Most people don’t realize that the absence of running water, trash collection and sewer services will result in many, many people getting sick and dying. We are a country that has had abundant sanitation resources for over a century, and people are simply not used to doing without. You probably haven’t thought about what might happen when these services are suspended, but we have – the main issues you’ll have to deal with are:
- Sewage: Humans must defecate and urinate on a daily basis. You must have a plan to deal with this in the absence of a working sewer system or you’ll quickly spread disease.
- Trash: Most of our trash comes from the extreme amounts of packaging used in almost everything we consume. The amount of trash produced won’t be totally eliminated during a disaster, but it will be dramatically reduced. You still need a plan to deal with what’s left.
- Hygiene: Our health very much depends on our personal hygiene. Right now, everyone has running water, which makes washing your hands easy. This will change in the absence of adequate water, bringing back things like dysentery and other easily communicable and potentially debilitating ailments.
We’ll look at each area in detail, and give you an idea of what to do.
