How much water to store for an emergency: the baseline number
How much water to store for an emergency has one standard answer, and it is worth knowing before you need it. Water is the one supply that runs out fastest and matters most, so how much water to store for an emergency is worth settling now. The standard number, one gallon per person per day, covers drinking and basic sanitation: Water, Ready.gov. For a household of four, that’s four gallon jugs a day if you’re storing it in bulk. It adds up quickly, which is exactly why it’s worth having ahead of time instead of figuring it out during a storm.
Three days is the floor, not the target
Three days per person is the minimum most guidance points to, but a mountain town is not the fastest place to get resupplied. US 25/70 has been the only way in or out during past closures, and when it’s blocked, it can stay that way longer than a typical three-day estimate assumes. Two weeks of water per person is a more realistic target for Hot Springs households if storage space allows. Start at three days and build from there.
If you’re on a well, plan around the pump
Town water and well water fail differently. A boil water notice affects town water customers and usually still leaves water coming out of the tap, just water that needs treating first. A well is different: most well pumps run on electricity, so a power outage means no water at all until the power’s back, even if nothing else about your well is a problem. If your household is on a well, that’s one more reason to keep stored water on hand regardless of what’s happening with the town system.
Store it so it’s still good when you need it
Use food-grade containers, keep them out of direct sunlight, and store them away from gasoline, cleaning products, or anything with a strong smell that plastic can absorb over time. The CDC’s guide on creating and storing an emergency water supply covers container types and shelf life in more detail: How to Create an Emergency Water Supply, CDC. The CDC says to replace water you filled yourself every six months. For store-bought bottled water, go by the date printed on the container. Put the six-month check on your calendar next to another twice-yearly chore so it actually happens.
If your water runs low or you’re not sure it’s safe
Boiling is the most reliable way to make questionable water safe to drink: a rolling boil for one full minute. The CDC calls for three minutes above 6,500 feet, which is well above anything around here, so one minute is enough in Hot Springs. Boiling kills germs but will not remove chemicals or fuel, so don’t boil water you think has something spilled in it. If you can’t boil, the CDC’s fallback is unscented household bleach: for one gallon of clear water, a little less than an eighth of a teaspoon of 5 to 9 percent bleach, or half a teaspoon if the bottle says 1 percent. Stir, let it stand 30 minutes, and if it doesn’t smell faintly of chlorine, repeat once. Write the ratio on a card and tape it inside a cabinet door, because you will not want to be looking it up in the dark. One source people forget: your water heater holds 40 to 50 gallons of drinkable water. Cut the power or gas to it first, then draw from the valve at the bottom. The CDC’s full guide covers filters and other options: How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency, CDC. Worth reading once, before you need it, rather than during.
Don’t forget the animals
Pets and livestock need water too, and it’s easy to plan for people and forget the rest of the household. A rough veterinary rule is about an ounce of water per pound of body weight per day, so a 40-pound dog needs a little under half a gallon. Round up, since your dog will also need water for the mess that comes with being cooped up. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends at least seven days of water for pets in an evacuation kit, and our post on kits for pets and livestock covers the quantities for larger animals.
Build it a jug at a time
Food is next in this series, including how to build a two-week supply that gets eaten instead of forgotten in the back of a cabinet. Water is easier: buy a few extra gallons on your next grocery trip, date them as you go, and keep going until you hit two weeks per person.
Resources mentioned in this post
- Ready.gov, Water: https://www.ready.gov/water
- CDC, How to Create an Emergency Water Supply: https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/how-to-create-and-store-an-emergency-water-supply.html
- CDC, How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency: https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/index.html