Bottled Water vs. On-Site Water Purification During an Emergency

Emergency Preparedness | Water Resilience

When an emergency disrupts a normal water supply, one of the first solutions many organizations consider is bottled water.

That makes sense.

Bottled water is familiar, easy to distribute, and useful for immediate drinking-water needs. But for hospitals, government agencies, emergency response organizations, correctional facilities, military operations, and other critical infrastructure, bottled water may not be enough for a prolonged disruption.

A resilient emergency water strategy should consider not only how much water can be stored, but also how additional potable water will be produced if the emergency continues.

That is where on-site water purification can play an important role.

Bottled Water Has an Important Place in Emergency Planning

Bottled water is useful because it is immediately available when properly stored.

There is no equipment to deploy, no source water to identify, and no purification process to begin. During the first hours of an emergency, that simplicity can be valuable.

Bottled water can be especially effective for:

• Immediate drinking-water needs

• Short-duration disruptions

• Individual distribution

• Small groups or departments

• Emergency kits

• Situations where no usable freshwater source is available

For many organizations, bottled water should remain part of the emergency preparedness plan.

The challenge comes when bottled water becomes the entire plan.

Stored Water Is a Finite Resource

Every gallon of bottled water stored on site can only be used once.

Once it is consumed, it must be replaced.

That becomes an important consideration when an outage lasts longer than expected.

A facility may have enough stored water to support operations for several hours or even several days, but eventually additional water must arrive from somewhere.

During a widespread emergency, replenishment may not be simple.

Roads may be damaged or congested. Suppliers may be supporting multiple communities at the same time. Transportation resources may be limited. Nearby facilities may also be experiencing increased demand.

Emergency planners should therefore ask:

What happens when our stored water begins to run out?

Bottled Water Requires Space

Water is heavy and takes up considerable storage space.

Large facilities may need thousands of gallons to support essential operations during an extended outage.

Storing that amount of bottled water can require:

• Significant warehouse space

• Pallets and shelving

• Inventory management

• Routine replacement or rotation

• Transportation equipment

• Staff to move and distribute the water

For organizations with limited storage capacity, maintaining a large emergency bottled-water supply can be challenging.

Transportation Becomes Part of the Problem

If additional bottled water must be delivered during the emergency, transportation becomes part of the emergency response plan.

The organization is now dependent on:

• Water suppliers

• Available trucks

• Drivers

• Fuel

• Accessible roads

• Loading and unloading capabilities

• Continued availability of bottled-water inventory

In a localized outage, those resources may be readily available.

In a regional disaster, they may not be.

That is one reason emergency planners should consider whether some portion of their emergency water supply can be produced closer to where it will actually be used.

On-Site Purification Changes the Equation

On-site water purification takes a different approach.

Instead of relying entirely on stored water, an organization identifies an available freshwater source and treats that water to produce potable water at or near the point of need.

Depending on the situation, potential source water may come from:

• Storage tanks

• Fire trucks or water tenders

• Swimming pools

• Hydrants

• Other accessible freshwater sources

The specific source will depend on the facility, location, and nature of the emergency.

The important difference is that the emergency water supply is no longer limited only to the number of bottles stored before the disruption occurred.

As long as an appropriate freshwater source and treatment capability remain available, potable water can continue to be produced.

Think in Gallons Produced, Not Just Gallons Stored

This is one of the biggest differences between bottled water and on-site purification.

With stored water, emergency planners ask:

How many gallons do we have?

With purification, another question becomes possible:

How many gallons can we produce each hour or each day?

For a larger facility or emergency response operation, production capacity can become extremely important.

For example, First Water's higher-capacity FW-1200 system can produce up to approximately 1,200 gallons per hour, or roughly 28,000 gallons per day, depending on operating conditions.

That does not eliminate the need for storage.

It changes the purpose of storage.

Instead of storing enough water to support an entire multi-day emergency, the organization can potentially combine stored water with ongoing water production.

Purification Still Requires Planning

On-site purification is not simply a matter of buying equipment and assuming water will be available.

A complete plan should answer several questions:

• Where will source water come from?

• What contaminants may need to be addressed?

• How much potable water must be produced?

• Where will purified water be stored?

• How will it be distributed?

• Who will operate the equipment?

• How quickly can the system be deployed?

• What replacement filters or supplies may be required?

The system should be designed around the organization's actual emergency mission.

Bottled Water and Purification Do Not Have to Be Either-Or

In many cases, the strongest emergency water plan may use both.

Bottled water can provide an immediate supply while purification equipment is deployed.

That creates a layered approach.

For example:

Immediate response: Use stored bottled water for critical drinking needs.

Short-term continuity: Begin producing potable water from an identified freshwater source.

Extended response: Continue purification while using storage and distribution equipment to move water where it is needed.

This reduces dependence on any single source of emergency water.

Storage and Distribution Still Matter

Whether potable water arrives in bottles or is produced on site, the water still needs to reach the people who need it.

A complete emergency water strategy should consider:

Source → Purification → Storage → Distribution

First Water's approach is built around that entire process.

Purification equipment addresses water treatment, while portable storage and distribution solutions can help organizations manage water after it has been treated.

For larger facilities, thinking about the complete system is often more useful than evaluating a purifier or pallet of bottled water in isolation.

Which Approach Is Right for Your Organization?

There is no universal answer.

Bottled water may be sufficient for a small facility preparing for a short outage.

A large hospital, government agency, emergency shelter, military operation, or community response organization may need significantly more capacity.

Emergency managers should consider:

• How much water is required each day?

• How long could a disruption realistically last?

• How much bottled water can reasonably be stored?

• How quickly can additional water be delivered?

• Are alternate freshwater sources available?

• Could water be purified on site?

• How will potable water be stored and distributed?

The goal is not necessarily to replace bottled water.

The goal is to make sure the organization is not completely dependent on it.

Prepare for More Than the First Day

Emergency water plans are often easiest to imagine during the first few hours of a disruption.

The harder question is what happens next.

A resilient plan should account for the possibility that normal service will not return immediately and outside deliveries may be delayed.

Combining an immediate stored-water supply with the ability to produce potable water on site can provide organizations with greater flexibility during an extended emergency.

Build a More Resilient Emergency Water Plan

First Water provides portable and fixed water purification systems along with storage and distribution solutions designed for hospitals, government agencies, military operations, public health organizations, emergency response teams, and other critical infrastructure.

Our systems are designed to help organizations move beyond simply asking how much water they can store and begin planning for how they can continue producing potable water when normal infrastructure is unavailable.

Contact First Water to discuss your emergency water requirements and determine what combination of purification, storage, and distribution capabilities may be appropriate for your organization.

Pure. Vital. Ready.