored water fresh, you can rotate your supply by putting all the bottles in a row. Use a bottle off one end of your row and place a fresh one from the market at the other end of the row.
Option C:
If you buy your water from a water delivery service in five-gallon bottles, you would need to store nine bottles. You could use the same rotation plan used in Option B to keep your supply fresh.
Option D:
Purchase a new, clean 50-gallon plastic barrel and the special wrench to remove the barrel caps. These can be purchased from several sources. Check the phone book for “barrel and drum suppliers” or “earthquake products and services”. A barrel takes up less total space than any of the options above and the price of the barrel should be less expensive than purchasing the water in bottles. Once the barrel is full it will weigh more than 420 pounds, so be certain to think about where you will store it.
You will also need to purchase a small hand pump to get water from your barrel. These can be purchased at your local sporting goods or recreational vehicle supply store.
First time barrel use: Rinse out your new barrel and add 1/4 cup recently purchased liquid laundry bleach (see bleach specifications below) and fill the barrel with a clean hose. Let stand for 24 hours. Drain the barrel. Don't waste this water; wash your car with it. Place the barrel in its permanent location and add 1/4 cup bleach and fill with water. Install the cap and tape a note on the barrel stating the date that you filled it.
Once a year: Drain the barrel, add 1/4 cup bleach, refill with water, and date the barrel. The chlorine will be gone by this time, so you can use the drained water for plants.
Sources of Water After an Earthquake
If your normal water supply is off and you have not stored water, the following places are possible sources:
Recreational vehicle or camper.
Your water heater. To drain: first, turn off the water heater's gas/electric supply. Close the water inlet valve on top of the heater. Open any hot water faucets or disconnect the water line on top of the water heater. Drain water into a container from the faucet at the bottom of the water heater.
Don't use water from the following sources for drinking because the chemicals in them could cause you to become ill. Adding bleach or boiling will NOT make the sources below safe to drink but they may be used for bathing and flushing toilets:
Swimming pools
Spas or hot tubs
Your fish pond
Emergency Water Disinfection After a Disaster
If you are not certain that your water is safe to drink or your local water company has issued a "boil order," (listen to your radio for boil order announcements) you should disinfect the water before drinking it.
You can disinfect water that you are unsure of by one of several methods:
Boiling
Bring the water to a rapid boil and let it boil for at least one minute. NEVER use charcoal barbecues indoors to boil your water.
Bleach disinfection
Water may be disinfected with recently purchased 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite bleach (household bleach). Do NOT use bleach that has active ingredients other than sodium hypochlorite. Do NOT use scented bleach. You can keep your emergency supply of bleach fresh by rotating your supply. Buy a gallon of bleach and put this with your earthquake supplies, use your previous bottle for your laundry. This assures that your bleach is at its maximum disinfecting strength. It is also ok to use the new "Ultra" type bleaches as long as they are not scented. Using the chart below, add bleach to the water you want to disinfect.
Mix the water and the bleach thoroughly by stirring or shaking in a container. Let the water stand for 30 minutes before using. You should be able to detect a slight chlorine odor after 30 minutes. If not, repeat the process and let stand for an additional 15 minutes.
Clear Water Amount of Bleach
One Quart 2 drops
One Gallon 8 drops
5 Gallons 1/2 teaspoon
Cloudy Water Amount of Bleach
One Quart 4 drops
One Gallon 16 drops
5 Gallons 1 teaspoon
Reverse Osmosis Pump
Backpacking and boating supply stores have small reverse osmosis pumps that can remove minerals and bacteria. Carefully read the directions that come with your unit.
Home Emergency Supply Checklist
Fire extinguisher type A-B-C
First aid kit and handbook.
12-inch crescent or pipe wrench to turn of gas and water valves if necessary
Flashlight and extra batteries (the extra batteries will last longer if you keep them in the refrigerator)
Water and disinfectant (see above)
Eyedropper for adding the bleach to water for drinking
Radio and extra batteries, which are useful to receive emergency broadcasts and current disaster information
Dry or canned food for one week's supply—it is preferable to store food that does not require cooking
Can opener
Alternate cooking source. Store a camp stove and fuel for cooking if your utilities are out of service. For safety sake use your camp stove outdoors. NEVER use a charcoal barbecue indoors for cooking or heating purposes
Extra blankets and clothing may be required to keep warm
Have shoes suitable for walking through debris
Rain gear and tarps to keep dry or cover roof damage
Small plastic trash bags for toilet use if your toilets are not working
Toilet paper
Extra eyeglasses
Prescription medication
Please note: This is a list of the minimum items that you should store. Check with the American Red Cross for a list of additional items you may need.
Automobile Emergency Supply Checklist
Nylon carrying bag
Bottled water
Non-perishable food
Can opener
Transistor radio with extra batteries
Flashlight with spare batteries
First aid kit and handbook
Gloves
Prescription medication
Regular blanket, space blanket, or sleeping bag
Small tool kit
Toilet paper
Sturdy walking shoes and an extra pair of socks
Change of clothes
Jacket
Rain poncho
Cash
Remember, you may be stranded for up to 72 hours. Make sure you have enough supplies to meet your needs. If you are in a remote area, remember that your vehicle is easier to spot from the air than you alone, and your vehicle can provide you with shelter. Stay with your car.
