What are the chances of us not having running drinking water for greater than 30 days in some place like San Diego?

-- Dawna Bainbridge (dawna@semnet.com), October 14, 1998

Answers

In the city of Fullerton the folks in charge are saying, "as long as there is power, we'll have water, beyond that we cannot guarantee".

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 15, 1998.

As I've said elsewhere, this is my primary concern here in sunny (and dry) SoCal. Mulholland stole all that water way back when and we've had a fairly fragile lifeline to it ever since. I'm starting with a 30 day supply (in good ol' blue barrels) for a family of 4 and then working my way up. Ditto my next-door neighbor (who works for SoCal Gas and is most handy with generators and propane.) One of my other cohorts is planning to use their 400gal spa as storage - an excellent use of a Jacuzzi to my mind.

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.com), October 15, 1998.

Look into rainwater recovery, even if you dont get much rain. A one inch rainfall on a 1000 sq. ft of roof I read will harvest over 600 gallons of water. Setting up a cistern system is great if you have the dough, if you dont, like me then consider getting what I got last summer at COSTCO- - A 3foot deep by 15foot diameter swimming pool for $150 (which holds over 3000gallons) into which I plan to direct roof gutter water. Remember, you first have to have water of any quality befor you can filter or treat it.

-- Ann Fisher (zyax55b@prodigy.com), October 20, 1998.

I too (in S. Cal) am planning for water problems if I don't end up bugging out to my folks in rural S. Carolina where there is a well and propane and generator. However I have a 450 gallon pond with only a fewornamental fish that will start out as water for toilets and irrigation, and if worse comes to worse a receptical for rainwater storage for filtration and drinking. My pond's ecosystem is very stable and is the equivalent of lake water. In my city they have enough water storage for 3 days if supplies are cut off...and they are pretty mum about the backup power generation for distribution. And they sit in their city council seats and blandly state such. Incredible to me.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 20, 1998.

Donna,

Have you told the fish about your plans? 8<)

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (cook.r@csaatl.com), October 20, 1998.