Little preparedness tip: If you don’t already keep bottled and bulk water on hand, you can start doing so by refilling gallon vinegar jugs with water when you use them up. I buy vinegar in bulk because I use it for cleaning and fabric softener. As each bottle is used up, I fill it back up with tap water and mark the lid “NP H2O” with a permanent marker. (NP stands for non-potable. I know one could filter it and a smidge of vinegar in your water wouldn’t be bad for you [might even be good for you?], but I just look at it as a flushing/rinse/cleaning water so I don’t waste time and water rinsing the jugs.)
Why is this so necessary? I’ve had water pipes freeze, our water go out because of a leak at the local water tower, and oh yeah, that whole Chernobyl thing back in my youth. Having water on hand for drinking, hygiene, and flushing is one of the fastest ways to get started on your preparedness journey.
Don’t use gallons of vinegar for cleaning? If you have any canning jars sitting around waiting to be refilled in the new canning season, fill them up with water. Don’t let them sit on the shelf empty! If you’ve got to store them, store them full. You can always use the water for watering plants as you get closer to canning time.