Emergency Sanitation

Emergency Sanitation
In a disaster, sanitation could be one of the more serious problems you face. Without running water, this problem is immediate and acute. This should be a priority in preparation of your 72 Hour Kit.
The following is a list of Do’s and Don’ts when preparing your
Family Sanitation Kit:
1. The portable toilet should have an air tight lid.
2. Do not depend on plastic bags without support of some kind.
3. Whatever you choose, try to find something that requires little or no water. Your supply will be limited.
4. You must have a large enough container with a tight fitting lid to hold the refuse until it can be buried.
5. When you bury refuse, it must be buried 12-24 inches underground to prevent animals and rodents from digging it up and spreading disease.
6. Have a good reserve of plastic bags, newspaper, toilet tissue, soap and disinfectant. Include a small folding shovel. You will use two garbage bags each time so plan ahead.
7. Allow for some means of privacy in using your emergency toilet.
8. Don’t forget to include feminine hygiene products.
9. Include a pair of rubber gloves for sanitary use only. Mark gloves with a permanent marker.
10. Never mix feces and menstrual blood with urine. Use the portable Jane or the portable John to keep them separate. Label one bucket URINE and the second bucket FAECLE MATTER.
11. After you use the toilet, cover the feces in the bag with a liberal dose of Hydrated Lime. The hydrated lime serves a number of purposes. It controls odor, bacteria and flies which can spread disease. It also helps to dry out the waste in the bag so that when it is time to dispose of the waste, it will be easier to handle. Note: Hydrated Lime is available in larger quantities (usually 55 lb. bags) at various home hardware type stores. Store the lime above ground in a cool, dry place and in a sealed plastic container.
12. Set up a hand washing station. Old laundry detergent containers with the spigot refilled with new clean water work very well for this.
Note: The best containers for your sanitary kits are five gallon buckets. Fill it with all your supplies: plastic bags and ties, toilet paper, disinfectant, gloves, feminine hygiene supplies, paper towel roll, soap, portable John and a portable Jane, wet wipes, lime, hand sanitizer… etc. Seal it with a tight fitting lid. Child size toilet seat fit nicely on the five gallon bucket. Toilet seats for five gallon buckets can be purchased at emergency supply or camping stores. This should provide all you need for your emergency sanitation kit.