Water, Food and Supplies Guide: What to Store and How to Make Water Safe

Maybe it started with a headline about war, a storm warning, or a bare shelf at the store. Whatever set it off, you want a plan you can follow, not a list that makes you panic.

Here is the answer in one line: start with water. Ready.gov, the federal preparedness site, advises storing at least one gallon of water per person per day for several days and knowing how to make more water safe.

This guide takes you through that plan step by step, from how much water to keep, to food, outages, people and pets, and the product guides you may come across.

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Step 1: Figure out how much water you need

You are starting with the biggest question: how much water to keep on hand. Ready.gov says to store at least one gallon of water per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation.

A normally active person needs about three quarters of a gallon of fluid daily from water and other drinks. Children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more, and a medical emergency can add to that need. Ready.gov also says never ration drinking water unless authorities order it.

On the question of a war: the water guidance on Ready.gov is written for emergencies in general, not for one war. The same steps apply whatever caused the disruption: store water, know how to make more safe, and keep it rotated.

For the wider picture, see the food and water storage guide, and use the household water worksheet to write your numbers down.

Once you know the number, the next question is whether your tap can be trusted, and how to make water safe if it cannot.

Step 2: Learn how to make water safe

Your stored water runs out, or your tap water looks or smells wrong. This is the step that keeps you from getting sick.

Ready.gov says to treat all water of uncertain quality before you drink it, cook with it, wash dishes, brush your teeth or make ice. It warns that contaminated water can carry germs that cause dysentery, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis.

Boiling is the safest method according to Ready.gov. Bring water to a rolling boil for one full minute, allowing for some evaporation, then let it cool. If the water is cloudy, let particles settle or strain it through coffee filters or clean cloth first.

If you cannot boil, Ready.gov describes chlorination with household liquid bleach. Add 1/8 teaspoon per gallon, stir and let it stand 30 minutes. The water should smell slightly of bleach; if it does not, repeat the dose and wait 15 more minutes. If it still does not smell of chlorine, discard it and find another source.

Distillation removes more. Fill a pot halfway, tie a cup to the lid handle so it hangs upright without touching the water, and boil for 20 minutes. The water that drips into the cup is distilled.

Your tap water is a separate question. MedlinePlus, from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, says the water supplier must give you annual reports that list where your water came from and what contaminants are in it. A 2016 review in Current Environmental Health Reports notes that young children, pregnant women and fetuses may be especially susceptible to perchlorate in water.

Compare the methods in the water purification comparison, and keep the boil water advisory checklist for when your utility issues a notice.

With safe water in hand, the next job is keeping it safe while it sits on your shelf.

Step 3: Store water so it stays safe

Water you store is only useful if it is still safe when you need it. Ready.gov gives clear rules for how to keep it that way.

• Buy commercially bottled water and keep it in the sealed original container, in a cool, dark place.
• If you fill your own containers, use food-grade containers only.
• Clean them with dishwashing soap, then sanitize with one teaspoon of unscented liquid household chlorine bleach per quart of water.
• Replace water that was not commercially bottled every six months.
• Label every container you fill with the date, so you can see what to rotate first.

For the storage details, read how to store water for emergencies. If you live in an apartment, the urban apartment storage guide covers small spaces.

Food is the last big piece, and it is easier once water is handled.

Step 4: Build a food supply you will actually rotate

Most people asking about food want a list. Start with a list that matches what your household eats, then keep it moving.

Ready.gov, on its water page, links to a recommended emergency supplies list in PDF form. Use that as your printable base, then swap in foods your family will eat. Ready.gov is the federal site, so it is a sound starting point.

You will see many “top 10”, “C’s of survival” and “20 items” lists. Treat them as checklists, not rules. The 3-3-3 rule is a memory aid for setting priorities, not a timer to test.

For a checklist sized to a few days, see the 72-hour food, water and supply list. The 3-3-3 rule guide explains how to use that memory aid safely.

Food and water both need to be ready for the power to go out, so the next step covers the outage itself.

Step 5: Plan for the toilet, the fridge and the outage

When the power goes out, the questions shift to flushing, sanitation and the food in your fridge.

The flush guide walks through the checks to run first.

Ready.gov says to treat water of uncertain quality before you use it for washing dishes, brushing teeth or making ice. Plan hand washing and toilet routines that do not depend on running water, so you are not improvising.

For the fridge, the power outage food safety guide explains when refrigerated food must be discarded. For a full household routine, read the emergency sanitation during a water outage guide.

Outages hit people differently, so the next step covers the household members who need more.

Step 6: Plan for people and pets with extra needs

Your household may include small children, a nursing parent, a sick family member, or pets. Each one changes the plan.

Ready.gov says children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more water, and a medical emergency may require additional water. If someone in your home has a health condition that affects fluid needs, ask their clinician how much water they should keep on hand.

Pets need water on your list too. Give them their own line in the plan, not whatever is left after people are covered.

Use the pet emergency plan for identification, carriers and medicines. If you feed an infant formula, the infant feeding guide covers water records and official help.

Once the household plan is set, you can look at products. Do that with a checklist, not a hurry.

Step 7: Read product guides with a buyer checklist

You may have seen an ad for a water generator, a filter or a survival kit. Our product guides lay out what each seller says the product does, its price and its refund terms. The seller’s claims stay the seller’s claims, and the guide shows you what to check.

• Confirm the exact product name and version.
• Read what the seller says it does, in the seller’s own words.
• Add up the total price, including shipping and any recurring charges.
• Find the refund terms and who pays return shipping.
• Check whether the product replaces your stored water or treatment, or only adds to it.
• Look at any study the seller cites, and check whether it tested this product or a different one.

Nothing in a product sale replaces the basics in Steps 1 to 3. A product is an extra, not the plan.

Two product guides cover water generators in detail: the Smart Water Box guide and the Water Freedom System guide. Read both against the checklist above.

Last, keep the plan working over time.

Step 8: Keep your plan current

A water plan goes stale unless you keep it current. Most of the work is small and repeats on a schedule.

Ready.gov says self-filled water should be replaced every six months. Keep copies of your key papers in a safe place. Keep receipts for what you buy and what you lose, since those records help after an emergency.

Track expenses with the expense records guide, and check roads before you leave with the evacuation route guide.

Your next step

1. Write down how many people and pets you need to cover, and how many days.
2. Check your utility’s annual water report and note any notices.
3. Buy sealed bottled water or food-grade containers, and label every fill date.
4. Learn the boil and bleach steps, and keep the bleach strength on hand.
5. Print the Ready.gov supplies list and build your food checklist from it.
6. Set a calendar reminder for the six-month water rotation.

Every guide on this topic

Water: how much to keep and how to store it

• 30-Day Water Storage Plan: scaling your daily number to a month.
• Household Water Worksheet: writing your storage and rotation numbers.
• Store Water for Emergencies: how much, containers and shelf life.
• How to Store Water for Emergencies: containers and shelf life in brief.
• Water Storage Labels: a rotation and inspection log.
• Water Storage in Urban Apartments: containers, space and rotation.
• Freezing Water Containers: leaving room for expansion.
• Rainwater Harvesting: collection, filtration and legal points.

Making water safe

• How to Purify Water in an Emergency: fast, safe methods.
• Water Purification Methods Compared: filtration, chemicals and boiling.
• Emergency Water Treatment Methods: boiling, disinfecting and filtering.
• Portable Filters vs Purification Tablets: weight, speed and coverage.
• Boil Water Advisory Checklist: drinking, cooking, teeth and pets.
• How to Test a Water Filter: check it before you need it.

Food: stocking, rotating and preserving

• Food and Water Storage: 30-Day Supply: building the full supply.
• 72-Hour Food, Water and Supply List: a short-term checklist.
• 3-3-3 Rule for Survival: using the memory aid for priorities.
• Emergency Food Storage: Shelf Life: rotation schedules and planning.
• Long-Term Food Storage Basics: freeze-dried, dehydrated and canned.
• Home Food Preservation: canning, dehydrating and safe storage.
• 14-Day Shelf-Stable Meal Plan: no specialty food needed.
• How to Rotate Stored Food: keeping food moving.
• Pantry Rotation Labels: three dates on every item.
• Food Storage for Allergies and Special Diets: planning for restrictions.
• Container Gardening for Emergency Food: quick crops and yield.

Foraging

• Foraging Safety: identifying plants and avoiding lookalikes.
• Foraging Field Kit and Identification Log: tools and method before you eat.

Outages, sanitation and getting around

• Can You Flush During a Power Outage?: the checks to run first.
• Power Outage Food Safety: when refrigerated food must be discarded.
• Fridge and Freezer Record Sheet: logging food decisions during an outage.
• Emergency Sanitation During a Water Outage: household routines.
• Radios That Work When Cell Towers Go Down: getting information without cell service.
• Household Emergency Contacts Card: a printed card for when cell service fails.
• Backup Lighting at Home: a room-by-room walkthrough.
• When a Family Member Cannot Use Stairs: planning around mobility.
• Staying Put or Leaving: a decision worksheet for local alerts.
• Evacuation Route Maps: checking road closures before you leave.
• 10 First Aid Kit Items: what to pack.

Pets and infants

• Emergency Water Storage for Pets: how to add animal needs to your plan.
• Pet Evacuation Information Sheet: a one-page care and contact sheet.
• Pet Emergency Plan: identification, carriers and medicines.
• Emergency Infant Feeding: formula, water records and official help.

Documents and records

• Emergency Kit Documents: which copies need updating.
• Emergency Documents: Copies and Encryption: access and updates.
• Expense Records After an Emergency: which to keep.

Product guides: check before you buy

• Smart Water Box: price, claims and refund terms.
• Water Freedom System: price, claims and refund terms.
• Survival Sip Water Filter: product overview and buyer checks.
• Josephs Well: product overview and buyer checks.
• ClairLite UV-C Sanitizer: product overview and buyer checks.
• PodBloom Produce Cleaner: product overview and buyer checks.
• Ice Box Review: product overview and buyer checks.
• Ice Box Alternatives: other options to compare.
• Ice Box Complaints: shipping, refunds and billing.
• GoGo Heater: Scam or Legit?: seller, price and safety checks.

Power outage background

• Power Outage Preparedness: 72-Hour List: short-term supplies.
• Power Outage Safety: Label, Price and Buyer Checks: food, water and medicine.
• Power Outage Safety vs Common Alternatives: what changes.
• Power Outage Food, Medicine and Generator Safety: safety basics.
• Off-Grid Living Beginner’s Guide: power, water and self-sufficiency.
• Wildfire Smoke Readiness: household planning.

By ThePreppersBlueprint.com Editorial Team