Water is the first thing to get right. A house can go a long time on short food. It cannot go long without water, and the tap is one of the first things to fail when power is out for more than a day or two, especially on a well pump.
The basic number
Ready.gov, the federal preparedness site, says to store at least one gallon of water per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation. Needs go up with heat, activity, illness, nursing, and small children. Pets need water too.
For a family of four, that is 12 gallons for three days. Two weeks at home is 56 gallons. That sounds like a lot until you see it stacked in a closet.
What to store it in
- Commercially bottled water, kept sealed in its original container in a cool, dark place. This is the simplest start.
- Food-grade water storage containers, cleaned and sanitized before filling. Stackable containers fit a closet or the space under a bed.
- Larger drums or tanks if you have a garage or basement with room for them.
Ready.gov says water that was not commercially bottled should be replaced every six months. Put a date on the container when you fill it.
If you run out
Stored water runs out. A filter or a way to treat water covers the rest.
- Boiling: Ready.gov says to bring water to a rolling boil for one full minute, then let it cool.
- Bleach: Ready.gov says to add 1/8 teaspoon of regular unscented bleach per gallon, stir, and let it stand for 30 minutes. It should smell slightly of bleach. If it does not, repeat the dose and wait another 15 minutes.
- Filters and purifiers: a personal filter straw or bottle for each person, and a gravity filter for the house. Check the maker's rating for what each one removes.
A simple plan
- Store three days of water per person this week.
- Build to two weeks over the next month.
- Add a filter for each person and one for the house.
- Date everything and rotate every six months.
Everything above is on our Water page: storage containers, filters, purifiers, and treatment drops and tablets.