Letter Re: Home Hot Water Heater Tanks as an Emergency Water Source?

Dear Jim,
In all the posts I have been reading about storing water, I wondered if a typical home hot water heater could be used as a source of stored water in an emergency or TEOTWAWKI. Containing about 50 gallons in a glass enclosure, could that be considered a source of water, if [civic supply tap] water was not available or had run out? I’d be interested to hear your readers’ responses.- Diane G., Springfield, TN

JWR Replies: Yes, the water in your home’s hot water heater is a good source of emergency water, if your utility water is ever disrupted. (Or, if you are on a private well, and you don’t have access to a backup generator that can power your well pump.)

You can drain the water from the hot water heater, using a standard garden hose (or the cut-off stub of a garden hose), that has the female hose fitting. OBTW, it is a good idea to drain the rusty sludge out of the bottom of your hot water heater at least once per year. Not only will this mean that you will have cleaner water available from the tank in the event of an emergency, but it will also extend the life of an electric hot water heater. (Typically, the bottom electric heating element will burn out, once the sludge level eventually works it’s way up to the bottom element.)