How much water to store for an emergency
For a power outage, a water cut or any emergency, water comes first in the kit.
Every figure has its official source at the end.
All of this, put into a plan for your home, is in the guide Ready in 7 Days.
How much per person
- At least one gallon per person per day, for several days, for drinking and sanitation.
- For three days, that is 3 gallons for each person in the house.
- Children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more.
What to buy
Bottled water
The simplest option, from the supermarket. Keep it sealed in its original container, somewhere cool and dark.
Water container with a tap
To store tap water and pour it without tipping the whole jug. Food-grade, and washed with soap and water before you fill it.
Check price: COOZMENT, rigid with spigot
The rest of the kit, in levels and with what each one costs, in the kit.
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How to store it
- Keep commercially bottled water sealed in its original container, in a cool, dark place.
- Water that is not commercially bottled goes in food-grade containers and gets replaced every 6 months.
- Never in containers that held toxic chemicals, such as bleach or pesticides.
If the tap water is not safe
- A boil water advisory means boiling tap water or using bottled water.
- Bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute (three above 5,000 feet). Let it cool and keep it in clean, covered containers.
- If you can't boil it: regular, unscented bleach with 6% or 8.25% sodium hypochlorite. Per gallon, 8 drops of 6% bleach or 6 drops of 8.25%.
- Stir and wait 30 minutes: the water should smell slightly of chlorine. Never scented or color-safe bleach, or bleach with added cleaners.
This does not replace instructions from the authorities or 911: if they say something different, do what they say.
Your home's water, in 20 minutes
In Ready in 7 Days, day 2 is water: you work out your home's numbers in its table, with what you already have, and store it with the date written on it so you know when to replace it.
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