Resilience of water supplies in urban areas.

[adam2]

Recent events in Ukraine have got me thinking.
Should the UK as a matter of policy, install traditional well pumps in public places as an emergency water supply for use if the usual mains water supply was unavailable due to war or other emergency.

Even if this water does not meet normal standards for drinking water, it would still be very valuable in the absence of mains water. Lack of water WILL KILL IN A FEW DAYS. Water not up to modern standards could probably be consumed in a war or other emergency.

This news report shows still extant hand pumps being used in Ukraine.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63463697

This thread is not the place to talk about the invasion of Ukraine. Please confine remarks about the merits of well pumps or other emergency water sources.

[kenneal - lagger]

A properly installed well should provide water clean enough to finish processing into drinking water by UV sterilising in a clear plastic bottle the sun. Assuming we get sun at the time of the water outage, of course. The chemical content of the water would have to be checked regularly as well.

[BritDownUnder]

I stand by my vandalism remark made in the Ukraine thread. Such a pump if accessible by the public could also be easily sabotaged by the many Russian "fellow travellers" that seem to be present in the UK. Putting them somewhere lockable might be an option. I also doubt that Health and Safety would allow such a thing to be usable by the public. There may be well founded fears of spreading cholera as I think the original research behind cholera identified it as coming from a particular pump in London and refuting the previously held miasma theory of cholera spread.

I intend to have my own secret water pump installed soon and also to have the rainwater tanks that I already use for watering the garden as another backup option. I think this should be done privately by well prepared members of the public.

[adam2]

Large numbers of such pumps could be installed in public places whilst times are normal, of a simple and robust type as used in developing countries.
Under normal conditions use should be encouraged for the watering of trees etc.
In time of war or other emergency, use as a drinking water supply is at the discretion of the individual.

Absence of water kills in only a few days.
Water not of the usual quality might kill eventually but probably wont.

If possible boil the water, or chlorinate it, or pass through a gravity micro-filter before drinking. But drinking it without any such treatment is better than dying of dehydration.