Emergency Water Supplies

Page Updated on November 24, 2007

Dehydration is the biggest concern you have in an emergency situation. Dehydration often kills long before starvation. It is absolutely necessary to have a supply of water on hand before an emergency happens. Don't rely on your faucet to always have a fresh supply of water for you.

You should have a minimum of 14 gallons of water for each person (1 gallon a day for drinking and 1 gallon a day for hygiene for a total of 7 days), and don't forget your pets. Of course, the more water you can store the better.

Water needs to be rotated at least every 6 months to remain fresh. If you have a giant water storage tank in your back yard, you'll need to flush it every 6 months. I like using 5 gallon bottles instead. I always have an extra one that I use for my various water needs during non-emergency times. When it's empty, I refill it and put it behind all the others. Now the next one in front will be used for my various water needs. With this method, my water is rotated frequently and I'm always sure to have water on hand.

When you store your water, make sure that you keep it in a cool dark place. Also ensure that you do not let your plastic containers touch concrete because it will degrade the containers and contaminate your water.

During an emergency, you may need to purify water that you get from your tap or other sources. If your water looks dirty or appears to have sediment in it, first strain it through a coffee filter. Then you can purify your water by doing one of the following:

• Add 8 drops of liquid chlorine bleach to each gallon of water.
• Add 12 drops of 2% tincture of iodine to each gallon of water.

• Boil the water vigorously for at least 5 minutes (adding one extra minute for every 1000 feet above sea level).

Supplies for your emergency kit

• funnel
• coffee filters (to filter out particles from water)
• 5 gallon plastic water bottles (glass breaks, metal oxidizes, and using smaller bottles instead of huge tanks reduces the chance of losing all of your water due to leaks or contamination)
• 1 or 2 1/2 gallon plastic bottles (for easy transport because the 5-gal are just too heavy for normal use)
• 55 gallon drum designed for water storage (perfect for storing extra water if you have the room)
• chlorine bleach
• iodine
• medicine dropper (for adding bleach or iodine to water)
• large pot (for boiling water)
• heat source such as BBQ, fireplace, camping stove, etc. (for boiling water)
• water filter straws