Emergency Prep: Making Your Water Storage Safe

For safe water storage, more information is always better:

chlorinedosageemergencydisinfection.pdf | Vermont State Government

Creating and Storing an Emergency Water Supply | Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene-related Emergencies & and Outbreaks | Healthy Water | CDC

Food and Water | FEMA

Home Water Storage for an Emergency | Utah Department of Environmental Quality

National Infrastructure Protection Plan Water Sector | DHS

Premise Plumbing Decontamination and Exposure Pathway Assessments | US EPA

Preparing a Home Water Supply | Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene-related Emergencies & and Outbreaks | Healthy Water | CDC

Water | Be Ready Utah

Water for storage needs to start out clean. Bad water will not improve in storage. Municipalities do an excellent job of getting good, clean, safe water to your home. But things can happen to that clean, safe water once it arrives in your home. Your pipes, your fittings, and your appliances may alter its quality and safety. Retego can find what’s happening and fix it.

‍The Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Drinking Water recommends water storage of a minimum of 1 gallon per person per day for 2 weeks. That includes ½ gallon for drinking and cooking, and another ½ gallon for cleaning and hygiene. This recommendation is for healthy, average adults. Those who are more active, elderly, or very young may need more than 1 gallon, so plan accordingly.

Storage containers need to be food safe. Never use a container that has stored any chemicals previously. When looking for a container to store water in, look for one with the HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) logo with a number 2 inside the logo. Thoroughly clean your container with soap and hot water before using for water storage.
– Make sure anything used to store water is NSF approved and is made of durable, unbreakable materials (not glass).
– Use a container with a top that can close tightly.
– Make sure the container has a narrow neck or opening so water can be poured out.
– Adding NSF approved bleach will help disinfect your water and keep it safe during storage. Add one tsp. of bleach to every five gallons of water.
– When you store the water, make sure to store it away from any chemicals like fertilizer and cleaning supplies. Odors and contaminants may permeate the container.
– If you are using plastic containers, ensure the water is all the way filled to the top eliminating trapped air in the container.
– Once the container is opened, be sure to use all the water. Do not re-store the water.
– Rotate the water storage every year. Be sure to label and date all stored water.
– Consider the weight and size of the container and how you will be using the water. Plan for a good place to store the water where it won’t need to be moved. 55 gallons of water can weigh up to 500lbs.
– If you are storing bottled water, be sure to check the shelf date on the bottle. The water will need to be rotated every year.

Emergency sources of water in your home (treatment may still be required)
– Water heaters
– Water softeners
– Toilet tanks (NOT bowls) as long as it is clean (unlike the photo to the left) and not treated with toilet cleaner
– Melted ice cubes
– Liquid from canned fruits and vegetables.
– Water from pools and spas may be used for hygiene – not drinking or cooking

Outdoor sources of clean water (treatment may still be required)
– Ponds
– Rivers
– Rain water
– Wells

For your water to be safe in storage, it has to be safe to start. Use our contact form below to schedule an appointment and make your home better than bottled.