# We just survived TEOTWAWKI



## Grape Ape (Oct 28, 2008)

Well not the end, but we lived through a water line break. I know the folks in WV are suffering real bad. After hearing of what was happening up there. I thought a bit about what we had in place for our water needs. 

Yesterday we got lucky, we had spent a few hours at the park with our grandkids 3 and 4 yrs old boy and a girl. They had found every mud puddle and were wet and muddy. We rolled in the house with them stripped them in the mud room throwing their clothes straight in the washer. They were ushered to a warm bath. Upon completion of their bath I threw in more clothes and started the laundry. Well I just put it in the dryer today. It never finished because of a water loss situation.

We live on a feeder line off of the main water line. There are 3 houses on it. The line broke between our house and the second on on the line. All of us lost water. We learned of it when the wife went to the sink to prepare dinner. I called the water company and they had someone on the way. Hopefully water would be restored some time in the night. So we hit our supplies and had a great evening. We had to teach the grand kids the old if it's yellow let it mellow because they run in and dribble a drop or two of pee and then flush. They quickly took to the idea of no flushing, getting water from jugs and the other things we have in place for when the water goes out. The novelty of it for them made for a lot of trips to the tune of "Grandpa I need a drink of water." Grandma I need a drink of water." 

We were able to get through supper and cleaning them up for bed. We easily handled breakfast and lunch and all the time in between. 

Out of all of it I only found one downfall to our set up. Our toilets are the older full flush toilets. I can see the value of swapping them in the near future to low flow toilets that only take a gallon to flush. Our water supply was easy to work with, everything went very well. I did wash some dishes just to throw it in to the mix. But saw no other hiccups in our short term SHTF plan. 

Now for extended no water issues, yes we are still at risk. For a situation such as that in West Virginia I could see some issues, one thing of that situation waste removal is still available so the toilet isn't a problem. 

It was nice to get to play a while with our setup. Having the grandkids here was also a neat deal even at their age they were able to handle it well and we kept everyone happy. 

Now all I have to do is get something set up for when we have an extended water loss issue. My stores will keep us for a while but for long term they need work.


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

Glad to hear things went well for you all. Sounds like your preps pulled everything thru.

You mentioned going with a low flow toilet. Just keep in mind, while they do save you water, they also tend to stop up really easy. My thought is to have one of them for a emergency situation, all others (1 in our case) would be normal flow for regular usage. YMMV.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I have a regular toilet and if I use a bucket it takes a bit over a gallon to flush.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Yes. Don't fill up the back tank to flush, dump the water directly into the bowl. You can quickly adjust to just how much it takes to get the syphon going then put a little more in to fill the bowl.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Woody said:


> Yes. Don't fill up the back tank to flush, dump the water directly into the bowl. You can quickly adjust to just how much it takes to get the syphon going then put a little more in to fill the bowl.


I'll just have to second that statement ... pour directly into the bowl instead of into the tank.

For those wondering, the bowl empties via pressure-change, the tank on the back does that with the pull of the lever and then re-fills the bowl again. By using a bucket, it will not refill, but, there will be some at the bottom waiting to receive the waste.

To test this at home when things are "safe" - take a regular bucket, fill it with water and Mr.Clean (or your favorite cleaner) - wash the floors, walls, etc and then pour the dirty/soapy water down the toilet instead of down the sink. You will see the bowl action first hand.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

uh...you can also place a regular clean brick in the tank and it will take up some space so the tank doesn't use as much water. why pay all the money for a new toilet when you can just use a brick?

toilet water is also why you collect rain water and use it to flush the toilet with. it doesn't have to be a big fancy set up. just buckets under rain spouts or shoot even melted snow


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

We had to use this for a few months until we had saved the $ to get the pump and tank for the well. We collected rain water and wld dip into the creek beside the house to flush. 

Sent from my MB886 using Survival Forum mobile app


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Genevieve said:


> uh...you can also place a regular clean brick in the tank and it will take up some space so the tank doesn't use as much water. why pay all the money for a new toilet when you can just use a brick?


A full size one gallon milk jug full of water sits in my toilet tank. The remaining gallon of water (or so) left in the "float side" of the tank flushes it just fine; no issues at all.


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## Grape Ape (Oct 28, 2008)

Genevieve said:


> uh...you can also place a regular clean brick in the tank and it will take up some space so the tank doesn't use as much water. why pay all the money for a new toilet when you can just use a brick?
> 
> toilet water is also why you collect rain water and use it to flush the toilet with. it doesn't have to be a big fancy set up. just buckets under rain spouts or shoot even melted snow


The problem with it is the toilets I have actually require ost of the water in the tank to flush the toilet. They are the old ones that take a lot of water to flush, but on the other hand I have not had one clog up in all the years we have been here. Our sink clogged once and I grabbed the plunger from the bathroom. My mom was here and said it was gross, until I explained it had never been used in a toilet but in the last sink it was used in was the bathroom sink it was in.

So in order to reduce the water used I would actually have to get a low flow toilet. I may do as mentioned and only get one for the visitor bathroom and keep the super flusher in my study for the long term reading and relaxating.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Grape Ape said:


> My mom was here and said it was gross, until I explained it had never been used in a toilet but in the last sink it was used in was the bathroom sink it was in.


She has obviously never pissed in the kitchen sink. Sorry if this was a truly single male thing. I would prefer off the porch but... if it is too cold or raining out and someone is already in there 'reading'....

Come on now, admit it!


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Woody said:


> She has obviously never pissed in the kitchen sink. Sorry if this was a truly single male thing...Come on now, admit it!


Nope. If I walk 80 feet off my back porch, I am in the woods. The trees can use the nitrogen.


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

I had something like that happen to me last week. I used 9 gallons in 3 days on the ole crapper.


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## Grape Ape (Oct 28, 2008)

Woody said:


> She has obviously never pissed in the kitchen sink. Sorry if this was a truly single male thing. I would prefer off the porch but... if it is too cold or raining out and someone is already in there 'reading'....
> 
> Come on now, admit it!


Hell, my mom has peed off the porch, in the urinal in a men's bathroom, and in sinks. Then she met my stepdad and became a lady. She will still pee off the porch if hunting camp is cold but now as a lady she moves off the porch over to the tree where she has her tp hanging in a coffee can to keep it dry. My mom taught me to fight, play ball, shoot, skin and cut up a deer, and elk, how to milk a cow, how to grow a garden, how to sew and cook. She also taught me to slow down and enjoy what nature has to offer to you. Yep she is a special woman.

Oh and all you people need to get off the computer and call your momma and tell her you love her. Right now, quit messing and scrolling do it now. Never know when you won't have that chance.


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## biobacon (Aug 20, 2012)

> Oh and all you people need to get off the computer and call your momma and tell her you love her. Right now, quit messing and scrolling do it now. Never know when you won't have that chance.


Mine passed away in 2011 at 49 but that just makes me second your point:kiss:


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

Grape Ape said:


> Hell, my mom has peed off the porch, in the urinal in a men's bathroom, and in sinks. Then she met my stepdad and became a lady. She will still pee off the porch if hunting camp is cold but now as a lady she moves off the porch over to the tree where she has her tp hanging in a coffee can to keep it dry. My mom taught me to fight, play ball, shoot, skin and cut up a deer, and elk, how to milk a cow, how to grow a garden, how to sew and cook. She also taught me to slow down and enjoy what nature has to offer to you. Yep she is a special woman.
> 
> Oh and all you people need to get off the computer and call your momma and tell her you love her. Right now, quit messing and scrolling do it now. Never know when you won't have that chance.


Tomboys make the best wives.............just sayin


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