Hot water heaters don’t heat water enough to kill bacteria and also they’re absolutely disgusting inside unless you’re one of the rare 0.1% of people who drain it annually and replace the sacrificial anode when it needs replacing.
Cold water from the tap also doesn't kill bacteria, so the same common sense follows... boil it if you're unfamiliar with the source.
Don't drink it hot if you think you may have lead pipes.
It's not really disgusting inside, mostly just filled with sediment... which is coming from your water source anyway. Same story, filter and boil as needed.
Either way, much easier than maintaining potable water for the rest of your life for an event that might not ever happen. We haven't had such an event in my area for 100 years. In a pinch with a little boiling you've probably got something in the area of 40-50 gallons available this way.
Comments
Hot water heaters don’t heat water enough to kill bacteria and also they’re absolutely disgusting inside unless you’re one of the rare 0.1% of people who drain it annually and replace the sacrificial anode when it needs replacing.
Don’t drink from the hot water tap.
Cold water from the tap also doesn't kill bacteria, so the same common sense follows... boil it if you're unfamiliar with the source.
Don't drink it hot if you think you may have lead pipes.
It's not really disgusting inside, mostly just filled with sediment... which is coming from your water source anyway. Same story, filter and boil as needed.
Either way, much easier than maintaining potable water for the rest of your life for an event that might not ever happen. We haven't had such an event in my area for 100 years. In a pinch with a little boiling you've probably got something in the area of 40-50 gallons available this way.