A few weeks ago we shared that our water main had broken, leaving us without water for the entire day that Sunday, and most of the following Monday. Of course, it happened to be in the high 90s both days. We knew that we had to figure out a way to keep the horses hydrated.
Our solution was to buy every single one-gallon and 2.5 gallon jug we could find at the local grocery stores- we ended up with about 30 of each.
We filled up the 5 gallon water buckets in each of the horses’ stalls so they would have enough water for a few hours, then went home and filled up the jugs with water and came back and did this again a few hours later. We went down every three to four hours on Sunday and Monday until the water came back on later that afternoon.
We were able to keep the horses safe and hydrated, but it was obvious that the two 55-gallon drums we had on-hand for emergencies was vastly insufficient. While the main line was now fixed, we were faced with the reality that we were ill-prepared should there be an earthquake or other emergency wherein we could not just immediately go to the store and buy gallons of water.
Our goal, then, was to purchase more of the 55-gallon barrels in which to store water. These require a pump, but otherwise are relatively easy to store. We had not yet looked at purchasing these yet, when we received a message from one of our long-time supporters, Natalie W., who had seen our post and found some used barrels that we could purchase. Natalie’s mother, Sally, was one of our board members before she sadly passed away a few years ago, and Natalie continues to support the rescue.
Natalie was working on getting the barrels for us when she found something even better- 275-gallon liquid storage tanks! These tanks are usually several hundred dollars each, which is why we decided originally not to purchase them, but she was able to purchase six and donate them to Hanaeleh!
This Saturday, Natalie drove her 4-horse trailer down from L.A. to our rescue with all six water tanks; the tanks just barely all fit into the trailer. She parked down the street as the street by the rescue is very narrow, and we drove the truck down to meet her. The tanks are so large that only two fit into the bed at a time, so we had to make three trips from her trailer up to Hanaeleh. The tanks are heavy- it took four people to move them- but we finally were able to maneuver them to areas around the property where they are not in the way but also easily available.
The tanks will need to be cleaned out and then filled, but then we will be able to have enough water for a few days if we are ever faced with the issue again! Many thanks to Natalie (and to the memory of her mother, Sally, who was gently reminding her in her own way that we needed her help).