How Much Water to Store for an Emergency: A Simple Guide

If the tap stopped tomorrow, water would become your single most urgent need — faster than food, light, or anything else. The good news: getting a sensible emergency water supply together is cheap, simple, and something you can finish this weekend. No panic, no prepping rabbit hole.

Here's a calm, practical guide based on guidance from the CDC, EPA, FEMA's Ready.gov, and the American Red Cross — how much to store, how to keep it safe, and how to make water drinkable if you ever run short.

The quick version

- Store 1 gallon (≈4 litres) per person, per day, for at least 3 days — aim for 2 weeks if you can.

- Store more for children, pregnant or sick people, pets, and hot climates.

- Use clean, food-grade containers; if you fill them yourself, replace the water every 6 months.

- To make unsafe water drinkable: boil it (1 minute rolling), or disinfect with unscented bleach (8 drops per gallon).

1. How much water should you actually store?

The baseline used by the CDC and Red Cross is simple: one gallon (about 4 litres) per person, per day — roughly half for drinking and half for basic hygiene and food prep (CDC).

• Minimum: a 3-day supply.
• Ideal: a 2-week supply if you have the space.
• Store extra for children, anyone pregnant or unwell, pets, and if you live in a hot climate (you'll drink more).

A quick example: a family of four, for three days, needs 12 gallons (≈48 litres). For two weeks, that's about 56 gallons — store what you realistically can, and build up over time.

Not sure what else your home is missing? The free Resilience Score takes about three minutes and shows your specific gaps — water, power, food, comms — with a short personal plan. No sign-up wall to see your result. → Take the Resilience Score

2. What to store water in

• Easiest option: commercially bottled water. Keep it sealed, store it somewhere cool and dark, and note the expiration date.
• Filling your own: use clean, food-grade containers with tight lids. Wash and sanitise them first.
• Don't reuse old milk or fruit-juice jugs — sugars and proteins linger and breed bacteria, even after washing.
• Label and date every container.

3. Where to keep it — and how long it lasts

Store water somewhere cool, dark, and away from direct sunlight and any chemicals (petrol, pesticides, cleaning products) — fumes can permeate plastic over time.

If you filled the containers yourself, replace the water every 6 months. For store-bought, simply follow the printed expiration date (CDC).

4. Hidden water sources already in your home

If you ever run short before help arrives, you have more water than you think:

• The water heater tank (turn off the power/gas first).
• The toilet tank — the clean upper tank, *not* the bowl (and not if you use in-tank chemical cleaners).
• Liquid from canned vegetables and fruit.
• Melted ice cubes.

Avoid drinking from waterbeds, swimming pools, or spas — those are treated with chemicals not meant for drinking.

5. How to make water safe to drink

If you're unsure whether water is safe, treat it. Two reliable methods (EPA):

Boiling (best, if you have heat):

• Bring water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute.
• At altitudes above 5,000 feet (1,000 m), boil for 3 minutes.
• Let it cool naturally before drinking.

Disinfecting with bleach (if you can't boil):

• Use plain, unscented household bleach (5%–9%) — no scents, no additives, no "splash-less."
• Add 8 drops (about ⅛ teaspoon) per gallon of clear water — 16 drops (¼ teaspoon) if the water is cloudy.
• Stir, then let it stand for 30 minutes. It should have a faint chlorine smell; if not, repeat once.

If water is cloudy, filter it first through a clean cloth or let it settle, then treat. Important: boiling and bleach kill germs but do not remove chemical or fuel contamination — if you suspect that, don't drink it.

6. Don't forget

• Pets need stored water too — roughly an extra allowance per animal.
• Keep a little extra for hygiene (hand-washing, brushing teeth) on top of drinking water.

Your printable water checklist

• [ ] 1 gallon / 4 L per person per day — 3-day minimum (2 weeks ideal)
• [ ] Extra for kids, pregnancy, illness, pets, hot climate
• [ ] Clean food-grade containers (never reuse milk/juice jugs)
• [ ] Stored cool, dark, away from chemicals
• [ ] Self-filled water: replace every 6 months
• [ ] Know your home's backup sources (water heater, toilet tank)
• [ ] Unscented bleach + a way to boil, for treatment

Frequently asked questions

How much water should I store per person?

One gallon (about 4 litres) per person per day — half for drinking, half for hygiene — for at least 3 days, ideally 2 weeks (CDC).

How long can you store emergency water?

Store-bought water: follow the expiration date. Water you bottle yourself: replace it every 6 months.

Is it safe to store tap water?

Yes — fill clean, food-grade containers from a safe tap, seal them, store cool and dark, and refresh every 6 months.

How do you purify water in an emergency?

Boil it at a rolling boil for 1 minute (3 minutes above 5,000 ft), or add 8 drops of unscented 5–9% household bleach per gallon of clear water and let it stand 30 minutes (EPA).

Water is step one — pair it with our power-outage checklist and a family emergency plan to cover the essentials. Or see exactly where your household stands in three minutes with the free Resilience Score — calm, practical, built on official guidance.

Sources

• CDC — Create and Store an Emergency Water Supply
• EPA — Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water
• Ready.gov — Water
• American Red Cross — water & emergency-preparedness guidance