Water is the most boring and the most critical category of emergency preparedness. Adults can survive 3 weeks without food. They cannot survive 3 days without water in most conditions, and a moderate dehydration deficit will cripple decision-making well before that. Despite this, most homes have zero stored water. The grocery shelves clear within 4 hours of any major weather warning. This guide covers how to build a 14 day water supply for a household, what containers work, and how to rotate stock so the water is safe when you need it.
How much water you actually need
FEMA, Red Cross, and CDC all recommend 1 gallon per person per day. Half is drinking water; half is cooking, hygiene, dish washing, and pets. The full breakdown for an average adult:
- Drinking: 0.5 gallons (more in hot climates or with exertion)
- Cooking: 0.25 gallons
- Hygiene (handwashing, tooth brushing, sponge bathing): 0.25 gallons
- Pets: 1 ounce per pound of pet weight per day
For a family of 4 plus one medium dog: 4 gallons + 0.25 gallons = roughly 4.5 gallons per day. Over 14 days that is 63 gallons. Round up to 70.
Hot climates push the per-person need up. A Phoenix summer power outage will demand 1.5 gallons per person per day for drinking and cooling. A Minnesota winter outage may need only 0.75 gallons per person per day.
Container options
Containers matter as much as the water itself. Use only food-grade containers (HDPE marked recycling code 2, polypropylene code 5, or food-grade PET code 1).
5 gallon water jugs (Aquatainer, Reliance): $15 to $25 each. Stackable, with spigot. Easy to fill at home, easy to move (40 pounds full). Best option for most households. 14 day supply for a family of 4 is roughly 14 jugs, which takes about 2 ft x 6 ft of floor space stacked.
WaterBrick (27.5 gallons): $120 each. Modular, interlocking, sturdy. Premium pricing for a premium product. Best when storage space is irregular.
55 gallon plastic barrels (Augason Farms, Sure Water): $80 to $120 each. Need a pump ($25), bung wrench ($10), and a level placement surface. Single-source water with 55 gallons in one place; if it breaks or contaminates, all of it is lost. Best for homeowners with a basement or garage.
Sawed 5 gallon buckets: Avoid. Most 5 gallon utility buckets are not food-grade. Even food-grade ones (Home Depot Homer buckets are not) have lids that do not seal water-tight against tipping.
Soda bottles (PET): Free if you save them. Clean, fill, cap, store. 2 liter bottles hold roughly half a gallon each, so a 14 day supply for one person is 28 bottles. Use only soda bottles, never milk jugs.
Bottled water cases (Costco, grocery): $4 to $6 per 24-pack of 16.9 oz bottles, which is 3 gallons per case. Per-gallon cost of $1.50 to $2 is the cheapest. Downside: plastic disposal volume, taste degradation after 12 to 18 months, and storage volume that exceeds barrel storage by 2x for the same gallons. Best for short-term backup.
Treating water for storage
Municipal tap water from a chlorinated supply system can be stored without additional treatment for 6 months. For longer storage or from a well:
- Wash the container with hot soapy water, rinse thoroughly, sanitize with a solution of 1 teaspoon unscented 6 percent bleach in 1 quart water. Let sit for 30 seconds, drain, air dry.
- Fill with cold tap water.
- Optionally add bleach for long-term storage: 8 drops (1/8 teaspoon) of plain unscented 6 percent bleach per gallon of clear water. Stir.
- Cap tightly and label with the fill date.
Bleach concentration matters. Most household bleach is 5 to 8 percent sodium hypochlorite. Concentrated “ultra” bleach (8.25 percent) needs slightly less. Color-safe or scented bleach is never appropriate for water treatment.
Storage location
Stored water needs:
- Cool temperature: 50 to 70 F is ideal. Avoid garages that exceed 90 F regularly.
- Dark: UV light promotes algae growth in containers. Store in a closet, basement, or under stairs.
- Off concrete: Place containers on plywood or pallets. Concrete leaches chemicals into plastic over years.
- Away from chemicals: Do not store water near gasoline, paint thinner, pesticides, or cleaning supplies. Plastic is somewhat permeable to fumes.
- Earthquake-stable: Stack no more than 2 high. Strap larger containers to wall studs in seismic zones.
Rotation schedule
Set a calendar reminder for every 6 months (spring and fall daylight savings shifts work well). Rotate by:
- Inspect each container for damage, leaks, off odor, cloudiness, or visible algae.
- Pour water onto landscape or use for non-potable purposes (toilet flushing, plant watering).
- Wash container with hot soapy water.
- Refill with fresh tap water and re-treat if applicable.
- Re-label with the new fill date.
Containers that show cracks, leaks, or persistent residue go to recycling, not back into storage.
Filtration as backup
Stored water is your primary supply. Filtration is your backup if storage runs out or fails:
- Berkey or Alexapure countertop filter: $300 to $400. Gravity-fed, filters 6000 gallons before element replacement. Removes bacteria, parasites, most chemicals. Best for shelter-in-place.
- Sawyer Mini or LifeStraw: $25 to $40. Portable, filters 100,000 gallons (Sawyer) or 1000 gallons (LifeStraw). For mobile use.
- Boil: Effective against bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Rolling boil for 1 minute (3 minutes above 6500 ft elevation). Does not remove chemicals or heavy metals.
A combined approach (boil + filter) handles natural water sources. Pool water, gutter water, and toilet tank water (not bowl) all become drinkable with filtration plus boiling.
What not to count as drinking water
- Pool water: Heavy chlorine plus algaecide. Filter, then use for flushing and hygiene only.
- Water heater tank: Contains 40 to 80 gallons of potable water. Drain via the bottom valve into clean containers. This is a real emergency source most people forget.
- Toilet tank (not bowl): Clean, undyed water that is potable after filtration.
- Ice maker reservoir, refrigerator water lines: Small but viable.
14 day cost breakdown for a family of 4
- 16 stackable 5 gallon jugs: $320
- Or 3 WaterBricks (82 gallons): $360
- Or 2 barrels plus pump and treatment: $230
- Or 25 cases of bottled water: $125 plus the disposal volume
The cheapest reliable option is barrels in a basement or garage. The most flexible is stackable 5 gallon jugs. The simplest is bottled water cases, accepting the higher rotation frequency.
See the methodology page for our emergency preparedness evaluation framework. Our bug out bag essentials and blackout kit articles round out the household preparedness picture.
Frequently asked questions
How much water should I store for emergencies?+
FEMA recommends 1 gallon per person per day for 14 days. For a family of four that is 56 gallons. The gallon includes drinking (half gallon), cooking, hygiene, and pet water. Hot climates or strenuous activity push the need to 1.5 to 2 gallons per person per day. Most preppers underestimate hygiene and cooking water and discover they have only 3 to 4 days of true useful supply when they planned for 14.
How long can water be stored before it goes bad?+
Water itself does not expire. Properly stored municipal tap water in food-grade containers lasts indefinitely. The risks are container contamination, light exposure causing algae, and absorption of plastic compounds from cheap containers. Best practice is to rotate stored water every 6 to 12 months when stored in proper containers. Commercial bottled water has a 1 to 2 year expiration that reflects plastic taste degradation, not water safety.
Can I store water in old milk jugs or 2 liter soda bottles?+
Soda bottles work; milk jugs do not. PET soda bottles (the clear ones with recycling code 1) are food-grade, durable, and designed to resist contamination. Wash, fill with cold tap water, cap tightly, and store. Milk jugs are made of HDPE not designed for long-term storage. Residual milk proteins are nearly impossible to remove completely and cause bacterial growth. Milk jugs also degrade and crack within 6 to 12 months. Use soda bottles, never milk jugs.
Should I treat tap water before storing it?+
Municipal chlorinated tap water from a treated public system does not need additional treatment for storage up to 6 months. For longer storage or for well water, add 8 drops of plain 6 percent unscented bleach per gallon of clear water, or 16 drops per gallon if water is cloudy. Stir, cap, and store. The chlorine evaporates over months but the initial treatment sterilizes the container and water. Never use scented or color-safe bleach.
What is the cheapest reliable way to store 50 gallons of water?+
Two 27.5 gallon WaterBricks ($120 each, $240 total) or a single 55 gallon barrel ($90 plus $30 pump and bung wrench) plus cleaning treatment. Per-gallon cost is $2 to $5. The 5 gallon water jugs from grocery stores ($15 each refilled, plus deposit) work out to $3 per gallon and are easier to move. Avoid the $200 commercial 'family preparedness kits' that package the same water in branded boxes with markup.
Riley Cooper
Riley Cooper writes for The Tested Hub.