In this column, we talk about how to get ready for the emergencies that sooner or later may strike St. Johns, principally Earthquakes, Fire, and gas leaks from the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub.
Last month, we talked about the importance of having a supply of water in case of an earthquake, because the pipes that bring us water are old and will probably break. Here’s some more bad news: the pipes that carry our sewage away are just as old, and they will probably break too.
Disposing of human waste becomes a challenge after a major disaster, and human waste not only smells bad but can be a serious disease vector. So we need to be ready to treat our waste appropriately.
The solution isn’t very hard, but it requires advance planning. There are two challenges. We can call them number one and number two, or more directly, Pee and Poo. To deal with this, we recommend using the Two Bucket System because separating pee and poo reduces disease risks and odor and makes the contents of each bucket easier to handle.
Our friends at PHLUSH (Public Hygiene Lets Us Stay Human) have a great pamphlet on the two bucket system, so there’s not reason to repeat here.
Here is one thing to add to the PHLUSH pamphlet: you can keep your buckets clean and your odors down by putting trash compactor bags inside before you use them. ACE hardware, Freddy’s, Safeway and Grocery Outlet all have trash compactor bags. When they are full, tie up the bags, and store them for a happier day!
Happy Holidays to everyone and stay safe! And remember: don’t feel bad if you haven’t done everything that someone recommends. The important thing is to get started.
Thanks for reading.
Next month: Your emergency supplies
This column is brought to you by the St. Johns NET team, neighborhood volunteers who have been specially trained to help out in emergencies.
