Storing emergency water safely
It’s recommended to keep at least a three-day supply of drinking water. That’s at least 9 litres per person! This will be enough for drinking and basic hygiene however, you should try to store more if you can for washing, cooking, and your pets too.
The easiest way to ensure you are storing clean drinking water is to buy it commercially. If you choose to do this, ensure you store it in the original sealed container and do not open it until you need to use it. Observe and replace according to the expiration or use by date.
There are also lots of other ways you can store emergency water:
You can use containers or soft-drink bottles. Don’t use plastic milk jugs or cardboard cartons as milk protein cannot be removed from these.
Fill plastic ice-cream containers and keep them in the freezer. This also keeps food in the freezer cold if there is a power cut!
Your hot water cylinder and toilet cistern are valuable sources of water. Check that your hot water cylinder and header tank are well secured. Do not use water from the toilet cistern if you are using chemical toilet cleaners.
If you use collected rainwater, make sure that you disinfect it with household bleach. Do not use Janola as it contains detergents which makes it unsuitable for treating drinking water. You can add 5 drops of plain, unperfumed household bleach per litre of water, and stand for 30 minutes before drinking.
You should clean and refill stored water every 6 months.
Check your stored water before using by holding it up to the light. If it has anything floating in it or it is not clear, strain and boil for one minute (or until an electric kettle switches off) or; add 5 drops of plain, unperfumed household bleach per litre of water, and leave for 30 minutes before drinking.
If you are uncertain about the quality of water, do not drink it. To learn more about using water safely during an emergency, visit the Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora website.
