BUCKHORN CLIFFS

Water · Guide

Water: Storage and Purification

Store one gallon per person per day, half for drinking and half for hygiene, and aim for at least a two-week supply at home. When stored water runs low, know how to make more safe to drink.

Quick facts

Store
one gallon per person per day, at least a two-week supply
Boil
rolling boil for 1 minute, or 3 minutes above 5,000 ft
Bleach
unscented, 8 drops per gallon (6 if 8.25%), wait 30 minutes
Pool shock
1.5 level teaspoons in 1 gallon for stock, then 1 tablespoon of stock per gallon
Rotate
stored water every 6 to 12 months for taste
Never
mix calcium hypochlorite with acids or ammonia
1 gallonPer person, per day
2 weeksHome target
6 monthsRotate stored water
Half / halfDrink and hygiene

Storing water

Commercial Bottled

Longest-lasting

Keep sealed, cool, and dark; best by about two years.

Food-Grade Jugs

Rotate 6 months

Clean, sanitize, fill with tap water, seal, and date.

Store It Safe

Away from fumes

No heat, sunlight, gasoline, or pesticides nearby.

Spread It Out

Reduce risk

Keep water in more than one place, so one loss is not total.

Water is your first priority

Treat water as the base of the whole plan and store it before food. Keep at least a two-week supply, and do not ration drinking water to the point of thirst; drink what you need each day and work to find more, rather than letting yourself get dehydrated.

Water keeps forever, but its container may not

The water itself does not expire. What fails is the bottle: plastic can pick up a stale, plastic taste or absorb odors over time, faster in heat, sunlight, or near gasoline and pesticides, and a broken seal or light exposure can let in bacteria or algae. Store it cool, dark, and sealed away from fumes, and rotate stored water every 6 to 12 months for taste. If it smells or tastes off, aerate it or re-treat it (boil or disinfect) before drinking; discard any that is cloudy, discolored, or from a broken seal.

Making water safe to drink

Boiling

Most reliable

Bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute, or 3 minutes above 5,000 ft. Kills germs but not chemicals.

Chemical Disinfection

Bleach or pool shock

Unscented bleach at 8 drops per gallon (6 if 8.25%), or the pool-shock method below. Wait 30 minutes for a faint chlorine smell.

Filtration

Removes sediment

Takes out protozoa and debris; pair with boiling or disinfection for viruses. Pre-filter cloudy water.

Tablets & UV

Small batches

Iodine or chlorine-dioxide tablets and UV pens, used per the label.

Calcium Hypochlorite (Pool Shock)

  1. Make a stock solution. Mix 1.5 level teaspoons (about 5.7 to 6 grams) of calcium hypochlorite granules into 1 gallon of water and stir until dissolved. This stock is about 1,000 ppm, too strong to drink. Use within 24 hours.
  2. Treat the water. Add 1 tablespoon of stock per gallon, or 2 tablespoons for cloudy or suspect water. Stir well, wait 30 minutes (60 for cloudy), and check for a faint chlorine smell. If there is none, add another tablespoon and wait 30 more minutes.

Use granules with 65 to 70% available chlorine and no additives or algaecides. Always add powder to water, never the reverse, and never mix with acids or ammonia. Store dry and sealed for up to 10 years. To cut the chlorine taste, aerate the water or stir in a pinch of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) per gallon.

Improve the taste, once the water is safe

Aerate It

Flat boiled water

Boiling drives off dissolved air. Pour the water between two clean containers several times to work it back in.

Pinch of Salt

Boiled water

Add a small pinch of salt per quart to round out a flat, bland taste.

Vitamin C

After chlorine

A pinch of ascorbic acid per gallon neutralizes the chlorine taste and smell left by bleach or pool shock.

Baking Soda

Soften it

A small pinch eases a flat or slightly sour taste. For flavor only, after the water is already safe.

Better sources

  • Sealed bottled or stored water
  • Covered rainwater, then treated
  • Clear running water, then treated

Avoid or treat with extra care

  • Cloudy, colored, or smelly water
  • Water near chemicals or sewage
  • Salt water and floodwater

Boiling beats every option you have

If you can make heat, you can make water safe from germs. Filter cloudy water through a clean cloth first, then bring it to a rolling boil for one full minute. For chemical pollutants, only distillation or specific filters help. Treat first, then improve the taste second.

Questions this answers

Tap a question for the short answer.

How do I store water long term?

Store 1 gallon per person per day, half for drinking and half for hygiene, with at least a 2 week supply at home. Use sealed commercial bottles or clean, sanitized food-grade jugs filled with tap water and dated. Keep it cool, dark and away from gasoline or pesticides, and split it between more than one location.

How do I purify water in an emergency?

Boiling is most reliable: a rolling boil for 1 minute, or 3 minutes above 5,000 ft. Otherwise add unscented bleach at 8 drops per gallon, or 6 if it is 8.25%, and wait 30 minutes for a faint chlorine smell. Filters remove protozoa and debris but need boiling or disinfection alongside them for viruses.

How often should I rotate stored water?

Rotate water in food-grade jugs every 6 months, and all stored water every 6 to 12 months for taste. Sealed commercial bottled water lasts longest, with a best-by of about two years. The water itself never expires, but the container can pass on stale flavors or let in bacteria or algae.

Keep going

Read nextSpoilage Cheat SheetA one-page recap. When something looks off, run these in order and trust the result.Food · Guide

Related to this

Food · Supply Bottled Water Real shelf life: Indefinite if sealed. Label says 2 years INDEFINITE IF SEALEDMULTI-USE Water · Formula Purify water with calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) Stock: ~1,000 ppm; Dose: 1 tbsp stock / gal; Wait: 30 minutes Hazardous Water · Formula Improve the taste of treated or stored water (baking soda) Dose: pinch / quart; Per gallon: ¼-½ tsp; When: after full treatment Handle with care Water · Reference Conversions and dosing: measure anything, even without tools 1 tsp = 5 mL. About 20 drops = 1 mL. A US nickel weighs 5 g. 1 ppm = 1 mg per liter.
Everything in WaterNever-mix checkerShelf life tableFind a recipe by needWalk-around auditStart here

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