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1. How much water do you need?
People
Days to cover
Pets (dogs or cats)
We plan about 4 L (1 gallon) per person per day for drinking, cooking and basic hygiene, plus about 2 L a day per medium dog or cat (rule of thumb, ask your vet).
Government of Canada guidance is at least 2 litres per person per day for drinkingReady.gov (FEMA) suggests about 1 gallon (about 4 litres) per person per day, plus more for cooking and basic hygiene. Count everyone in the home, including pets. For 3 days that is 6 litres per person at the bare minimum. For 2 weeks, plan on storing more and having a filter as your back up.
Store water in clean, food safe containers, away from sunlight and heat.
Fill the bathtub or large pots early if a storm is coming, and use that water for flushing and washing.
Freeze a few containers. They keep a fridge or cooler cold and become drinking water later.
Filters and purifiers
Filter, purifier and "treated" are not the same. Read the maker's specifications for which contaminants it removes (bacteria, protozoa, viruses, chemicals). If you are unsure about your source, boil water or use a product that states it removes viruses. Also check how many litres a filter handles before the element must be replaced.
B
BerkeyCountertop gravity filter systems
Gravity fed countertop filters, popular with preparedness households. Check current availability and the shipping country.