You need water

• If the power cut is expected to be longer than a few hours, fill a few vessels with water.
• If you are uncertain of the water quality, boil it for 3 minutes.
• If you melt ice or snow or if you take water from a lake, you must purify it before you use it for drinking, cooking or personal hygiene. Pour the water through a coffee filter to filter out any particles. Then boil the water for 10 minutes to kill the bacteria. You can also purify the water chemically by means of disinfection tablets or with Jodopax (add 3 – 4 drops per litre of water and wait for at least 20 minutes before you drink the water).
• Listen to your local radio to find out what water distribution arrangements your municipality is making.

At temperatures below freezing – inspect the water pipes if you live in your own house.

• Use towels, blankets, etc. to insulate exposed pipes a little better.
• Let water drip out of the taps.
• If the temperature indoors begins to approach freezing point, empty the water system.
• Shut off the stopcock and leave all other taps open.
• Empty the radiators. Drainage facility is usually provided at the bottom of the boiler.
• Pour anti-freeze into floor gullies and water traps.
• Take a careful look at the whole of the water system in your house when the power supply and heat supply are restored. Check what is switched on and shut off any open taps.
• Immediately get in touch with a plumber if you suspect leakage or if something appears to have failed.

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