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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 12:58 PM

    So I want to start out by saying this feels like a complete delegation of responsibility on the part of the UK government to basically tell households to fend for themselves if the basic necessities of life are interrupted, rather than accepting that it's the government's job to ensure that they're not. And also to say that I'm going to talk about helpful things that require purchasing, which not everyone can afford to do. And there are a lot of households in this country who can't even afford the food they need today, let alone to stockpile in advance, and that is also a result of the government neglecting its role to look after the people of the country.

    2/

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 1:16 PM

    Water storage.

    You want to allow 2-4 litres of water per person per day for drinking. The variation is in terms of age, activity levels (are you cycling around and sweating or sitting at home?) and medical needs. If in doubt err on the higher end. Also remember to allow for pets. You want another litre of water per day per person for washing and cooking. I'll discuss hygiene in a low water scenario in a subsequent post.

    If at all possible you want to be storing water in a dark container, not a white or clear one, to prevent algae growing. We use 20L ex army Jerry Cans for this like militarykit.com/products/nato- for camps. You used to be able to pick them up for about twenty quid but a quick look today shows the price seems to have jumped to about £40, presumably as a result of everyone panic buying because of the government announcement which is another reason they shouldn't really have gone "lol, fend for yourselves".

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 1:22 PM

    Keep in mind that a 20L can weighs 20kg, so if you don't have anyone in your household or group capable of lifting that you're going to need to find something smaller that is food safe, opaque and hasn't been used to store anything that isn't food.

    It may also be helpful to invest in a funnel for filling them, making sure to have a separate one that isn't used for transferring laundry liquid between containers or anything.

    You want to label them with the date you filled them, a pencil on masking tape works fine and won't wash away if it gets wet. Pure clean water in a sealed dark food safe container _shouldn't_ grow anything nasty, but will still start tasting bad over time. I'd recommend storing it in the coldest place you have and rotating it out at least every month.

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 1:34 PM

    Water purification

    If you run out of stored water you're going to need to start purifying it. This is where the recommendations to start buying a lot of stuff starts mounting up, so where it would be helpful to get together as an apartment block, your street Whatsapp Group, a local Transition Town group, a community kitchen, whatever. I have this stuff kicking around anyway because I like hiking and wild camping, so if you're lucky someone in your group will already have it, but if that's not something anyone's into this is I'm afraid where it gets expensive.

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 1:43 PM

    Water purification is a two step process:

    1. Filtration to remove large dirt particles
    2. Sterilisation to remove pathogens from the visibly clean looking water produced by filtration.

    You can't skip the first step. Particles of dirt aren't just unpleasant to drink, they can also make the sterilisation step less effective by enclosing pathogens so the sterilisation agent can't reach them.

    So if you're in a dire emergency you can use lots of layers of cotton cloth or other natural fibres for the filtration step, but if you have the option I'd recommend buying one of these: millbankbags.co.uk/ which is a dense fabric bag that filters water under gravity.

    You want to keep careful track of which container has dirty water in and which has filtered water in - it sounds obvious but it's surprising how many highly intelligent people you have to yell at in fieldwork situations for using the same container for the dirty and filtered water.

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 1:51 PM

    Water sterilisation

    Once you've filtered your water it may still be a browny or reddy colour but should be clear not cloudy. This will have removed all the macroscopic particles of dirt but it may still contain microscopic bacteria or protozoa which you now have to kill. Diarrheal diseases are no fun at the best of times, but particularly dire in a situation where you don't have much water available for personal hygiene and where transmission to other people in close quarters is going to make the situation a lot worse.

    For water sterilisation you have three options available to you, and the best one will depend on the situation:

    1. Boiling the water
    2. Using chemicals eg water purification drops or tablets
    3. Fine filtration.

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 1:58 PM

    If you're going to boil the water you need to be able to do it for at least one minute at a rolling boil to make sure everything is dead. This doesn't just mean little bubbles forming on the side of the pan, this is big bubbles forming, everything turning over and boiling aggressively for the full minute. Some pathogens like giardia form very tough spore cases that take a long time to penetrate to kill the organism inside. This is also why it's important to make sure the water is thoroughly filtered, it could take a while for heat to penetrate all the way through a mud particle to a pathogen in the centre say, so if the surface gets a minute at boiling temperature the pathogen itself may only get ten seconds.

    This is probably the simplest way of doing it that involves buying the least, but if the power's out and you're using a camp stove you're going to get through fuel very fast this way.

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 2:06 PM

    You can also get water purification tablets that you drop in a litre of water and swirl around occasionally for half an hour. cotswoldoutdoor.com/p/lifesyst These too only work with properly pre-filtered water so the chlorine can reach all the pathogens, none are sheltered inside particles.

    Personally I'm not a huge fan because of the taste but that's because I've drunk so much of it over the years. If I was in charge the government would have given some of these to every household alongside suitable water storage and a general emergency kit, but people like me who actually give a shit about solving problems for people don't tend to end up in charge.

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 2:34 PM

    Your third option is fine filtration, putting things through a second filter with holes so small microbes can't pass through them. I know I sound like a broken record here, but even if you use one of these the initial crude filtration step is still very important because it removes big particles that can clog your finer filter and reduce its lifespan.

    I'm going to give three options at different price points here, the first two of which work for wild camping too if that's something you're interested in exploring.

    £30, Lifestraw, a filter you suck water through and it takes the germs out as it goes up cotswoldoutdoor.com/p/lifestra

    £100-£200 Katadyn hiking water hand pump filters like ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/hi I'm biased here, I have an older model of these and I bloody love it. There are warnings about it that the ceramic filter can crack on planes or if knocked and then if you don't see that it can allow things through, but I've never had a problem with mine.

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 2:37 PM

    The option we used as a camp, and the option if there are a lot of you coming together as a community kitchen or something, is one of the gravity fed candle style filters that can do litres and litres. You just fill it up, wander off and clean water drips into the bottom tank without you having to do anything. The Rolls Royce of camp kitchen water purification, with a price point to match.

    doulton.com/products/british-b

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 2:49 PM

    Hygiene in low water situations.

    First of all hand washing is still very important. It can be tempting to think you can save a bit of water by slacking off here but that is very much a false economy because the absolutely last thing you want in this scenario is for everyone to get diarrhea. Just trust me here.

    Hand sanitiser is a way to extend the time between handwashings, not a full replacement. It sterilises the surface of everything it touches, but does not remove dirt particles from your skin which can harbour germs and then come off on food. I was always taught the rule of three - you can use hand sanitiser twice, but the third handwash should always involve soap, water and a nailbrush. And you should always wash your hands with soap and water after poo.

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 2:52 PM

    You don't need running water to wash your hands, a bowl is fine. The low water way is a bit splashy, easiest out doors but you could do it over a bath if you had to. Cup both hands, pick up a handful of water with the hand you didn't wipe with, pour it into the cupped hand you did, pick up the soap with the cleaner hand, lather up and use the nail brush then scoop more water out of the bowl. With practice you should be able to get clean and rinsed with three handfuls of water and minimal contamination of the bowl.

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 2:59 PM

    You want to be buying medical grade hand sanitiser too, which is 65% ethanol, rather than the regular stuff which is 35%. And it's better to buy a pack of lots of little bottles than one big bottle, because once you open them the alcohol starts evaporating out and the sterilising power decreases. This stuff is flammable, so keep that in mind when planning storage.

    I would also recommend toilet paper gel like try.wypeuk.com/ or wetwipes as a cheaper but less sustainable alternative if you're in a situation without enough water to shower for a long time. In terms of general body washing you can do fine in the short term with a flannel and a bowl, if water is very tight focus on pits, bit, face and feet and use a separate cloth for the face part!

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 3:02 PM

    Menstruation-wise I used a menstrual cup, but I know a lot of people don't get on with those so I'd recommend disposables over washable period pants just because it takes so much water to wash them.

    I don't really feel like my expertise extends to sanitation in an urban situation which has lost water, all my experience has been in camp situations where you can dig pit latrines so if anyone has any better ideas about dealing with human waste please weigh in.

    15/🧵

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 5:50 PM

    In conclusion I have had a pretty unusual and frankly fucking weird career path and set of life experiences and hobbies that has probably left me more prepared to deal with interruptions of basic infrastructure than most people in Western Europe, and if those skills can be helpful to everyone else I'm glad. A lot of my friends make jokes that they want me on their apocalypse survival team, but the truth is I don't want to survive the apocalypse, I want to prevent it. And I hope no one actually has to use anything they learned from this thread in earnest, but if they do I'm glad I could help.

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  • webhatwebhat@infosec.exchange
    Sep 4, 2026, 1:09 PM

    @afewbugs in my recollection governments would stockpile essential raw materials—like grain, milk, dried eggs, etc—for a crisis situation. Similar to the way they stockpile weapons or oil

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  • BashStKidBashStKid@mastodon.online
    Sep 4, 2026, 1:15 PM

    @webhat @afewbugs Oh, they can stockpile stuff. Letting it go again in a fair and balanced, vulnerable and poor first, fuck the supermarkets, scheme, not so much.

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  • David Cohendavidbcohen@twit.social
    Sep 4, 2026, 6:56 PM

    @mathew @webhat @afewbugs They didn’t get rid of it on purpose. The warehouse guard would nick a couple to go with his tea break every night, and as the years passed they were mostly eaten. Once they realised they put them in a separate locked box, but by then there were only two and half packets left.

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  • Misuse CaseMisuseCase@twit.social
    Sep 4, 2026, 1:14 PM

    @afewbugs The earliest governments in human history would stockpile grain to feed their people in the event of natural disasters: that was basically the purpose of governments. But I guess neoliberalism has made us forget about that, and about common sense altogether.

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  • Sue Archersuearcher@toot.wales
    Sep 4, 2026, 2:49 PM

    @afewbugs

    So one of these, combined with something like a Millbank bag, would render something like stored rainwater drinkable?

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  • Bytebro 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🌈bytebro@mastodonapp.uk
    Sep 4, 2026, 2:51 PM

    @afewbugs

    Hiya,

    I was wondering if this thread might be available in a single blog-type post somewhere? It's very interesting and well explained, and it would be lovely to read through it in one go!

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  • Simon Waldmanswaldman@mendeddrum.org
    Sep 4, 2026, 3:13 PM

    @afewbugs Thanks! Saving this thread to stock up on filtration options after my upcoming house move.

    I've always kept a couple of the big 5-litre bottles of supermarket water in my flat. Presumably fine for quite a long time if unopened? Expensive compared to jerry cans if you're using a lot, I guess, but probably cheaper as a one-off, and perhaps longer-lasting?

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 4:04 PM

    @swaldman I would imagine so yes, I'd try and keep it somewhere cool and dark if you can. I honestly don't know enough about plasticisers seeping into water to advise on lifespans here

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  • BeachbumBeachbum@mastodon.sdf.org
    Sep 4, 2026, 3:59 PM

    @afewbugs This is all fantastic info. I live in an area prone to hurricanes, and some of this I have never learned, and it will be useful. TY

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 4:05 PM

    @Beachbum thank you. I do find it genuinely sad that "some crazy woman with pet snails on Mastodon" is apparently providing more useful information than many governments, but here we are so I'm glad I could help!

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  • Pete Ashtonpete@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 5:59 PM

    @afewbugs Your decision, of course, but I reckon this would make a really good and useful blog post. (Will link to the thread anyway!)

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  • AnneHannehargreaves@ioc.exchange
    Sep 6, 2026, 4:23 PM

    @afewbugs @pete Thanks for all this. btw the blog post has a couple of missing parts of sentences at the beginning of different sections.

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  • jamesb (MW1CGG)jamesb@fedi.duckduckpigeon.co.uk
    Sep 4, 2026, 6:45 PM

    @afewbugs Having been a child of a certain age my plan has always been live near a facility important enough to get nuked immediately so all I have to deal with is

    "ooh, what's that flas...."

    **GAME OVER**

    As a kid it was GCHQ, as an adult it's Airbus and stuff I can't mention.

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  • Jules she/her/twonkafewbugs@social.coop
    Sep 4, 2026, 7:07 PM

    @jamesb I hear you. As someone whose mother spent much of the 80s campaigning against nuclear weapons and nuclear power, I don't want the last words I ever hear from my Mum before we're incinerated to be "I bloody told you so!"

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  • BashStKidBashStKid@mastodon.online
    Sep 4, 2026, 10:01 PM

    @afewbugs Excellent thread, thanks for taking the time.

    I do have some more expensive suggestions for a larger fixed demand. In brief, it’s:
    1000 litre isotank, put up high
    Fill with mains water or free rainwater
    Gravity feed down through a coarse filter, a fine filter, and a UV steriliser. And a flow-activated 2 bar electric pump if necessary.
    Connect it into your plumbing (yes, I know)
    Use for all usual water uses, except drinking water (boil it), and loo flush (use rainwater)

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  • DekksdagbokDekksdagbok@toot.lv
    Sep 5, 2026, 5:55 PM

    @afewbugs
    One should also think about how to organise the toilet in a "no water" situation.
    Dig it in somewhere, for example.
    If it has to be stored in vicinity then separating urine and faeces should be considered. Never had to try it, but it should reduce the unpleasant smell.

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