Food Storage Checklist #2 (Water)

To Purchase:

•          Purchase or collect water containers

o   Read below in the Key Points to determine how much to store and how to store it.

•          Purchase a bottle of bleach

o   This is always helpful to have on hand for any necessary water purification ad general cleaning.

•          Purchase something from your 3 Month Supply List (more info coming on Checklist #4)

o   Stock up on sale items, buy some things in bulk, or pick up a few extra items each shopping trip.

To Do:

•          Fill your water containers and store them in a couple different areas in your home.

o   Don’t forget to add bleach if you don’t have chlorinated water.

•          Read more information on Water Storage:

o   Alternate Water Sources

o   How to Make an Evaporation Still

o   Water Storage/Purification (below)

A few Key Points About Water:

• ·         Most sources recommend 1 gallon of water per person, PER day, for 3-14 days. 

• ·         Store water in “FOOD GRADE” or PETE plastic containers (stay away from milk jugs, but soda bottles are suitable).

• ·         Another option for storing water is in mylar bags stored in cardboard boxes as found at Emergency Essentials.  These are stackable and you don’t need to rotate as often.

• ·         Store water away from too much light or heat.

• ·         Clean, sanitize, and rinse all containers prior to use.

• ·         Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.

• ·         Store water in multiple sizes of containers to suit different emergency needs.

• ·         Do not store water containers directly on concrete.  Place on cardboard, wood pallets, or other materials.

• ·         Non-chlorinated water (most municipal water is chlorinated) should be treated with unscented liquid household chlorine bleach (5-6% sodium hypochlorite).  See the chart below for appropriate amount to add to water.

Amount of Water	Amount of bleach to add to clear water	Amount of bleach to add to cloudy water
1 quart	2 drops	4 drops
1 gallon	8 drops	16 drops
5 gallons	½ teaspoon	1 teaspoon

• ·         Boiling is the safest way to clean water; however, you can also use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. 

• ·         Rotate your water storage at least once every year unless you use mylar bags.

 *from Food Storage Made Easy