UK households would be instructed to drink water mixed with household bleach during a prolonged national power cut, under emergency scripts prepared for a so-called 'Black Sky event'.
The Department of Health and Social Care has drawn up broadcast scripts for an emergency radio service that the BBC would produce from a secret studio, supplied with three days' worth of food, fuel and water, to share vital public information if internet and power supplies fail.
Guidance on making water safe
The broadcasts would tell the public how to make contaminated drinking water safe to consume. During a multi-day national power cut, running water would stop, toilets would not flush and taps would not work. Households are therefore being urged to stockpile at least three days' worth of drinking water, at a quantity of three litres per person.
For those without enough supplies, the emergency scripts describe additional sources of water that can be made safer, including hot water taps, rainwater, melted snow or ice, water butts, reservoirs, fresh-water lakes and free-flowing streams. River water is described as much less safe and should only be drunk as a last resort.
Steps for treating water
The script sets out steps to make water safer: collect it in a clean container that has not held chemicals such as fuel or paint; check it looks clean and has no oily film; filter it through a coffee filter, pillowcase or bedsheet; and repeat until the water runs clear.
If possible, the water should be disinfected by boiling or with in-date purification tablets. Where neither is available, the script advises using approximately one-quarter of a teaspoon of unscented household bleach for every 10 litres of water, leaving it to stand for 15 minutes. The water should have a slight chlorine smell; if the smell is very strong, it should be left uncovered for two hours before drinking. Treated water should be stored in a cool, dark place.
The script reassures listeners that the advice has been developed by doctors and scientists to keep people safe, as long as the instructions are followed carefully.
Broader emergency preparations
The BBC has confirmed it holds 'Black Sky event' plans covering a full-scale UK emergency in which communications, including the internet, are shut off for three days or more. The emergency broadcasting service would use secure lines not dependent on internet connections and hold enough water, food and fuel to operate for three days.
The emergency radio would also advise households on how much food and water to consume and what to do if water supplies are so disrupted that toilets will not flush, including guidance to use plastic bags for waste. Households are being asked to stockpile at least three days of food, drinking water and plastic bags.
The plans were made public after repeated calls from government officials, including Prime Minister Andy Burnham, for the UK to be better prepared for national emergencies such as power cuts, internet and phone blackouts, and disruption to food, water or fuel supplies. The advice marks the first stage of a three-year campaign aimed at helping households feel better prepared for disruptive events such as severe weather, following heatwaves, drought and fires that hit the UK during the summer.
