• Store one gallon of water per person, per day. This amount will be adequate for general drinking purposes. Three gallons per person per day will give you enough to cook and for limited personal hygiene. Remember to plan for your pets.
• Infants in diapers usually need two gallons of water per day for formula and cleanliness
• A normal family of four will need approximately 30 gallons for one week. (two adults and two school age children) If you store tap water:
• Store it before a disaster. This includes well water and municipal water systems.
• Store water in food grade plastic containers, such as clean 2-liter soft drink bottles. (1 gallon = approx. 4 liters.) Heavy duty, reusable plastic water containers are also available at sporting goods stores. They should be stamped with #1 PET or PETE on the bottom.
• Empty milk bottles are not recommended because their lids do not seal well and bottles may develop leaks.
• Never ration water: drink what you need today and seek more tomorrow.
• Date the bottle upon filling. Replace water every six months. If you buy commercially bottled “spring” or “drinking” water:
• Keep water in its original container, and don’t re-store a bottle once it’s been opened.
• Label bottles with their replacement date, and store in a cool, dark place.
• Replace water each year if the bottles are not marked with the manufacturer’s expiration date.

Treating water after a disaster

If you run out of stored drinking water, strain and treat water from your water heater or the toilet reservoir tank (except if you use toilet tank cleaners). You cannot drink swimming pool or spa water, but you can use it for flushing toilets or washing. Municipal water or well water may become contaminated after a large earthquake or massive flood. Treatment Process for contaminated water: Water from wells or municipal water systems may be contaminated after such disasters as earthquakes or floods, so you will want to treat for contamination with one of the following methods. Clear water may be purified by:

• Boil – bring to a rolling boil and maintain for 3-5 minutes. After the water cools, pour it back and forth between two clean containers to add oxygen back; this will improve its taste.
• Disinfect – If the water is clear, add 8 drops (1/8 teaspoon) of bleach per gallon of water. If it is cloudy, add 16 drops (1/4 teaspoon) per gallon. Make sure you are using regular bleach— 5.25% percent sodium hypochlorite— rather than the “ultra” or “color safe” bleaches. Shake or stir, then let stand 30 minutes. A slight chlorine taste and smell is normal. If water is cloudy strain any large particles of dirt by pouring the water through a couple of layers of paper towels or clean cloth. Double the amount of bleach for cloudy water.