Tools & Trackers / Water Storage Planner
Water Storage Planner
The guideline is one gallon per person per day for drinking and basic hygiene. If your taps stop working, you'll need more for flushing toilets. Here's how much to store, and how to get there.
Your household
To flush without running water, pour a bucket of water straight into the bowl. Newer toilets use about 1.6 gallons, older ones up to 3.5.
What you have stored
0
days of water
Keep it ready to use
- Fill drums now, and put the pump or spigot on and test it while things are calm. In a disaster you don't want to learn a new tool, and a broken spigot makes the water hard to get out.
- Store water somewhere cool and dark, off bare concrete.
- Rotate tap water you've stored yourself every 6 months. Set a reminder →
- Have a way to treat more water once storage runs low. Our filter pick →
Based on the Ready.gov guideline of one gallon per person per day. Pets are estimated at about a third of a gallon a day; large dogs need more. A 24-pack of 16.9-oz bottles holds about 3.2 gallons. Your inputs stay in this browser.