We can’t live without water! Whether we drink, brush our teeth, shower, cook, clean, or provide water to growing things, we can’t live without it. An average person cannot live for more than three days without water. 

Water is critical to your survival needs.

Unfortunately, most people do not prioritize water in their emergency preparations. They focus on shelter, food, security, and safety before they even consider water. Yes, shelter and food are important. However, without water, those things will not matter. 

So…what is your plan for your water needs? 

This will vary from household to household. The experts recommend at least one gallon per day per person. One gallon of water multiplied by the number of people you plan to care for times the number of days you plan to be without water. One gallon of water is the minimum you should have, but I think you should have more. 

Why?

Bathing requires at least 3-5 gallons of water per person. I know that in a crisis, bathing might be the last thing on your mind. However, if there is a risk of unsafe or unsanitary conditions, bathing is a must. You can invest in one of these solar showers or whole-body disposable washcloths. Keeping clean will be a top priority to ward off sickness.

Washing clothes in a couple of five-gallon buckets and a washer plunger will require at least 10-20 gallons of water for the bare minimum load. You might have enough clean clothes to last two weeks. That is all well and good until someone gets sick. 

It takes 3-6 gallons of water to wash dishes properly. While it is recommended to have paper plates and plastic utensils on hand, some dishes will always be dirty. Then, you need to add the water you may need for cooking. 

To be safe, you will need at least 3-5 gallons per person per day! How do you plan to store that much water? You can:

• Store 55-gallon drums of water in a cool, dark place. 
• Have a rain catchment system with at least 150 gallons of storage.
• Store one-gallon jugs of water and cases of bottled water for cooking and drinking. You can also purchase five-gallon jugs to store water.
• Install a hand pump for your well water.
• Drain the water heater.
• Fill five-gallon buckets and containers for water needs like flushing toilets and washing clothes.
  

I also recommend having a good filtration system in case you need to use unpurified water.  A LifeStraw or Sawyer filter works well for one person to drink water safely, while a Berkey filter system or other filter systems work well for a family. When you are going through an emergency situation, the last thing you need is a sick person or people due to unsafe drinking water. 

You should also keep water purification tablets on hand. If you are unsure about the quality of your water, these will help purify it. Generally, one tablet will purify up to four gallons in thirty minutes. Just a warning: some tablets will give the water an unpleasant taste or color.

I would also be aware of the water sources surrounding your land. Is there a creek or river nearby? Is there an abandoned farm place with a working hand pump and well? Is there a lake that you can pump water from? I keep topographical maps of my area in a file for this information. Having this information on hand may save your life. 

I asked my fellow bloggers for their water articles to get more ideas and motivation for storing water for emergencies. Here is some really great information!

Whatever the emergency or crisis is, you cannot live without water. You need to have some on hand, a way to get more, a way to filter drinking water, and the ability to do as much as possible to conserve water. Make storing water a top priority when prepping!

Thanks for reading,
Erica

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