How to safely store water
You'll need:
- water storage containers (enough for your family for seven days, we recommend having 20 litres per person per day - so 140 litres for every person in your household)
- water purification tablets or unscented bleach
What to do:
- Fill your water storage containers with chlorinated tap water
- Add purification tablets or bleach (2 drops of bleach per litre) to the water - not essential but this helps it last longer
- Write the date that you filled your containers on each container - this will help you remember when to replace the water
- Store your water is a cool dark place - preferably in a place that will be easy to access after an earthquake
- Replace your water every 12 months
Using your stored water in an emergency
You'll need to treat your stored water before you use it. You can either:
- Boil it. Place the water in a clean metal pan and bring the water to a rolling boil (where bubbles appear in the centre and do not disappear when the water is stirred) for one minute. Or boil the water in an electric jug until the jug turns off automatically. Then cool the water (do not use ice cubes to do this) and pour into a clean container with a lid. Refrigerate until needed
- Disinfect it. Either use purification tablets (follow the instructions on the packet for how much to dose) or unscented household bleach (2 drops of bleach per litre of water)
- If your water has an unpleasant taste after treatment, try pouring it from one container to another (this adds air into the water) or try adding a pinch of salt to it
Check out our handy poster on how to make your stored water safe to drink - it's at the bottom of this page.
Things to consider
You may have extra sources of water in your house - your hot water cylinder is a good source. Water from swimming pools or spa pools aren't suitable for drinking but can be used for cleaning and sanitation.
You may have extra people in your house after a natural disaster as they could be evacuated from their homes. You'll need extra water to support them. Or you yourself may have to move to a friends place (particularly if you live in tsunami zone or in an apartment with limited water storage) - do they have enough water for you as well?