This month: get your kit together

The Consortium invites you to take the first (or next) step in your preparedness efforts during National Preparedness Month this September. Whether you ham it up for the #14Gallons Challenge social media campaign, engage in a culture of preparedness during a Prepare Out Loud event, or simply figure out how to access water from your water heater, the Consortium invites you to join us in planning for earthquakes and other emergency situations. 

Because while disasters don't plan ahead, you can. And together, we can all plan for a safe and resilient future.
Take the #14Gallons Challenge

Photos of different people with their emergency water supply
While there are many things that you can do to prepare for emergencies, water is  the key ingredient to being prepared. People can survive for weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Start (or continue) your preparedness efforts by participating in the Regional Water Providers Consortium's #14Gallons Challenge. 

How to participate:
  1. Obtain 14 gallons of water per person for your entire household. If you already have an emergency water supply, skip to step two!
  2. Take a creative photo with your emergency water supply.
  3. Post your photo online (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) with the hashtag #14Gallons, and challenge three of your friends to do the same.  

Use the hashtag #14Gallons to search for pictures of other Oregonians statewide who are taking the Challenge.

 

Enter to Win in the #14Gallons Challenge Promotion 
Customers of Consortium Members are eligible to receive a free one-gallon emergency water bag and enter a drawing for a seven-gallon emergency storage container during the month of September. Visit  bit.ly/14GallonsPromo to upload your photo and read official rules as some r estrictions apply. 
Prepare Out Loud

The American Red Cross and KGW are helping our community be prepared for disasters such as a 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake by holding Prepare Out Loud earthquake and disaster preparedness forums.

Come by and visit the Consortium's table before or after the events in Tigard (9/26), northwest Portland (9/27), and north Portland (9/28) and enter to win a seven-gallon water storage container.  RSVPs are required for these popular events, so register today!
Learn how to access water from your water heater

In an emergency, such as a severe winter storm or an earthquake, your home's water service may be unavailable. In that event, your water heater could provide you with 30-80 gallons of water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene. See how to safely access this source of water by watching the Consortium's most recent how-to video. 
Free emergency water supply kit

The Consortium is offering free emergency water supply kits to member customers this fall. Each kit contains a 1-gallon water container, instructions for accessing water from your water heater (that you can actually hang on your water heater) and a postcard describing how and where to store your emergency water supplies. 

Between now and September 30, email us at [email protected] with  your name, mailing address and water provider. W e will mail you a kit during the month of October.
Water providers prepare together

With recent storms and wildfires highlighting the need for emergency planning in the region, you may be relieved to know that local water providers have been working to prepare for emergencies for almost two decades. 

One example of this type of work is the upcoming  Regional Interconnections Tabletop, an emergency exercise funded by a federal Homeland Security Grant program. On October 24, water provider staff from around the region will have a chance to problem-solve a fictional scenario where they have to figure out if and how water can be moved between water systems during an emergency. They will also work together to identify optimal locations for setting up emergency water treatment and distribution sites. Learn more about this event and the Consortium's emergency preparedness efforts here. 

Regional Water Providers Consortium
(503) 823-7528 
Serving the greater Portland metro area since 1997