Emergency Water Containers - $10-a-pop in Civic Square

It’s Disaster Awareness Week until Saturday 13 October – and as part of its programme to encourage emergency preparedness, Wellington City Council is holding a sale of purpose-built water containers in Civic Square.

The sturdy 15-litre water containers will be on sale for $10 each (cash only) in Civic Square between 11.00am and 1.00pm on Friday 12 October.

The yellow plastic containers can hold enough drinking water for one person for five days. They come with a prominent civil defence sticker, an emergency survival items checklist, and water storage instructions.

Adrian Glen, Manager of the City Council's Emergency Management Office, says many Wellingtonians know they must be prepared for a disaster, but they don't have a store of water.

"Overall, many New Zealand families are much better prepared with food and other emergency supplies than we are with water. You need 3 litres of water per person per day and enough for three days. That's 9 litres each. You will need more water for washing and cooking.

"Ideally, every family should have at least one of these 15-litre containers for every family member. They should be filled, and be stored in a secure, dark, space in the house."

Adrian says the moderate but "noticeable" recent spate of earthquakes around the country should serve as a reminder to Wellingtonians that they have to be prepared for an emergency. The storage of water is top of that preparedness list.

"It's funny how we really, really take water for granted. People should just stop to think about how hard it'll be to get hold of a supply of safe drinking water if a big earthquake hits Wellington."