How to Store Water For an Emergency

Already-bottled water may be the easiest to store for an emergency.

When people are pulled from the rubble caused by an earthquake, they beg for water, not food. You can survive for weeks without food, but you can't go without water for more than about three days. Surviving a week without water is considered a miracle. This is why you should store enough water for your family to survive should an emergency occur in your area. Store at least one gallon of water per person per day; a two-week supply would be 14 gallons for each person. This includes water for drinking, cooking and other household uses.

Instructions

1. Purchase water in gallon containers and mark them with the date you bought them. This way, you'll know which ones to use first in the event of an emergency, and when to replace them all.

2. Gather containers to fill yourself. Find five- to one-gallon water jars in the camping section of sports stores. Reuse jugs in which water was originally sold, enamel-lined metal containers or empty soda bottles ... any bottle made of glass, polyethylene or polyester plastic will work well for long-term storage.

3. Fill your own bottles with tap water, then add bleach to prevent microorganism growth. Add 1/4 teaspoon to each gallon; 1/8 teaspoon, or about eight drops, to a half-gallon or 2-liter bottle; and four drops to a quart. Be sure the lid is not paper-lined. Mark them with the date.

4. Store the tightly-sealed water bottles off the floor in a cool, dark place, such as your basement, garage or closet, for up to five years.

5. Keep several gallons of water stored in your vehicle, at work or any other place you might be caught during an emergency.

6. To get rid of the flat taste of stored water, re-oxygenate it by shaking it vigorously or pouring it back and forth between two clean containers. It will taste better.

Tips & Warnings

• Prepare ahead by storing enough water for a couple of weeks if you can. This could save your life.

• After a disaster, never drink water from the tap or other source if it hasn't been purified.

References

• UGA College of Family and Consumer Services, Cooperative Extension Service: Storing Water Supplies