Utility Outages
Most of us are able to take our public utilities for granted. We wake up, turn the lights on, brush our teeth and flush our toilets with the tacit assumption that everything will work. Living without utility services – water, electricity, gas, plumbing - can have a severe impact on our lives, even for a short time. The Wilsonville Ready campaign reminds you that it’s smart to have a plan in place to mitigate the temporary loss of utilities.
Drinking Water
After an emergency, the local water supply may be unavailable or unsafe to drink. In this case, you will need your own water until service is restored or an emergency supply becomes available.
In the event local water systems and other infrastructure were severely damaged, it might take up to two weeks to complete repairs or send a sufficient drinking water supply to the region. Your emergency water supply should include enough water to sustain your household (pets too!) for 14 days – that’s a gallon a day per household member.
Our partners at the Regional Water Providers Consortium have more useful information on their website to teach the basics of storing emergency water, identifying emergency water sources and effectively treating your drinking water.
While we’re on the subject of water, every home occupant should know how to shut the water off in the event of a major water leak. Knowing where to find your home’s shut-off valve and training household members ensures that you can quickly shut water off during or after an emergency (which may be particularly important during severe cold weather when there is a risk of frozen or burst pipes).
Sanitary System
After a strong earthquake, we may need to live without running water and working toilets for weeks or months. When human feces (i.e. poop) is not handled and stored safely, deadly diseases can spread. Visit the Public Alerts webpage to learn useful sanitary alternatives including the “Two Bucket” system.
Electricity / Gas
Visit PGE and Northwest Natural websites for information on how to shut off gas and electricity.
