Food Storage Essentials: Tips, guidelines for safely storing water

There is hardly a preparedness topic that generates more conflicting information than water storage. National authorities are a good place to start when looking for reliable information. The pamphlet "Food and Water in an Emergency" has been put out by FEMA and the American Red Cross.

In an emergency, water is important for drinking and for hygiene purposes. Authorities recommend storing a two-week supply of water or 14 gallons per person. This provides seven gallons of water for drinking and seven gallons for hygiene. People in hot climates, children, nursing mothers and elderly people will require additional water. Drinking enough water is critical. Even if supplies are running low, water should not be rationed.

Storing bottled water

FEMA and the American Red Cross say that the safest and most reliable source of drinking water is bottled water, stored in its original container. It is important to keep track of the "Use by" date.

Commercial water service companies, like Culligan, sell large bottles of water, which they deliver to businesses and homes. They recommend a shelf life of about 3 years and will carry old bottles away and deliver new ones.

If you want to store your own water ... 

Municipal tap water is the least expensive water to store.

Store water in new food-grade plastic containers from an emergency supply or camping store. It’s hard to remove sugars and residual flavors from containers previously used for drink syrups. These could be used for storing hygiene water, however.

According to FEMA and the American Red Cross, two-liter plastic soft-drink bottles are the best containers to re-use for storing water. Clean bottles with warm soapy water and rinse well. Then sanitize the inside of each bottle with a mixture of 1 quart water and 1 teaspoon of unscented liquid household chlorine bleach, and rinse with clean water again.

Fill containers completely full of water and screw lids on tightly. Contrary to information that has been given out for years from some sources, if your tap water is treated with chlorine by your water utility company, you do not need to treat your stored water with bleach. FEMA has said, "Additional treatment of treated public water will not increase storage life." If using well water, add two drops unscented liquid household chlorine bleach per gallon water. Water stored in your own containers should be replaced every six months.