More Water Education

The importance of hydration

Water plays many important roles within the body. Water is the major part of most of the body’s cells (except for fat cells) and it also cushions and lubricates the brain and the joints. It transports nutrients and carries waste away from the body cells. It also helps regulate body temperature by redistributing heat from active tissues to the skin and cooling the body through perspiration.

 

Water is the main constituent of the human body: it is normally about 60% of body weight in adult males, and is slightly lower, about 50-55%, in females due to their higher proportion of body fat. The muscles and the brain are about 75% water, the blood and the kidneys are about 81%, the liver is about 71%, the bones are about 22% and adipose tissue is about 20%.

 

The body requires water to survive and function properly. Humans cannot live without drinking for more than a few days – depending on weather, activity levels and other factors – whereas other nutrients may be neglected for weeks or months. Although commonly it is treated rather trivially, no other nutrient is more essential or is needed in such large amounts

Benefits Of drinking Water

Good hydration is essential for health and wellness. Every cell in the human body requires water. Hydration is central to the most basic physiological functions such as regulating blood pressure and body temperature, hydration and digestion.

Some of the most remarkable benefits of hydration are listed below:

• Brain
  Adequate hydration is important for proper functioning of the brain. When we are well hydrated, brain cells are better supplied with fresh, oxygen-laden blood, and the brain remains alert. Mild dehydration, a 1% to 2% loss in body weight, can impair the ability to concentrate. Loss of more than 2% body weight due to dehydration can affect the brain’s processing abilities and impair short-term memory.

• Cells
  Hydration in the body is important for transporting carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients and oxygen to the cells. The cells then produce energy for the body to function. Furthermore, hydration facilitates disposal of the waste products of metabolism, enabling the right cellular chemical function.

• Digestive Tract
  Hydration plays an important role in the digestion of food and the absorption of nutrients from the digestive tract. Water is required to dissolve nutrients so that they may be absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered to the cells. Insufficient hydration will slow the digestive process and chronic poor hydration can lead to constipation.

• Heart
  Fluids are important for healthy heart function and the correct regulation of water balance is essential to keep blood pressure within the healthy range. Dehydration decreases cardiac output which may lead to increases in heart rate and a fall in blood pressure. The circulatory system delivers a constant supply of oxygen to the brain, muscles and to all other tissues.

• Kidneys
  An adequate water intake is essential to keep the kidneys working well, helping them to remove waste products and excess nutrients mainly via urine. The kidneys regulate the body’s water levels by increasing or decreasing the flow of urine. The kidneys also work to control normal levels of sodium and other electrolytes. A well-hydrated healthy person’s kidneys filter approximately 180 litres of water each day: clearly most of this has to be reabsorbed to prevent excessive losses from the body.

• Muscles and Joints
  Water acts as a lubricant for muscles and joints; it helps cushion joints and keeps muscles working properly. Muscles and joints, in addition to the bones, are necessary for us to stand, sit, move and carry out all daily activities. Approximately 70 to 75 percent of the muscle is made up of water. Maintaining the right water balance is essential for optimum muscle function.
• Skin
  The skin constitutes a defence against pathogenic agents and contributes to preventing the development of infectious and allergic processes. Some people believe that good hydration helps to moisten body tissues and preserve the skin’s elasticity, softness and colouring though this has not been researched adequately.

• Temperature
  The body water has an important role as a thermoregulator, regulating the overall body temperature by helping dissipate heat. If the body becomes too hot, water is lost through sweat and the evaporation of this sweat from the skin surface removes heat from the body. Sweating is the most effective way that the body prevents itself from overheating.

Water Facts

GOT WATER?

 

YES, Water IS Food Storage!

The average person uses 50 gallons of Water per Day! 

 

The average person uses:  

· Toilet - 19 gallons per day
· Bathing & hygiene - 15 gallons per day
· Laundry - eight gallons per day
· Kitchen - seven gallons per day
· Housekeeping - one gallon per day

 

 

 Here are a few more water facts:

 

       

Every 21 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness

 

 

 More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes. Nearly all deaths, 99 percent, occur in the developing world.

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Lack of access to clean water and sanitation kills children at a rate equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every four hours.

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Of the 60 million people added to the world's towns and cities every year, most move to informal settlements (i.e. slums) with no sanitation facilities.

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780 million people lack access to an improved water source; approximately one in nine people.

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"[The water and sanitation] crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns."

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An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.

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Over 2.5X more people lack water than live in the United States.

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More people have a mobile phone than a toilet.

Do YOU have sufficient water

AND

 a way to filter or sanitize it if necessary?

 

Water Storage Myth/Fact

Proper Water Storage

Step 1:

Before filling a water barrel make sure you clean it thoroughly before any other steps. You can safely clean a food-grade water container with dish soap and water.

Make sure all soap residue is out before filling the container with water.

• Step 2:

Fill the container with regular tap water. Water from a chlorinated water supply doesn’t need further treatment if being stored in clean, food-grade containers.

For wells or any non-chlorinated water, the supply should be treated with non-fragrance bleach Add 8 drops of liquid household chlorine bleach (without thickeners, scents, or additives) for every gallon (4 liters) of water.

• Step 3:

It's best to store water in a location cool place and where nothing will be damaged if the container happens to leak.

Water stored for a long period of time may have an off taste. It is usually caused by lack of oxygen so to improve the taste of the water, pour it back and forth between two containers before use. If you're not sure if the off taste is due to lack of oxygen and want to be double safe, use one of several methods to purify it.

Water Storage Container Sizes

Food grade water, BPA-free, storage containers come in such a varietb of sizes that finding what works for your storage space should not be a problem.

There are collapsible containers that hold 2.5 and 5 gallons and are great for 72-hour kits and camping. You can also buy water for storage in pouches, cans and boxes in various sizes.

There is a 5-gallon size that is stackable and, 3.5-gallon water bricks that can stack - well, as high as you dare, I guess.

If you're REALLY serious about storing lots of water, there are containers such as the 15, 30, and 55-gallon barrels and 250 and 500 gallon tanks (pictured above).

Water Storage Myths:

MYTH #1 - Treat your water before storing it.

FACT - If regular tap water is used, there is no need to treat the water before storage. All culinary water is chlorinated, therefore, safe to fill containers right from the tap. (Qualification: I can only vouch for water in the U.S. - I am not familiar with water treatment in other countries.)

MYTH #2 - Water must be rotated every 6 months to a year.

FACT - Why? What a lot of trouble that is. Water is water is water. This doesn't mean you shouldn't purify the water if needed, but water doesn't "spoil" like food might. It is always water and can be purified by heating (see next myth), iodine drops, oxy-stabile drops, or several types of filters.

MYTH #3 - Water must be boiled for 10 minutes to purify it.

FACT - Water only needs to be heated to ~160 degrees for 30 minutes or 185 degrees for only 3 minutes. This will all pathogens - even at high altitudes. (Keep in mind that heating water for a long period of time will use your fuel quickly and you may only have a limited supply of that. Consider using a solar oven for this purpose if you must heat water to purify it.)

MYTH #4 - Don’t reuse soda pop, juice bottles, or milk jugs for water storage. They leach chemicals.

FACT - The FDA requires that plastic used for juices or soda pop be food grade and therefore must be rated "PETE" or "PET". The theory is that a food grade plastic container rated "PETE/PET" is safer when exposed to heat. However, the breakdown of plastics or leaching of chemicals into foods only occurs under constant exposure to 80 degrees or more.

Milk jugs, on the other hand, usually have an “HDPE” rating and are not suitable for long-term water storage use. Why? I can only surmise that the difference is in the storage of milk versus juices and soda pop - milk is kept in the refrigerator while juices and pop can be, but don't need to be, refrigerated.

Having said that, it’s perfectly safe to use plastic containers which have a “PET or PETE” classification so long as they are not washed and used repeatedly. Use up the soda pop or juice, clean thoroughly, and then fill it with tap water. Store them in a cool place. Reusing liter and gallon juice and soda bottles is definitely better than having no water storage but check the rating/classification of the plastic.

WATER

Drinking Water Guidelines

Water Storage

Commercially bottled water in PETE (or PET) plastic containers may be purchased. Follow the container’s “best if used by” dates as a rotation guideline. Avoid plastic containers that are not PETE plastic.
If you choose to package water yourself, consider the following guidelines:

Containers

Use only food-grade containers. Smaller containers made of PETE plastic or heavier plastic buckets or drums work well.
Clean, sanitize, and thoroughly rinse all containers prior to use. A sanitizing solution can be prepared by adding 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to 1 liter (one quart) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
Do not use plastic milk jugs, because they do not seal well and tend to become brittle over time.
Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.

Water Pretreatment

Water from a chlorinated municipal water supply does not need further treatment when stored in clean, food-grade containers.
Non-chlorinated water should be treated with bleach. Add 8 drops of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) for every 4 liters (one gallon) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.

Storage

Containers should be emptied and refilled regularly.
Store water only where potential leakage would not damage your home or apartment.
Protect stored water from light and heat. Some containers may also require protection from freezing.
The taste of stored water can be improved by pouring it back and forth between two containers before use.

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Water Purification

Step 1: Clarify

Cloudy or dirty water must first be made clear. It should be passed through filter paper, fine cloth, or some other filter. It should be allowed to settle, and then the clear water on top can be carefully drawn. Filtered or clear settled water should always be disinfected before use.

Step 2: Disinfect

Boiling Method
Bringing water to a rolling boil for 3 to 5 minutes will kill most water-borne microorganisms. However, prolonged boiling of small quantities of water may concentrate toxic contaminants if present.
Bleach Method
Adding 8 drops of fresh liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to every 4 liters (one gallon) of water will kill most microorganisms. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used. The use of bleach does not address toxic contamination.
Commercial Water Filters
Commercial water filters can effectively filter and purify water contaminated with microorganisms, toxic chemicals, and heavy metals. Their effectiveness depends on design, condition, and proper use.

courtesy of LDS.org/self reliance