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Storing and Treating Emergency Home Water Supplies E. Porter and M. A. Swanson
Y
ou and your
provided they are completely clean.
Food-grade
containers
include
store-bought plastic or glass con-
tainers that have previously held
food or beverages, such as 2-liter
soda bottles and water, juice, punch,
or milk jugs. You can buy new plas-
tic containers for water storage at
sporting goods stores.
Clean used containers with hot,
soapy water. Next rinse well with
plain water. Then sanitize by rinsing
with a solution of 1/2 teaspoon of
chlorine bleach per pint of water. Fi-
nally, rinse with clean water. Re-
member also to thoroughly clean the
lid of the container. If you plan to
store water in used plastic milk jugs,
take special care to remove any milk
residue, particularly at the handle.
Never use empty bleach contain-
ers to store water. Bleach containers
are not food-grade. In addition, a
child may not understand that some
bleach bottles contain safe drinking
water while others are hazardous.
Do not take a chance. The results
could be tragic.
Clearly mark all containers
drinking water with the current
date.
family can survive for several days
without food but only a short time
without water. Emergencies such as
floods or earthquakes may cut off
supplies of safe water. Storing water
now can help you and your family
prepare for an emergency.
How much water
should I store?
In moderate weather a normally
active person needs at least 1/2 gal-
lon of water per day for drinking and
cooking. To be safe store at least 6
gallons of water per person per
week. You will need additional wa-
ter for washing, brushing teeth, and
dish washing. Some of the need for
liquids can be met by using juices
from canned fruits and vegetables.
Store at least 1 weeks emergency
water supply for each member of
your family, now!
What containers
should I use?
Food-grade plastic or glass con-
tainers are suitable for storing water,
Where should I
store the water?
Store the tightly capped contain-
ers in a cool, dry place away from
direct sunlight. Because most plastic
milk and beverage containers de-
grade over time, be particularly
careful to store them away from heat
and light to prevent leakage. Store
containers in cabinets or on shelves
that will stay upright and hold the
containers securely during an earth-
quake. To improve the taste of wa-
ter stored for a long time, pour it
from one clean container to another
clean container, several times.
You can also store water for an
extended period of time in the
freezer. Although most families do
not have enough freezer space to
store all the water they would need
in an emergency, storing some wa-
ter in the freezer is a good idea. If
you lose electricity, the frozen water
will help keep foods in your freezer
frozen until power is restored. Make
sure you leave 2 to 3 inches of head
space in containers before freezing.
This will prevent water from spilling
and the container from breaking.
Cooperative Extension System
y
Agricultural Experiment Station
CIS 1004
Storing and Treating
Emergency Home Water Supplies
Quality
Water
for
Idaho you can frequently find some
sources. Emergency sources of wa-
ter include ice cubes, frozen con-
tainers of water, your hot water tank,
and your toilet tank (not the bowl).
Do not drink from the toilet tank if a
chemical disinfectant or purifier has
been added to the water. Be sure you
know where to shut off water com-
ing into your home to avoid con-
tamination.
To obtain a free flow of water
from the hot water tank, you may
need to open the valve at the top of
the tank as well as the faucet at the
bottom of the tank. You can increase
the flow of water by turning on any
hot water faucet before draining wa-
ter from the hot water tank. Be sure
to turn off gas or electricity to the
tank before draining water for emer-
gency use.
Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914,
in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, LeRoy D. Luft, Director of Cooperative Extension System,
University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844. The University of Idaho provides equal opportunity in education and employment on the basis of
race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran, as required by state and federal laws.
8,000 10-93
Printed with special USDA funds
stirring or shaking them together in
a container. Allow the water to stand
for at least 30 minutes before using
it.
Purification tablets
. Available at
any drug store. Follow directions on
package.
Bleach
. Liquid household bleach
can also be used. It must contain hy-
pochlorite, preferably 5.25 percent.
Do not use scented bleaches; they
are not safe for purification. Add the
bleach according to table 1, then stir
to completely mix.
Table 1. Amounts of bleach to add
to treat different amounts of
clear and cloudy water.
Amount of bleach
Amount of
Clear
Cloudy
water
water
water
2 liters
4 drops
1/8 teaspoon
1 gallon
1/8 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon
5 gallons
1/2 teaspoon
1 teaspoon
Let the water stand for 30 min-
utes. The water should have a slight
chlorine odor. If it does not, add the
same amount of bleach again and let
the water stand for an additional 15
minutes.
Caution: If your stored water has
come in contact with flood water,
you must purify it and the container
again before using it for drinking,
cooking, brushing teeth, or dish
washing.
Emergency
sources of water
In the case of an extreme emer-
gency when water is unavailable
When and how do I
treat the water?
It is not necessary to treat water
for storage if it comes from a public
water supply. All public water sup-
plies are already treated and should
be free of harmful germs. If stored
properly, this water should have an
indefinite shelf life. For the best-
tasting stored water, you may want
to replace stored water with fresh
every 6 to 12 months.
Water from untested and un-
treated water supplies such as a farm
pond or private well should be puri-
fied or treated before storage using
one of the methods listed below. If
youre storing farm pond or private
well water for making formula for a
baby, use the tablet or bleach purifi-
cation method. After an emergency
has occurred, you also may need to
treat your water. Choose from
among the following treatment
methods:
Boiling
. Bring water to a rolling
boil for 1 minute (3 to 5 minutes if
you live in a high-altitude area).
Iodine.
Household iodine from
the medicine chest or first aid kit
will purify water. The iodine should
be 2 percent United States Pharma-
copoeia (U.S.P.) strength. Add 20
drops per gallon of clear water and
40 drops per gallon of cloudy water.
Mix water and iodine thoroughly by
The authors
Ernestine
Porter, Extension textiles and
consumer environment spe-
cialist; Marilyn Swanson, Ex-
tension food safety specialist;
School of Family and Con-
sumer Sciences.
Acknowledgment
This
publication was adapted in part
from Safe Drinking Water in
an Emergency, a University of
Missouri-Columbia publica-
tion by David E. Baker, Exten-
sion
safety
and
health
specialist.
Quality
Water
for
Idaho