FEMA and other sources say you need 1 gallon of water per day per person. This is not just for drinking but hygiene and cleaning (toilet, washing clothing and dishes) too. It is an average and not written in stone.

There are easy steps you can follow to prepare your household in  case of an emergency. Power outages, ice storms, hurricanes and earthquakes are just a few of the reasons you should take easy cheap simple steps to help yourself when a disaster strikes.
Sometimes radio and TV shows strike fear into people about preparing for disaster or turmoil. Many people like myself see the elephant and start to freak out, how do you eat this whole thing? One bite at a time. I want you to be as ready as you can be without adding unneeded anxiety to your life.

Growing up in hurricane alley we constantly had extra water. My dad used ½ and 1 gallon milk jugs, washed out and put in our chest freezer. They kept the freezer cool in power outages (refrigerator food could be moved there), they provided ice and the water for drinking. In non-emergencies they provided ice and drinking water for fishing and camping. Speaking of using milk jugs, here is my article on them http://the22man.com/2015/08/milk-jugs-and-water-crisis-avoided/

So here is my plan.

Once a month buy a case of 20 or 24 bottles of filtered water. Keep your eyes out, they are under $3 a case, every budget should be able to support that. With permanent marker, mark the month and year you bought it on the external plastic. Since you will be buying one a month you will need them labeled when it comes time to rotate them out. Two years from the purchase, take it out and start drinking it, put it in your vehicle or otherwise spend the month consuming it. Of course replace it with a new case of water. This way the water is not over 2 years old and does not lose its oxygen. I suggest you store it in a place where you can rotate it easy and put the newest purchase in the back or at the bottom of a stack. The coat closet in your hallway, under your bed or in your closet are good places to store each case.

Once a month wash out a 1 gallon plastic milk jug, with good soap. Fill it with filtered water, write the month and year on it. Store it inside, after 2 years use it to drink, fill the cat or dogs bowel or water the inside plants. Once again replacing it when you use it, at your peak it gives you 24 gallons of water.

If you store the water in your garage, I strongly suggest your rotate it annually instead of once every two years. The heat and cold supposedly breakdown the molecules faster, I cannot say for sure. During hurricanes, after tornado’s and floods I have helped in the S&R and cleanup phases for months and drank water that was set outside for months before I got to it, but that was not a year or more.

By following these simple steps you will have water in emergencies. It is an inexpensive way to start protecting yourself and your family without panicking.

Until we meet again, have a thirst filled week.