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Storing two weeks of water starts with a simple baseline: plan for at least 1 gallon of water per person per day. For 14 days, that means 14 gallons per person.
The CDC recommends keeping at least a three-day emergency supply and, when possible, building that supply up to two weeks. The 1-gallon daily amount covers drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and other basic needs. Hot weather, illness, pregnancy, pets, and other household needs may require more.
For a two-week supply, the basic calculation is:
Number of people × 14 days × 1 gallon = minimum stored water
| Household size | Two-week minimum |
|---|---|
| 1 person | 14 gallons |
| 2 people | 28 gallons |
| 3 people | 42 gallons |
| 4 people | 56 gallons |
| 5 people | 70 gallons |
| 6 people | 84 gallons |
This is a starting point, not a guarantee that the water will cover every normal household use. Showers, laundry, toilet flushing, and garden irrigation can consume far more water than this emergency allowance.
Decide What the Stored Water Is For
Before choosing containers, separate your water needs into two groups.
Potable water is water intended for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and other uses where you might swallow it.
Non-potable water is water reserved for uses such as toilet flushing or some cleaning tasks.
This difference matters because drinking water needs much more careful storage and handling.
For your core two-week drinking supply, unopened commercially bottled water is a simple option. The CDC describes unopened commercially bottled water as the safest and most reliable emergency water source.
You can also store safe tap water in suitable containers. The container needs to be properly cleaned, sanitized, filled, sealed, dated, and stored correctly.
Rainwater can be useful as a separate backup for non-potable uses, but do not assume roof runoff is safe to drink. Drinking collected rainwater requires a suitable collection system, appropriate treatment, maintenance, current water-quality testing, and compliance with any local requirements that apply.
How Much Space Will Two Weeks of Water Take?
Water storage becomes surprisingly large once several people are involved.
A four-person household needs a baseline of 56 gallons for 14 days. You could divide that between several smaller containers rather than depending on one large tank.
For example, you might use:
- Several small containers that are easy to lift and pour
- Larger food-grade water containers that remain in one place
- A combination of bottled water and refillable storage containers
There is an advantage to dividing the supply. If one small container leaks or becomes contaminated after opening, you do not lose the entire water reserve.
Smaller containers are also easier to move during an evacuation.
Remember How Heavy Water Is
Water weighs about 8.34 pounds per gallon, not including the container.
That means:
- 14 gallons weighs about 117 pounds
- 28 gallons weighs about 234 pounds
- 56 gallons weighs about 467 pounds
- 84 gallons weighs about 701 pounds
This weight matters when choosing a storage location.
Do not place a large water supply on a weak shelf or assume an upstairs floor can safely support a concentrated tank load. Large barrels, drums, totes, and cisterns can become extremely heavy.
Keep large containers on a stable, level surface suitable for their full weight. If you are unsure whether a floor or platform can handle a large tank, get qualified structural advice rather than guessing.
Choose Containers Made for Water Storage
For water you intend to drink, use containers intended for food or drinking-water storage.
The CDC recommends FDA-approved food-grade water storage containers when filling your own emergency supply. The container should have a tightly closing top and be made from durable material. A narrow opening can also make it easier to pour water without putting hands or utensils inside.
Never reuse a container that previously held toxic chemicals such as pesticides, fuel, solvents, or bleach.
Cleaning the container does not guarantee that chemical residue has been removed.
Containers that previously held food or beverages can also be difficult to clean completely, especially around handles, seams, caps, and scratches. Purpose-made water storage containers remove much of that uncertainty.
Clean and Sanitize Refillable Containers First
A new-looking container is not automatically ready for long-term drinking-water storage.
The CDC gives the following basic process for preparing a water storage container:
- Wash the container. Use soap and water, then rinse it completely.
- Sanitize it. Mix 1 teaspoon of unscented household chlorine bleach containing 5% to 9% sodium hypochlorite with 1 quart of water.
- Wet all inside surfaces. Close the container and shake it so the sanitizing solution reaches the entire interior.
- Wait at least 30 seconds.
- Empty the sanitizing solution.
- Allow the container to air-dry.
- Fill it with safe water and close the lid tightly.
This bleach mixture is for sanitizing the empty container. It should not be confused with emergency instructions for disinfecting questionable drinking water.
Fill Containers With Water That Is Already Safe
If you are preparing an emergency supply ahead of time, start with water from a known safe drinking-water source.
Fill the sanitized container without putting your hands, hoses, funnels, or other dirty equipment inside.
Close the lid securely once the container is full.
Then label it clearly with:
- Drinking water
- The date it was filled
The CDC recommends replacing water that you fill into storage containers every six months. For commercially bottled water, follow the manufacturer's storage or expiration information.
A simple calendar reminder can prevent containers from sitting forgotten for years.
Store Water in a Cool, Dark Place
Where you store the water matters almost as much as the container.
The CDC recommends keeping home-filled water in a cool location, ideally around 50°F to 70°F, away from direct sunlight and away from toxic substances such as gasoline or pesticides.
Choose a location that is:
- Cool
- Dry
- Protected from direct sunlight
- Protected from freezing
- Away from fuel, chemicals, pesticides, and cleaners
- Easy to reach during a power or water outage
- Strong enough to carry the full weight
Avoid placing your entire supply somewhere that may become inaccessible during the type of emergency you are preparing for.
For example, storing every container in a basement may be a poor choice if flooding is a realistic concern.
Protect the Water After Opening a Container
Contamination can happen after perfectly good stored water is opened.
Avoid putting hands directly into the water. If you need to remove water with a scoop or other tool, the CDC recommends using a clean device each time and avoiding contact with the inside of the container.
A container with a tap or spigot can make dispensing easier, but the outlet also needs to stay clean.
Consider making the containers you use every day relatively small. Once one is opened, you can use it before opening the next container.
Store Extra Water for Hot Weather and Special Needs
One gallon per person per day is a planning minimum, not a universal amount.
You may need additional water for:
- Hot climates
- Heavy physical activity
- Pregnancy
- Illness
- Young children
- Pets
- Medical or hygiene needs
The CDC specifically recommends considering additional stored water for hot conditions, pregnant people, people who are sick, and pets.
Review keeping stored rainwater drinkable to assess the difference between a screening result and a safety finding.
Do not reduce drinking water to make room for water-heavy tasks such as laundry or regular showers. Instead, consider a separate non-potable supply if you want water for those uses.
Keep Some Water Portable
A single large barrel may work well while you stay at home, but it cannot easily travel with you.
A practical two-week setup often combines stationary and portable storage.
For example, keep part of the supply in smaller sealed containers that one person can carry. The rest can stay in larger containers at home.
This gives you options if you need to leave quickly or if one storage area becomes inaccessible.
Do not fill an evacuation vehicle with so much water that the weight exceeds the vehicle's safe load.
Can Rainwater Be Part of a Two-Week Supply?
Yes, but its role should be planned carefully.
Stored rainwater can provide useful backup water for tasks such as toilet flushing and certain outdoor or cleaning uses. That can preserve your known-safe stored drinking water for drinking and cooking.
A rainwater system may include:
Roof and gutters → debris screening → first flush or diversion → storage tank → treatment or distribution
A first flush device diverts some of the first runoff from a roof so that part of the dirt, bird droppings, pollen, and other debris does not immediately enter the tank.
Even with screens and a first-flush device, collected rainwater should not automatically be treated as potable. Roof materials, animal waste, airborne contamination, dirty storage tanks, plumbing materials, and stagnant water can all affect water quality.
A sediment filter or UV unit alone also does not establish that stored rainwater is safe to drink. Drinking-water use needs to be considered as a complete collection, treatment, testing, and maintenance system.
For a simple emergency plan, it is often easier to keep a dedicated supply of known-safe drinking water and use rainwater to reduce demands on that supply where appropriate.
Have a Backup Plan for Questionable Water
Stored water can become questionable because of flooding, a damaged container, a loose cap, contamination during dispensing, or an uncertain source.
Do not assume that clear water is safe.
Emergency boiling or disinfection can reduce risks from many disease-causing microorganisms, but these methods do not remove every type of contamination. The EPA notes that boiling and chlorine disinfection do not remove contaminants such as heavy metals, salts, and many other chemicals.
Water contaminated with fuel or other toxic chemicals should not be treated as ordinary microbiologically contaminated water. CDC guidance for cisterns specifically warns that water containing fuel or toxic chemicals cannot simply be made safe by routine treatment.
During an actual drinking-water emergency, follow current instructions from your local water utility, public health department, or other responsible authority.
A Simple Two-Week Storage Plan
For most households, the process can stay straightforward.
1. Calculate your minimum
Multiply the number of people by 14 gallons.
Then add water for pets and any special household needs.
2. Decide how much must be portable
Keep enough water in manageable containers so that you have something you can move if necessary.
3. Choose proper containers
Use unopened bottled water or food-grade containers intended for water storage.
4. Prepare refillable containers
Wash and sanitize them before filling.
5. Fill with known-safe drinking water
Do not rely on untreated roof runoff for your primary drinking-water reserve.
6. Label and date everything
Mark refillable containers as drinking water and record the storage date.
7. Choose a safe storage location
Keep the supply cool, shaded, protected from chemicals and freezing, and on a surface capable of carrying its weight.
8. Rotate the supply
For home-filled containers, replace the water every six months as recommended by the CDC.
9. Keep non-potable backup water separate
Rain barrels or larger tanks can reduce how much drinking water you need to spend on suitable non-potable tasks.
A well-planned two-week supply does not need to be complicated. The important parts are having enough water, knowing which water is safe for which use, storing it in suitable containers, and keeping the supply clean and accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gallons of water do I need for two weeks?
Use at least 14 gallons per person as a starting point. A four-person household would therefore store at least 56 gallons. Consider additional water for pets, hot weather, illness, pregnancy, and other special needs.
Is one gallon per person per day enough?
It is a basic emergency-planning amount for drinking and essential uses. It is not enough to maintain normal household water use such as regular showers, laundry, and toilet flushing.
How long can I keep tap water in storage containers?
The CDC recommends replacing water that you fill into storage containers every six months. Keep the containers sealed, dated, cool, and away from direct sunlight and toxic chemicals.
Can I store water in old milk or chemical containers?
Do not use containers that previously held toxic chemicals. For drinking water, purpose-made food-grade water storage containers are the safer choice. Containers should close tightly and be easy to keep clean.
Where is the best place to store emergency water?
Choose a cool, dark, accessible location away from gasoline, pesticides, cleaners, direct sunlight, and freezing temperatures. Make sure the floor or shelf can safely support the water's considerable weight.
Can rain barrel water count toward my two-week supply?
It can be useful as a non-potable backup for suitable tasks, which helps preserve drinking water. Do not assume untreated roof runoff is safe to drink. Potable rainwater use requires proper collection, treatment, maintenance, testing, and attention to local requirements.
Can I make contaminated stored water safe by boiling it?
Boiling can kill many disease-causing microorganisms, but it cannot remove every contaminant. It does not solve contamination from fuels, heavy metals, salts, or many chemicals. Follow current public-health guidance when the water source or contamination is uncertain.
