The most valuable resource to the human race is taken for granted everyday. Once Z-Day occurs, this valuable resource will not be as convenient as it always has been. Can you guess what it is? If you have a brain in your skull, then you said water. Good job. When zombies take over, water filtration plants will eventually stop going and that is when you can consider all the water in your home, dirty. To shed some light on this awful situation, here is a full-blown guide to everything you will need for survival.

REMEMBER THIS: You need at least 1 liter of water everyday to avoid dehydration, though 2 liters of water is the ideal. The less water you have, the more inactive you should be.

Sources of Water

1. The Ocean (Salt water): If you live by a beach, then you lucked out. Very abundant source of water right in your backyard. Problem is, the water must be distilled, or go through desalination. See purification section for more info.
2. Lakes/Ponds/Canals (Fresh water): Usually freshwater, so you just need to purify the water because every cup is full of life otherwise. Be on the lookout for snakes, alligators, and zombies that are underwater.
3. Underground: If you live close to sea level (like me) if you dig a hole 5 feet down, you will hit water. A friend and I dug a hole about 5 feet down in and then every foot after would be water. If you have an abundant supply of rocks, fill a 5 foot hole (ten feet down, 5 foot hole to work in, and 5 foot well) about 75% with rocks no bigger than the palm of your hand. The well water will clear with time. Or, if your lazy, just filter the water with cloth or something similar.
4. Rain: Since the dawn of time, rain water has been consumed to fulfill our aquatic needs. Setting out some open containers will collect a good amount.
5. Bottled water: By far safest, unless given to you by a nut-case. Save as much as you can. My suggestion is you buy a pack of at least 50 bottles of water. Good for any emergency. Make sure bottles are sealed.

NO MATTER WHERE YOU GET YOUR WATER (unless its sealed and bottled) then do not drink it until it is purified. If it isn't, then there is a chance you will get sick and yes, die.

Ways to catch water

Here are a few ways to get some water if you cannot find a good source elsewhere:

1. Find any clear plastic bag and tie it around a leafy, green branch. After a while, the bag will collect some water. Not a lot per bag, so the more bags the better. Make sure the bags don't have any holes or this will not work. Works with some cacti too.
2. Using a handkerchief or a bandanna, you can collect dew off of plants or grass in the morning. Takes a while, but its either that or death, so have fun with it.
   Pit-Tarp Method (solar still)

   

3. If you have a 6x6 ft. of plastic sheeting, dig a hole in the ground, 3x3, and 2 feet deep. Put a container at the center of the hole. Cover the hole with the sheet and place a rock so the sheet dips down so it is close to the container. Anchor the 4 corners of the sheet. Sun will raise the temperature, moisture will condense under the plastic, and in the end, if constructed correctly, a solar still can produce about a liter of water a day. Again, no holes in the sheet.
4. If you have absolutely no water and you live by the woods, look around for other life. Animals tracks (lead to water), bugs (live by water), and birds (circle water holes they find).

Filtering and Purifying

You have to have some type of water by now, and if you don't, this information won't help you at all, so go back to the beginning and try again. Unless it was bottled, came from a plant, or came from an absolutely pure source (i.e., a fresh water spring with a good flow rate), then the water must be filtered and purified.

To filter water:

All you have to do is rid it of any visible objects and sediments, but until it is filtered, it cannot be purified.

1. Using a screen or piece of cloth should get the big stuff out
2. Further filtering can be done by using layers of cloth and clean (not chemically or biologically tainted) soil/sand
3. Activated charcoal filter is the best way to filter water, but difficult to find

To desalinize water:

There is only one way to take the water out of salt water and that is to cook away the water and catch it. Not a simple task, but consider using the pit-tarp method (salt water in a hole, cover with a plastic sheet with a weight in the center, water evaporates and gathers in the container below the weight).

To purify Water:

Once the water has been filtered of any sediments or chunks that would recontaminate the water, you can purify the water.

1. Heat: Water temperatures above 160° F (70° C) kill all pathogens within 30 minutes and above 185° F (85° C) within a few minutes. So in the time it takes for the water to reach the boiling point (212° F or 100° C) from 160° F (70° C), all pathogens will be killed, even at high altitude. To be extra safe, let the water boil rapidly for one minute, especially at higher altitudes since water boils at a lower temperature. (Source: OA Guide to Water Purification)
2. Chlorine bleach: Use an eyedropper to administer; all of the amounts are assuming you have one gallon of water.
   
   1. 1% chlorine: 40 drops
   2. 4-6% chlorine: 8 drops
   3. 7-10% chlorine: 4 drops
3. Iodine(2%): from a first aid kit, 20 drops will purify a gallon of water.

That is all the information you're going to need to cover your watering supplies. Food is your next target now.
REMEMBER THIS: If you have food, but don't have water, do not eat (unless starving). You need liquid to digest the meal. So have fun in the post-zombie world and don't be a d!ck, because if zombies don't bite you in the butt, karma will.