How much water do you need?
The Government of Canada recommends 2 litres per person per day as a minimum for drinking, food preparation, and basic hygiene during emergencies. For a household of four people, that's 24 litres for 72 hours.
If you have room to store more, aim for 4 litres per person per day to include washing and cleaning. This is 48 litres for the same household.
Storage options
- Sealed bottles: Buy sealed 1–1.5 L bottles from any grocery store. Easy, requires no preparation.
- Bulk refillable containers: Food-grade 18.9 L jugs from water refill stations. Most economical.
- Bathtub liner: For non-drinking water (flushing, cleaning). Fill only when you get warning of an outage.
Making questionable water safe
Boiling
- Bring water to a rolling boil.
- Boil for 1 minute at sea level; at least 2 minutes if you're above 2,000 metres elevation.
- Kills bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Does NOT remove chemicals or sediment.
Bleach (household chlorine)
- Use unscented bleach only (5.25% concentration).
- Add 2 drops per litre, stir well, and wait 30 minutes.
- The water should have a faint chlorine smell. If it doesn't, add 2 more drops and wait.
- Does NOT remove sediment or chemicals.
Filters
- Many types exist: squeeze filters, gravity filters, ceramic, and hollow-fibre.
- Most remove bacteria and parasites but NOT viruses or chemicals.
- Check the product label for what it removes.
Storage tips
- Check sealed bottle best-before dates annually.
- If storing in an unheated garage or shed, fill containers only ¾ full to allow for expansion if they freeze.
- Label all containers with the date you filled them, and when to replace them.
Important
If local officials issue a boil-water advisory or evacuation order, follow their instructions. The guidance above is for emergencies where you are sheltering in place with no access to safe tap water.