Month 3 - Utilities & Sanitation
Tip of the Month: Make a map of your neighborhood and identify where all of the gas shut off valves are located. Make sure everyone gets a map and keep it under your bed with your shoes, flashlight and leather gloves.
When a disaster happens, access to clean water, shelter and food are critical. Ideally it is best to be prepared to be self-sufficient for several weeks.
Step 1: Utilities
To minimize damage sometimes gas, electricity and/or water may need to be shut off. This month we'll learn when it's appropriate to do that and how to do it safely. After an earthquake, fire is a major hazard between ruptured gas lines and the breakage of water pipes and an overwhelmed fire department. You and your neighbors must know when and how to turn off the gas shut off to prevent fires.
Step 2: Sanitation
Yes! If we lose water service, we lose the ability to flush the toilet. Yikes! It's good to have a plan now and know how to set up a sanitation system to prevent diseases from spreading should we have a sewer catastrophe. Here is the basics for a household twin-bucket no mix emergency toilet system.
Month 3: 2 Steps Handout
Month 3: 2 Steps Handout for Students
Step 1: Utilities
To minimize damage sometimes gas, electricity and/or water may need to be shut off. This month we'll learn when it's appropriate to do that and how to do it safely. After an earthquake, fire is a major hazard between ruptured gas lines and the breakage of water pipes and an overwhelmed fire department. You and your neighbors must know when and how to turn off the gas shut off to prevent fires.
Step 2: Sanitation
Yes! If we lose water service, we lose the ability to flush the toilet. Yikes! It's good to have a plan now and know how to set up a sanitation system to prevent diseases from spreading should we have a sewer catastrophe. Here is the basics for a household twin-bucket no mix emergency toilet system.
Month 3: 2 Steps Handout
Month 3: 2 Steps Handout for Students
Month 3 YouTube video
Do Now!
Identify the location of your gas shut off, electrical panel and water shut off for your house or building. For the water shut off, you are looking for where it enters the building and is a knob. You do not want to deal with where the water enters your property as this requires a special tool and the valve is often made of plastic and can break.
Download and print a copy of the Twin "No Mix" Emergency Sanitation handout for your home. The Sewer Catastrophe Companion is also an excellent resource. Print out a copy of how to make a Tippy Tap to provide an emergency hand washing station.
Identify the location of your gas shut off, electrical panel and water shut off for your house or building. For the water shut off, you are looking for where it enters the building and is a knob. You do not want to deal with where the water enters your property as this requires a special tool and the valve is often made of plastic and can break.
Download and print a copy of the Twin "No Mix" Emergency Sanitation handout for your home. The Sewer Catastrophe Companion is also an excellent resource. Print out a copy of how to make a Tippy Tap to provide an emergency hand washing station.
How to Make a Tippy Tap - Emergency Hand Washing Station
How to Turn the Gas Meter
Community Organizing Tips
- The map of your gas shut off valves is essential. Make sure that everyone has a map. Imagine if you had an earthquake at 2 AM and you had to find out where the gas shut off valves for your neighborhood to prevent possible fires. It would be so much better if you knew where they all were located ahead of time and had a map. Here is a video tutorial on how to make a map of gas shut off locations.
- Make sure you have emergency turn off wrenches available in your community and that several people know when and how to properly turn off utilities.
- Buy several wrenches collectively and have them accessible.
- Discuss emergency shutoff procedures at a neighborhood or community meeting.
- Have at least one copy of the Sewer Catastrophe Companion printed out for your neighborhood or work since you'll be dealing with a large volume quickly. Let others know about the handout too. The more people who are properly disposing of human waste will make the spread of diseases less likely.
- Encourage someone from your community to go to your local recycling center or to some restaurants and collect a bunch of 5 gallon buckets for the community.
- Low flow emergency hand washing stations can be made using the Tippy Tap design or the two bucket sink and basin from the Sewer Catastrophe Companion.
- If your community is super organized, you can have some PVC pipes cut to create a makeshift toilet stall. Sheets can be used for privacy.
Teacher Notes
- Make sure your school has a copy of the Sewer Catastrophe Companion printed out and stored with their emergency sanitation system.
- Encourage students to get recycled 5-gallon containers from household painter, restaurants, pool maintenance folks or from their local recycling center.
- Full credit for this assignment is given for having it filled in and signed by a parent or guardian.
- Make sure several people at your school, besides the maintenance staff,
knows how to turn off emergency shutoffs and where emergency shutoff
wrenches are located. Have a few people go along with a maintenance
person and have them show where and how to turn off different emergency
shutoffs. I did this with a camera and made a short 10-minute video that
all the people on the Utilities Shutoff Team watched. Each year we can
simply watch the movie to remind ourselves of the basics or use it to
inform new staff of the procedures. Remember: when practicing, do not
turn them off. Record on a school map where these shutoffs are located.
Go through a drill about every half year to remind yourself of the
shutoff procedures. Every teacher should have a map of the school, including shut off locations for utilities.
Additional Resources
Gas Shutoff Devices – an explanation of when and how to shutoff gas. Source Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Turning Your Electricity On & Off – visuals and explanation of how to turn your electricity off. Source Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Utility Shutoff and Safety - an overview of when and how to turn off gas, electricity and water. Source FEMA.gov
Proper Way to Shut Off Your Natural Gas Following a Disaster – YouTube video . Source Washington State Emergency Management Division.
Personal Hygiene and Handwashing After a Disaster or Emergency – some good basic ideas on hygiene with additional resources on how to deal with different emergencies and their impacts on water. Source CDC.gov
The Humanure Book – a detailed explanation of how to compost human waste and use it safely. Source Joseph Jenkins
Liquid Gold - a book about how to make urine separating toilets and use urine in a safe manner for fertilizer. Source Carol Steinfeld
Gas Shutoff Devices – an explanation of when and how to shutoff gas. Source Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Turning Your Electricity On & Off – visuals and explanation of how to turn your electricity off. Source Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
Utility Shutoff and Safety - an overview of when and how to turn off gas, electricity and water. Source FEMA.gov
Proper Way to Shut Off Your Natural Gas Following a Disaster – YouTube video . Source Washington State Emergency Management Division.
Personal Hygiene and Handwashing After a Disaster or Emergency – some good basic ideas on hygiene with additional resources on how to deal with different emergencies and their impacts on water. Source CDC.gov
The Humanure Book – a detailed explanation of how to compost human waste and use it safely. Source Joseph Jenkins
Liquid Gold - a book about how to make urine separating toilets and use urine in a safe manner for fertilizer. Source Carol Steinfeld