What would our world look like
without running water?
You go to pour yourself a drink,
but nothing comes out of the tap.
You can't shower,
grow your crops,
or even wash your hands.
How long could you last without it?
In the U.S., people use
303 to 379 liters (80 to 100 gal)
of water per person each day.
That's over 121,000 liters (32,000 gal)
per person each year.
About 60% of an average adult
human body is water.
And on average,
you need to consume 2.7
to 3.7 liters (91-125 oz) of water
from food and beverages each day.
But what could you do
to quench your thirst
when your faucet has run dry?
Today, nearly 800 million people
worldwide lack basic access to clean water.
And about 17 countries, with one-quarter
of the world’s population,
face extremely high
levels of baseline water stress.
This means that every year,
irrigated agriculture, industries,
and municipalities withdraw more than
80%, on average,
of their available water supply.
And people are worried about
running out of water.
While you may not live
in one of those countries,
you can understand what it's like
to go without water.
So, what should you do
when the well runs dry?
If the tap is dry,
you need to use whatever
water is available.
There are two types of water,
potable and non-potable.
In many countries,
potable water is the water that
flows out of your taps,
including your kitchen and bathroom sinks,
showers,
and bathtubs.
This water is often clean
and safe because a municipal
water treatment plant treated it
before it flowed out of your pipes.
But this is not the case in every country.
Or, you may buy potable water,
such as bottled water.
Non-potable water can come from
a variety of sources,
including lakes, streams, and rainwater.
This water is not usually safe
to cook with or drink unless you purify it.
But sometimes you can use it
for washing your clothes
or cleaning your house.
So, always know if your water is
potable or not.
You can boil water
to purify it in an emergency.
If water is cloudy,
or you see debris
or other things in the water,
let it settle.
Then filter it through a towel,
coffee strainer,
or a clean cloth.
Or, you can use a water purifier jug,
but it won’t help
with heavy metals and poisons.
Then, bring the water
to a rolling boil for at least one minute.
At altitudes above 1,500 m (5,000 ft),
boil the water for three minutes.
You can also buy special straws
that purify water.
Chlorine bleach and iodine drops
are other ways you can purify water.
If you prepared for an emergency,
you might have some bottled water
to sustain you
until your usual water supply returns.
In 2014,
the U.S. city of Flint
switched its drinking water supply
from Detroit’s water system
to the Flint River to save money.
But the water wasn't potable.
While the taps were not running dry,
many people had to
switch to bottled water for bathing,
drinking,
and most tasks that need water.
Flint's water quality has improved slightly
since then,
but it's still not safe to consume.
If you live in the United States,
you know that water shut-offs can occur.
There are more than 151,000
public drinking water systems
across the United States,
run by municipalities,
regional collectives,
and private companies.
Each is subject to state
and local laws.
This means that local leaders
and the people running the
private companies
can shut off the water system.
And often,
if someone can't pay their water bill,
gas and other utilities are also shut off,
making it hard to boil other water.
If you don't have potable water,
you may be able to collect rainwater
if your area allows it.
But be careful.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention,
you should not assume
that rainwater is safe to drink.
Dust, smoke, and pollution
could be in the water.
If you collect water from a roof,
it could be contaminated with lead,
asbestos, dirt, and germs.
And rain barrels don't treat
or filter your water to make sure it's potable.
Boiling the water long enough
will kill any germs in it,
but it does not remove chemicals.
Sometimes you can see unusual colors
or smell chemicals in the water,
but not always.
Even Earth's huge oceans
contain pollution from oil spills,
garbage, and other causes.
So if you were drifting across
the open ocean, alone,
how could you avoid dying of dehydration?
We've got you covered.
Find out here
on How to Survive.