It Doesn’t Matter Why the Grid Goes Down. Your Plan Should Be the Same.

You don’t need an expensive, specialized Faraday enclosure to protect some of your household electronics. A used aluminum truck toolbox may already give you most of what you need to get started.

Looking for books like One Second After ? Discover realistic grid-down fiction about ordinary people, community decisions, and survival under pressure.

Preparedness equipment can be purchased. Judgment, practiced skills, and the ability to work with other people must be built before the crisis.

The next attack on Iran may not be answered only in the Middle East. A weakened regime with limited conventional options has reasons to look for ways to impose costs on the United States at home. And America’s electrical infrastructure presents an attractive target. When Americans think about a military conflict with Iran, they tend to picture events unfolding thousands of miles away: missile exchanges, naval confrontations, airstrikes, and attacks on U.S. bases across the Middle East. But there is another possibility worth taking seriously. What happens if Iran decides that the best way to retaliate against the United States is not to attack another military installation overseas, but to create disruption here at home? A sustained power outage would affect far more than the lights in our homes. Electricity supports water systems, communications, fuel distribution, transportation, hospitals, food storage, financial transactions, and countless other services. Disrupting it could impose costs on ordinary Americans and create pressure on the government without Iran having to win a conventional military confrontation. That does not mean Iran can simply switch off the American grid. It does mean the possibility of cyberattacks against U.S. energy infrastructure deserves serious attention—particularly if the conflict escalates. And this is not a threat invented by preparedness enthusiasts. American intelligence and law-enforcement officials have been warning about it for years. A regime under pressure has reasons to retaliate asymmetrically A government facing the possibility of losing its military capabilities, leadership, or even control of the country may calculate risk differently from a government enjoying a stable position. Iran has spent decades building asymmetric capabilities. These include missiles, drones, regional proxy organizations, maritime disruption, and cyber operations. Those tools give Tehran ways to impose costs on stronger opponents without matching their conventional military power. If additional U.S. strikes threaten the survival of the Iranian regime, retaliation could extend beyond the immediate battlefield. The phrase “nothing to lose” is understandable, but it is not quite accurate. Iranian leaders still have plenty to lose: control of the country, the survival of the regime, economic assets, and the possibility of preserving some influence after the conflict. But a leadership that believes its survival is at stake may become more willing to accept risks that would otherwise be unacceptable. Cyber operations are one way to retaliate while avoiding a direct military confrontation with the United States. The warning about America's infrastructure has been public for years In January 2024, FBI Director Christopher Wray delivered sworn testimony before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. He warned that Chinese government hackers were targeting American critical infrastructure, specifically naming water treatment plants, the electrical grid, oil and natural gas pipelines, and transportation systems. Wray said Chinese hackers were positioning themselves inside American infrastructure networks in preparation to cause real-world harm. He described the activity as an effort to find and prepare to destroy or degrade the civilian infrastructure that keeps Americans safe and prosperous. This was not a hypothetical warning about what a foreign adversary might someday attempt. The FBI and its partners had already identified and disrupted access associated with a Chinese state-sponsored campaign known as Volt Typhoon. The significance is straightforward: a foreign government had demonstrated an interest in maintaining access to the systems Americans depend on, potentially for use during a future conflict. FBI Director Wray's January 31, 2024 testimony . We have already demonstrated that cyberattacks can cause physical damage There is another important piece of history that is often misunderstood. In 2007, researchers at Idaho National Laboratory conducted what became known as the Aurora experiment. Under federal direction, they remotely manipulated the control systems of a diesel generator. The experiment caused the generator to operate in a destructive manner, physically damaging it. The Government Accountability Office later documented the test. The generator required extensive repairs or a complete overhaul before it could operate again. That was a real physical demonstration: cyber manipulation of industrial control systems caused physical damage to electrical equipment. GAO report GAO-15-749 . There is also research specifically involving transformers. A 2022 IEEE Access paper, Design and Emulation of Physics-Centric Cyberattacks on an Electrical Power Transformer, examined how cyberattacks could manipulate transformer operating conditions and produce damaging physical effects. It is important to understand the distinction: the Aurora experiment physically damaged a generator. The transformer research used computer-based emulation. It did not demonstrate the destruction of a full-scale American high-voltage transformer. But together, these examples establish something important: cyberattacks against industrial control systems are not necessarily limited to stealing information or temporarily interrupting computer networks. Under the right conditions, they can have physical consequences. Iran does not need to destroy the entire grid The American electrical system is enormous, geographically distributed, and made up of interconnected regional networks. It is not one giant switch. That complexity provides resilience, but it also creates a large attack surface. Utilities operate different equipment, software, networks, and security systems. Some industrial control equipment is older, and some systems have connections that create cybersecurity risks. A successful attack against one utility would not automatically cause a nationwide blackout. Nor would damaging one transformer necessarily bring down an entire region. But an adversary does not necessarily need to cause a nationwide blackout to achieve its objectives. Disrupting selected utility operations, interfering with control systems, damaging equipment, or creating uncertainty about the reliability of electricity could have serious consequences. A regional outage lasting days is already a major emergency. A longer disruption involving multiple services would be considerably worse. The Center for Strategic and International Studies has examined these risks in the context of the Iran conflict. Its April 2026 analysis noted that Iran does not have long-range weapons capable of physically damaging energy infrastructure inside the continental United States, but that cyber operations and other forms of disruption present a different set of concerns. The same analysis described the presence of foreign adversaries, particularly China, inside U.S. critical infrastructure networks and the potential consequences of using that access during a conflict. CSIS: Iran Conflict Heightens Cyber Threats to U.S. Energy Infrastructure . Iran has already shown an interest in American infrastructure Iran's cyber capabilities should not be confused with China's. They are not identical, and there is no public evidence that the two countries are jointly planning an attack on the American electrical grid. But Iran has its own history of targeting U.S. infrastructure. In 2023 and 2024, Iran-linked actors targeted internet-connected industrial control systems. More recently, U.S. agencies issued warnings about Iranian-affiliated cyber actors exploiting programmable logic controllers—industrial computers used to monitor and control equipment—in American critical infrastructure. In July 2026, CISA, the FBI, the EPA, and other federal partners updated their advisory on Iranian-affiliated actors targeting these systems. The advisory described unauthorized access and disruption affecting organizations across multiple critical infrastructure sectors. That matters because programmable logic controllers are not ordinary office computers. They can be involved in the operation of pumps, motors, valves, and other industrial equipment. The attacks do not establish that Iran can destroy the American grid. They do demonstrate that Iranian-linked actors are willing to target the kinds of systems that operate essential services. Read the July 2026 federal advisory on Iranian-affiliated cyber activity . Where China enters the picture The possibility of Chinese assistance adds another dimension to this threat. China and Iran have a strategic relationship, but it is important not to exaggerate it. Beijing has not given Tehran a formal defense guarantee, and China has substantial economic interests throughout the Middle East that it would not want to jeopardize. Still, China has reasons to keep Iran economically and militarily viable. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission reported in March 2026 that China purchased approximately 90 percent of Iran's exported oil. Those purchases generated an estimated $31.2 billion in Iranian oil revenue during 2025. The Commission also documented Chinese networks helping Iran evade sanctions and obtain dual-use technologies relevant to missile and drone programs. Chinese components have been found in Iranian drones, and reports indicated that Chinese ports allowed Iranian vessels to load sodium perchlorate, a key ingredient in solid rocket fuel. China has also given Iran access to its BeiDou satellite navigation system, although the extent of its military use remains unclear. These are meaningful forms of support. They do not prove that China is directing Iranian military operations or providing Iran with access to American infrastructure. U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission: China-Iran Fact Sheet, March 2026 . Why would Beijing help Tehran? One reason is strategic distraction. A prolonged conflict in the Middle East consumes American military resources, intelligence capacity, diplomatic attention, and political capital. Those are resources the United States might otherwise devote to the Indo-Pacific. China may see value in helping Iran remain capable of imposing costs on the United States, while avoiding a direct confrontation with American forces itself. That is a strategic calculation, not proof of a joint cyber operation. There is also a distinction between what China has already done and what it might do. Chinese-linked activity inside U.S. critical infrastructure networks has been documented. Chinese economic and technology support for Iran has also been documented. Public evidence does not establish that Beijing has connected the two by providing Iran with access to American grid systems. That distinction matters. We should take the documented threat seriously without inventing a connection that has not been proven. The real concern is the combination of capabilities Consider the separate pieces: Iran has a demonstrated willingness to use cyber operations against U.S. infrastructure. China has demonstrated the ability and intent to establish persistent access inside American critical infrastructure networks. The United States has publicly acknowledged that adversaries are positioning themselves for possible future disruption. Cyber manipulation of industrial control systems has been shown to cause physical damage to electrical equipment. A conflict that threatens the survival of Iran's leadership could increase Tehran's incentive to retaliate against the United States in ways that avoid direct military confrontation. These facts do not prove that an Iranian attack on the American grid is imminent, or that China would participate in one. But they do establish why the possibility should not be dismissed. The March 2026 Annual Threat Assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned that China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and criminal cyber groups would continue seeking access to U.S. government, private-sector, and critical infrastructure networks. It specifically noted that these actors could pre-position or execute disruptive and destructive attacks. The assessment also identified China as the most active and persistent cyber threat, while recognizing Iran as a continuing threat to U.S. networks and infrastructure. The danger is not necessarily a single sophisticated operation that shuts down the country. It may be a combination of smaller attacks, disruptions, equipment failures, and uncertainty that makes an already difficult emergency harder to manage. 2026 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community . What does this mean for ordinary Americans? A grid-down emergency does not begin when the lights go out. It begins when the systems we depend on stop working. Water pumps need electricity. Fuel stations need electricity. Grocery stores depend on refrigeration, transportation, and electronic payment systems. Communications networks need power. Hospitals have backup systems, but those systems depend on fuel, maintenance, and resupply. The longer an outage lasts, the more these dependencies matter. And there is a difference between preparing for a short power failure and preparing for a prolonged disruption. A few flashlights and a couple of cases of bottled water are useful, but they are not a resilience plan. Households should consider: Water: Have a dependable supply and a way to treat additional water. If your home relies on a well, remember that the pump may not operate when the grid is down. Food: Store food your household actually eats and knows how to prepare. Include foods that require little water and minimal cooking fuel. Cooking: Have a safe backup cooking method and enough fuel to use it. Bulk cooking can conserve fuel when electricity or propane supplies are limited. Power: Understand your essential electrical loads. A generator does not necessarily need to run the entire house. It may be more practical to recharge a battery system and use stored electricity for critical loads. Communications: Have a way to receive information when cellular networks or internet service are unavailable. Neighbors: Know who lives around you. Identify useful skills, equipment, medical experience, and vulnerabilities. A neighborhood that can organize around water, food, security, communications, and mutual assistance is better positioned than a collection of isolated households. These are not measures that require predicting a war. They are practical investments in resilience against storms, earthquakes, wildfires, infrastructure failures, and other disruptions. The question is not whether we can predict the next attack We cannot know whether Iran will retaliate against American infrastructure following another round of U.S. strikes. We cannot know whether China would provide assistance, whether an attack would succeed, or how extensive the resulting disruption might be. But we do know that the threat is not imaginary. The United States has documented foreign adversaries inside critical infrastructure networks. Federal agencies have warned about Iranian-affiliated actors targeting industrial control systems. Researchers have demonstrated that cyber manipulation can physically damage electrical equipment. And American intelligence officials have warned that adversaries are positioning themselves for the possibility of future disruption. A government that believes its survival is threatened may look for ways to make its opponent pay. It does not have to defeat the United States militarily to create serious problems for American communities. That is why the electrical grid deserves more attention than it usually receives in discussions of national security. We should expect utilities and government agencies to strengthen defenses, share threat information, and prepare for attacks. But households and neighborhoods should not assume that the systems they depend on will always be available. The point is not to panic. It is to recognize the dependencies we take for granted and reduce them where we can. Gear matters. Judgment matters more. Community matters most. 

A full rain barrel can look like security during a power outage. But water that looks clear can still carry contamination from everything it touched on the way into the barrel. Bird droppings, windblown dirt, roofing materials, gutters, and the barrel itself all affect water quality. Collecting water is the first step. Making it suitable for drinking is a separate job. For emergency drinking water, three electricity-free purifiers deserve consideration: the LifeSaver Jerrycan, the MSR Guardian Pump Purifier, and the GRAYL GeoPress. Each offers protection against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, according to manufacturer testing and specifications. They differ considerably in convenience, capacity, and chemical-treatment capabilities. First, understand what a purifier can—and cannot—do Many camping filters remove bacteria and protozoa but do not reliably remove viruses. Check the exact model’s performance claims and testing rather than relying on the word “filter.” Chemical contamination presents another problem. A device that removes germs may leave dissolved chemicals behind. Activated carbon can reduce certain contaminants, but its presence does not mean a purifier removes every chemical that could wash off your roof. CDC recommends testing rainwater used for drinking and choosing treatment that addresses the germs and chemicals actually present. Before relying on roof runoff, ask your local health department or an accredited drinking-water laboratory what to test for based on your roofing, gutters, and storage materials. No product in this article is a blanket guarantee that water from any roof is safe to drink. 1. LifeSaver Jerrycan: My first choice for household emergency use The LifeSaver Jerrycan makes sense when you need to collect water from a barrel and prepare drinking water for more than one person. It holds 18.5 liters, or approximately 4.9 gallons. You fill the container with untreated freshwater, operate the hand pump, and dispense water through its purification system. It requires no electricity. LifeSaver reports independent testing against NSF Protocol P248 for virus, bacteria, and protozoan cyst reduction. The manufacturer rates the 20,000-liter version for up to roughly 5,300 gallons, depending on water conditions and proper use. Its replaceable carbon stage can improve taste and reduce certain chemicals. However, that carbon stage has its own replacement requirements. The main membrane’s capacity does not establish how long the carbon remains effective. For a couple treating barrel water during an extended outage, this is the most practical starting point of these three. That recommendation assumes the source water has been evaluated for chemical hazards and the device addresses the identified risks. Manufacturer: https://iconlifesaver.com/products/lifesaver-jerrycan 2. MSR Guardian Pump Purifier: A durable, portable option The MSR Guardian Pump Purifier is suited to someone who wants one purifier for emergency use at home and for travel on foot. MSR states that it meets NSF Protocol P248 for removal of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. It pumps approximately 2.5 liters per minute, and its cartridge is rated for more than 10,000 liters under appropriate conditions. A self-cleaning action helps maintain flow. Its most important limitation for roof runoff is explicit: MSR lists the Guardian as ineffective against chemicals and toxins. That makes it a strong choice for treating microbial contamination in water already established as chemically suitable. It is not a complete treatment solution for roof water with unknown chemical contamination. Manufacturer: https://cascadedesigns.com/products/guardian-purifier 3. GRAYL GeoPress: A portable backup for individual use The GRAYL GeoPress treats water by pressing an inner container through an outer container. Each batch produces approximately 24 ounces, or 710 milliliters. GRAYL reports testing to the EPA microbiological purifier guide standard, with reduction of bacteria, viruses, and protozoan cysts. Its cartridge combines electroadsorption media with activated carbon. The manufacturer rates each cartridge for approximately 350 presses, or 65 gallons. Dirty water can shorten useful life, and replacement is also required according to the manufacturer’s time and performance limits. The GeoPress is convenient for an emergency bag, vehicle kit, or individual backup. Small batches and a shorter cartridge life make it less convenient as the primary drinking-water system for two people over several months. Its carbon media provides additional treatment capabilities, but those claims still need to match the contaminants in your water. Do not interpret “contains carbon” as “handles every roofing chemical.” Manufacturer specifications: https://grayl.com/pages/geopress-tech-specs Improve the water before it reaches the purifier Keep gutters and collection equipment clean. Use a first-flush diverter to send the initial, dirtier runoff away from storage. Fit screens to keep debris and mosquitoes out, and keep the barrel covered. These steps reduce contamination; they do not make the water ready to drink. If water contains sediment, follow the purifier’s instructions for settling or prefiltering it. A cloth or sediment screen can remove visible particles, but it does not provide dependable disinfection. Keep untreated-water equipment separate from clean-water containers. Dispense treated water into a clean, covered drinking-water container, and protect the outlet from dirty hands, hoses, and splashes. Follow each manufacturer’s cleaning, storage, and cartridge-replacement instructions. What I would choose For household use, I would start with the LifeSaver Jerrycan. For a portable pump with a long cartridge life, I would consider the MSR Guardian. For a compact individual backup, I would choose the GRAYL GeoPress. But I would evaluate the roof and test the water before depending on any of them. Buying a purifier solves only the problems that particular purifier is designed to handle. A rain barrel gives you a water source. A suitable collection system, testing, treatment, and clean handling give you a plan for drinking it.  Sources CDC, Collecting Rainwater and Your Health: https://www.cdc.gov/drinking-water/about/collecting-rainwater-and-your-health-an-overview.html LifeSaver Jerrycan specifications and testing: https://iconlifesaver.com/products/lifesaver-jerrycan MSR Guardian Pump Purifier specifications: https://cascadedesigns.com/products/guardian-purifier GRAYL GeoPress specifications: https://grayl.com/pages/geopress-tech-specs Product capacities are manufacturer ratings, not guarantees for every water source. This comparison covers portable emergency equipment, not a professionally designed household rainwater drinking system.

***NOTE: This article references King County Washington. Be sure to check with your county for specifics pertaining to your location. A toilet that flushes during the first few hours of a blackout can create a dangerous illusion: that the sanitation system is still working. It may be—for now. Many drinking-water systems need electric pumps to treat water, fill storage tanks, and maintain pressure. Wastewater systems may use gravity for part of the trip, but lift stations, pumps, controls, and treatment plants still require power. Utilities often have generators and stored fuel, so service may continue during a short outage. A prolonged grid failure is different. When pumps stop, water pressure can fall, sewage can back up, and untreated waste can be released into the environment. Rural households are not automatically protected. Some conventional septic systems are gravity-fed and can continue accepting wastewater without household electricity, although the tank and drainfield still have limited capacity. Other systems depend on grinder pumps, effluent pumps, lift pumps, timers, alarms, pressure distribution, aerators, or blowers. When those components lose power, wastewater may collect only until a pump chamber or reserve-storage space fills. A private well also needs electricity unless the property has a working backup method. The solution is not complicated, but it needs to be prepared before the bathroom becomes unusable. Do Not Wait for Sewage on the Floor. Stop or sharply reduce water use when: Local officials say water or sewer service is impaired. Water pressure drops or a boil-water advisory is issued. Toilets or sinks begin draining slowly. Drains gurgle or sewage odors appear. A floor drain starts rising or backing up. A septic alarm activates. A powered septic pump, blower, or control panel loses electricity. The drainfield is flooded or the surrounding soil is saturated. Do not keep flushing to see whether the problem clears. Every flush adds more wastewater to a system that may no longer be able to move or treat it. If sewage begins backing up, stop using sinks, showers, washing machines, and toilets. Keep people and pets away from contaminated areas. Avoid direct contact and follow local public-health instructions for cleanup. The Basic Household Solution: A Lined Emergency Toilet For most households, the safest short-term answer is to contain waste where the normal toilet is located or in a sturdy five-gallon bucket. You will need: A five-gallon bucket with a tight lid and, preferably, a snap-on toilet seat—or an existing toilet bowl. Two heavy-duty plastic garbage bags for each active setup. Absorbent material such as cat litter, sawdust, peat moss, or fireplace ash. Toilet paper. Waterproof disposable or reusable gloves. Soap, safe water, and paper towels for a nearby handwashing station. A rigid, lidded container for temporarily storing sealed waste bags. Using an existing toilet Turn off the water valve behind the toilet. Flush once to empty most of the water from the tank and bowl. Place one heavy-duty bag inside a second bag. Fit both bags beneath the seat so the seat holds them in place. Put a layer of absorbent material in the inner bag. Add a small amount of absorbent material after solid-waste use to control moisture and odor. Replace the inner bag before it becomes heavy or difficult to handle. Tie it securely without squeezing out air toward your face. Place the sealed bag inside the designated rigid storage container and install a fresh inner bag. Using a five-gallon bucket Use the same double-bag method. Add a fitted lid or emergency toilet seat, and place the bucket on a stable, level surface. Keep it away from food preparation and eating areas. Close the lid between uses to limit odors, insects, and accidental contact. Never allow a small child to use or approach a bucket toilet without adult supervision. An open bucket also presents a drowning hazard to toddlers. Separate Liquids When an Outage May Last Urine creates much of the volume, weight, and odor in a mixed-waste container. A two-container system can make a longer emergency easier to manage: Use one clearly marked bucket or container for urine only. Use a double-lined bucket for feces and toilet paper. Separating the two keeps the solid-waste bags lighter and allows absorbent material to work better. Keep both containers covered, stable, and clearly labeled. Never pour urine or wastewater into a storm drain, street gutter, stream, lake, wetland, or near a drinking-water source. Follow local emergency instructions for disposal; rules can differ by location and event. Urban and Apartment Sanitation An urban household normally has little safe space for digging, burying waste, or storing it outdoors. A latrine is not an appropriate city solution. The practical urban plan is containment, protected storage, and official disposal . 1. Stop adding water to a questionable sewer If officials report sewer trouble—or drains show signs of backup—stop flushing. Do not assume that having stored water means it is safe to pour that water into the toilet. The restriction may be on the sewer system, not the water supply. In a multifamily building, plumbing from upper floors can affect lower units. Residents should report slow drains, odors, or backups immediately. Building management should communicate whether the building has sewage ejector pumps, sump systems, or other equipment that has stopped. 2. Create one controlled toilet area Choose one bathroom if possible. Remove towels, rugs, toothbrushes, cosmetics, and other items that can become contaminated. Set up the lined toilet or bucket, handwashing water, soap, gloves, toilet paper, absorbent material, and replacement bags together. Keeping the operation in one location is safer than improvising in several rooms. 3. Store sealed waste safely Tie filled bags securely and place them inside a rigid container with a tight lid. Store it in a cool, protected location away from children, pets, food, and living areas. Do not leave thin bags where rodents or sharp objects can puncture them. Use municipal garbage collection only when local authorities specifically say bagged human waste may be placed in regular trash. Do not put it down a storm drain, into a dumpster without authorization, or into a sewer that has not been declared functional. 4. Work with the building or block In a prolonged outage, sanitation cannot remain entirely individual. Neighbors need a shared method for receiving official information, obtaining bags and absorbent material, identifying functioning facilities, and moving sealed waste to an approved collection point. The more densely people live, the faster an unmanaged sanitation problem affects everyone. Rural Sanitation: Septic First, Backup Toilet Second Rural households may have more space, but they also carry full responsibility for their wells, septic systems, and waste sites. Know what kind of septic system you own “We are on septic” is not enough information. You need to know how waste moves through your specific system. Conventional gravity-fed septic What happens without electricity: Wastewater can usually flow from the house to the tank and from the tank to a gravity drainfield without a pump. The system still has limited treatment and absorption capacity. Household response: Conserve water immediately. Watch for slow drains, gurgling, odors, surfacing sewage, or saturated soil. Switch to the emergency toilet if the system shows stress. Septic system with an effluent or lift pump What happens without electricity: Wastewater may continue entering the tank or pump chamber, but it cannot be moved to a raised, distant, or pressure-distribution drainfield. Available reserve storage begins filling. Household response: Minimize all water use and switch to a dry emergency toilet early. Follow the system designer's instructions for the breaker, alarm, backup power, and restart. Grinder-pump system What happens without electricity: A grinder pump cannot grind and push sewage to the next tank, pressure sewer, or disposal point without electricity. The home's holding capacity may be limited. Household response: Stop using connected toilets, showers, sinks, and appliances before the tank fills. Use the emergency toilet until power and the pump are restored. Aerobic or advanced treatment system What happens without electricity: Pumps, aerators, blowers, controls, disinfection equipment, or dosing timers may stop. The system may not treat or distribute wastewater as designed. Household response: Reduce wastewater immediately and use the emergency toilet. Follow the manufacturer's or service provider's outage and restart procedure. Some homes also have a sewage-ejector or grinder pump serving a basement bathroom even when the rest of the plumbing is gravity-fed. During an outage, do not use any fixture that depends on that pump. King County warns that continued flushing, dishwashing, showering, and laundry during an outage can fill the reserve capacity of a powered septic system and cause sewage to back up into the home. Do not experiment with the controls. Before an emergency, ask the system designer, installer, or maintenance provider: Which components require electricity? How much emergency storage exists? What should be switched off during an outage? Can the system be powered safely by a generator? What restart procedure is required after a long outage? If a generator is an approved option, the connection and operating procedure should be established in advance. Never operate a portable generator inside a house, garage, basement, shed, or other enclosed space. Protect the well and drainfield Do not place stored waste, a bucket-cleaning area, or a latrine near a well, spring, stream, pond, drainage ditch, or food garden. Do not use a latrine where the ground is flooded, saturated, or has a high water table. Sewage in saturated soil can move toward surface water or a drinking-water source. If flooding may have contaminated the well, do not drink from it until local health authorities say it is safe or it has been properly tested and disinfected. When is a latrine appropriate? An outdoor latrine is a last-resort rural option when bag storage or portable toilets are not workable, local emergency guidance allows it, and the site can protect groundwater and surface water. King County's emergency guidance, for example, says a latrine should be at least 100 feet from lakes, rivers, and streams and at least 100 feet downhill or away from a drinking-water source, home, apartment, or campsite. It also specifies a hole at least three feet deep with the bottom at least one foot above hardpan or the water table. Those are local guidelines, not universal permission. Soil, groundwater, property size, and local rules may make a latrine unsafe or illegal where you live. Do not construct one in an urban lot, near a private well, on a steep drainage path, in bedrock or shallow soil, or anywhere waste could reach water. Check with the local health department before relying on burial as a plan. Handwashing Is Part of the Toilet System An emergency toilet without a handwashing station is an incomplete solution. Place a water container with a controllable spigot beside the toilet area. Provide soap and disposable paper towels. The CDC recommends washing with soap and safe water for at least 20 seconds. Hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol is useful when soap and water are unavailable, but it is less effective when hands are visibly dirty and does not eliminate every type of germ. Anyone handling sealed waste should: Wear waterproof gloves. Cover cuts or open wounds. Avoid touching the face. Wash hands with soap and safe water immediately afterward, including after removing gloves. Keep contaminated footwear and tools out of food and living areas. Use separate supplies for cleaning the toilet area. Do not use the same cloths, buckets, or gloves for dishes or food preparation. Build the Kit Before You Need It A practical household sanitation kit should include: Two five-gallon buckets with tight lids. One emergency toilet seat. Heavy-duty garbage bags sized for the buckets. A rigid lidded storage container. Cat litter, sawdust, peat moss, or another absorbent. Toilet paper and unscented wipes. Waterproof gloves in multiple sizes. Soap and at least 60-percent-alcohol hand sanitizer. A water jug with a spigot for handwashing. Paper towels. Household disinfectant used according to its label. Eye protection and rubber boots for sewage cleanup. Labels, a permanent marker, and ties for sealing bags. A printed copy of local public-health and utility emergency numbers. Store the supplies together and label the buckets before the outage. Make sure every adult in the household understands the plan. Include accommodations for children, older adults, and anyone with limited mobility. The Grid-Down Sanitation Rule The safest waste is the waste that never reaches your floor, yard, well, or stream.  Short outages are often covered by utility generators, stored water, and system capacity. Long outages consume those margins. Pay attention to official notices and the first warning signs inside the house. Reduce water use early. Switch to a contained emergency toilet before the sewer or septic system fails. Keep waste separate from food and water, and make handwashing part of every bathroom trip. Food and water may receive more attention in preparedness plans, but sanitation is what keeps those supplies from becoming contaminated. Sources and Further Reading Washington State Department of Health: Toilet Use During an Emergency King County, Washington: How to Create an Emergency Toilet King County, Washington: Septic Systems During and After a Power Outage CDC: Guidelines for Personal Hygiene During an Emergency CDC: Guidelines for Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems CDC: Protecting Workers Handling Human Waste EPA: Power Resilience Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities This article provides general emergency-preparedness information. Waste-disposal rules and approved methods vary by jurisdiction and emergency. Follow instructions from your local health department, water utility, sewer utility, and emergency-management agency.

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