How to store water for an emergency
What official bodies say about keeping drinking water at home, in plain words. Where countries differ, a table shows each country in its own row.
The short answer
How long stored water keeps depends on what it is. For tap water that you put in containers yourself, the CDC in the United States gives a time after which to replace it, and New Zealand's emergency agency gives a time after which to check it. Both are in the first table of this guide. The sources we list for the other countries give no such time.
Shop-bought bottled water: go by the date on its label. The official pages we read for the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand all point to the label, and the Government of Ontario in Canada says to check the date.
For containers of your own, it is best to use a clean container made for food or drink. The CDC in the United States says never to use one that held a toxic chemical. New Zealand's emergency agency says never to use one that held milk.
Official pages use bleach for separate jobs: to clean an empty container, to treat tap water as you store it, and to treat water that may not be safe to drink. The amount differs by job and by country, so each amount is in a table, in its own country's row.
How long does stored water last?
This part is about tap water that you put in containers yourself. Write the date on each container when you fill it, so that you know how old the water is.
| Country | Official body | When to replace or check it |
|---|---|---|
| United States | CDC | Replace the water every 6 months. Label the container as drinking water, with the date that you stored it. |
| United Kingdom | No figure in the sources we list | |
| Canada | No figure in the sources we list | |
| Australia | No figure in the sources we list | |
| New Zealand | NEMA | Check the bottles every 6 months. Throw out water that is not clear, then fill clean bottles again with clean water and bleach. |
| Ireland | No figure in the sources we list | |
| India | No figure in the sources we list |
Where a row says that the sources we list give no figure, ask your water supplier or your local health authority.
Does bottled water expire?
Bottled water has a date on its label. The official bodies we read for the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand point to that date, or to the product information on the label.
| Country | Official body | Bottled water and its date |
|---|---|---|
| United States | CDC | Go by the expiration date on the bottle. The CDC says that, in an emergency, unopened shop-bought bottled water is the safest water source and the most reliable one. |
| United Kingdom | CCW | Keeping some bottled water at home can be useful. Go by the product information on storage and shelf life. |
| Canada | Ontario | The Government of Ontario, in its guide for people with disabilities: check the expiry dates often. |
| Australia | SecureNT (Northern Territory) | Check your kit at least once a year, so that nothing in it is past its use-by date. |
| New Zealand | NEMA | Replace it by its expiration or use-by date. |
| Ireland | Office of Emergency Planning | Be Emergency Ready booklet (Office of Emergency Planning): store bottled water only until the expiry date on the bottle. |
| India | NCDC | For when disaster warnings are issued: the NCDC checklist lists packed and sealed drinking water for the emergency bag. It says nothing about the date. |
Which containers to store water in
The CDC in the United States and New Zealand's emergency agency say which containers to use when you fill your own. They agree on the idea: a clean container made for food or drink.
- The CDC says that food-grade water storage containers are best, and that a container must never have held a toxic chemical such as bleach or a pesticide.
- New Zealand's emergency agency says that plastic soft-drink bottles are best when you use your own. It says not to use a container that held milk, because the milk protein cannot be removed.
- It also says not to use glass, because glass can break and is heavy.
The kit planner counts the containers that you have against your target, in litres or in US gallons.
How to clean a container before you fill it
The table has a column for each job. The first is cleaning the empty container. The second is treating the tap water that you store. Follow one country's steps from start to end, and do not mix the steps of different countries.
| Country | Official body | To clean the empty container | To treat tap water as you store it |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | CDC | Wash it with soap and rinse it completely. Then mix 1 teaspoon of unscented liquid household chlorine bleach (5% to 9% sodium hypochlorite) in 1 quart (4 cups) of water. Close the container and shake it so that the mix touches every inside surface. Wait at least 30 seconds, pour the mix out, and let the container air-dry. This amount is for cleaning, not for water that you drink. | Not covered by the sources we list |
| United Kingdom | Not covered by the sources we list | Not covered by the sources we list | |
| Canada | Not covered by the sources we list | Not covered by the sources we list | |
| Australia | Not covered by the sources we list | Not covered by the sources we list | |
| New Zealand | NEMA | Clean it thoroughly with hot water. Do not use boiling water, which destroys the bottle. | Fill it with tap water, right to the top, so that it overflows. For each litre, add five drops of plain liquid household chlorine bleach (non-scented). Do not use a bleach with added scent or perfume, surfactants or other additives. Then wait 30 minutes or more before you drink it. |
| Ireland | Not covered by the sources we list | Not covered by the sources we list | |
| India | Not covered by the sources we list | Not covered by the sources we list |
Where a row says that the sources we list do not cover it, ask your water supplier or your local health authority.
Where to keep stored water
The official pages we cite for the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland name a cool place. The table has each country's own line.
| Country | Official body | Where to keep it |
|---|---|---|
| United States | CDC | A cool place (50°F to 70°F), out of direct sunlight, and away from toxic substances such as gasoline or pesticides. |
| United Kingdom | Not covered by the sources we list | |
| Canada | PreparedBC (British Columbia) | British Columbia (PreparedBC): keep bought bottled water for the kit in its original container, in a cool, dark place that is easy to reach. |
| Australia | NSW Health (New South Wales) | NSW Health, for a boil water alert in New South Wales: let boiled water cool, then keep it in the fridge in a clean container with a lid. |
| New Zealand | NEMA; Health New Zealand | Get Ready: a cool, dark place, with the fill date on the outside of each container. Health New Zealand: split the bottles between 2 places where a flood is not likely. |
| Ireland | Uisce Éireann; Office of Emergency Planning | Uisce Éireann, for water that you boiled during a boil water notice: in a container, somewhere cool, like your fridge. Be Emergency Ready booklet (Office of Emergency Planning): keep bottled water somewhere cool and dark. |
| India | Not covered by the sources we list |
Where a row says that the sources we list do not cover it, check the label of bottled water for its storage words.
Is a garage, a shed or a cupboard a good place? Use your own country's line as the test: how warm the place gets, whether sunlight reaches the containers, and what is stored beside them.
If your tap water is not safe to drink
Stored water is for the days when the tap is off, or when its water is not safe to drink. If you have to use water that may not be safe, follow your health department or your local authorities. The CDC in the United States and Health Canada both say this.
Official pages treat such water by boiling it, or with bleach. The times and amounts differ by country, so read your own country's row.
| Country | Official body | Boiling | Bleach or tablets |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | CDC | Follow your health department's recommendations. The CDC calls boiling the best way to kill germs in water. If the water is cloudy, first filter it (a clean cloth, a paper towel or a coffee filter will do), or let it settle. Then boil the clear water at a rolling boil for 1 minute, or for 3 minutes at elevations above 6,500 feet. | To disinfect drinking water with bleach, follow the instructions on the bleach label. The CDC page has tables of amounts for each strength of bleach, which we do not copy here. |
| United Kingdom | Not covered by the sources we list | Not covered by the sources we list | |
| Canada | Health Canada | Local authorities say whether tap water is safe, so listen to them. If it is not safe, boil water for uses such as drinking, preparing food, dental hygiene and making ice cubes. The page gives no boiling time. | If boiling is not practical: add about 2 drops (0.2 millilitres) of household bleach (unscented, 5.25%) to each 1 litre (4 cups) of water, with a clean medicine dropper. Stir, then leave it for 30 minutes. |
| Australia | NSW Health (New South Wales) | For a boil water alert in New South Wales: bring water for drinking or food preparation to a rolling boil. A kettle that switches itself off can do this. Let it cool, and keep it in the fridge in a clean container with a lid. | If you cannot boil the water, unscented household bleach with 4% to 5% available chlorine may be used. Use 2 drops for each 1 litre of water, or 4 drops for cloudy water. Mix well. Before use, let it stand for 30 minutes at a water temperature of 25°C, 1 hour at 15°C or 2 hours at 5°C. |
| New Zealand | NEMA New Zealand; NEMA | NEMA, for collected rain water: boil it for one minute before you drink it. A full jug with an automatic cut-off switch is OK to use, but never hold the switch down to make it boil for longer. | Disinfect collected rain water with household bleach. NEMA's emergency supplies page gives the amount: five drops of plain, unperfumed household bleach per litre, then wait at least 30 minutes before you drink it. Do not drink water when you are not sure of its quality. |
| Ireland | Uisce Éireann | During a boil water notice: boil the water vigorously for 1 minute. An electric kettle can do this. | Not covered by the sources we list |
| India | India Meteorological Department; NCDC | India Meteorological Department, after floods: drink chlorinated or boiled water. | For when disaster warnings are issued: the NCDC checklist lists chlorine tablets, to purify water, for the emergency bag. It gives no instruction for their use. |
Where a row says that the sources we list do not cover it, follow the instructions of your water company or local authority, for example in a boil water notice.
- The CDC says that boiling or disinfecting cannot make water safe when it contains fuel, toxic chemicals or radioactive materials.
- Uisce Éireann, Ireland's water company, says that home water filters do not guarantee that your water is safe.
Water for baby formula
Advice on formula differs by country. Ask your doctor, nurse or midwife if you are not sure.
| Country | Official body | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Ready.gov | Use ready-to-feed formula. If you must mix formula, the page names bottled water or boiled water, as a last resort. |
| United Kingdom | Be Ready; NHS | Be Ready: ready-to-feed formula is best, because boiling water safely for powdered formula may not be possible. NHS: bottled water is not usually recommended for making up formula, because it is not sterile and can have too much salt (sodium) or sulphate. In rare cases you can use bottled water, for example when there is no drinking water or it has been contaminated. You still follow the NHS step-by-step guide. |
| Canada | Health Canada | Health Canada lists ready-to-use infant formula for the emergency kit. It says not to use contaminated water to make baby formula. |
| Australia | NSW Health (New South Wales) | For a boil water alert in New South Wales: make formula with cooled boiled water. |
| New Zealand | Not covered by the sources we list | |
| Ireland | Uisce Éireann | HSE advice, on the Uisce Éireann page: during a boil water notice, one way to feed a baby is ready-to-use formula, which needs no added water. Natural mineral water can be high in minerals such as sodium. If you cannot get other water, use it to keep your baby hydrated, for as short a time as possible. |
| India | Not covered by the sources we list |
Where a row says that the sources we list do not cover it, ask your midwife, your doctor or your local health centre.
How much water to store
The amount differs by country, and so does what it covers: drinking only, or washing and cooking too. The page What each government advises shows every figure with its source, and the kit planner works out the total for your household.
Put your water in your plan
The Water screen of the kit planner takes your own government's figure, works out the amount for the people in your home, and shows what you have against it.
Sources
Every official page that this guide uses, by country. Each link opens in a new tab.
United States
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), How to Create an Emergency Water Supply (opens in a new tab). Page date: 27 June 2025. Read 12 November 2026 in a browser.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency (opens in a new tab). Page date: 19 September 2024. Read 12 November 2026 in a browser.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (Ready.gov), Food (opens in a new tab). Page date: 12 March 2026. Read 12 November 2026.
United Kingdom
- Consumer Council for Water (CCW), Water supply interruptions (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026.
- UK government, Be Ready campaign, Get prepared for emergencies (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026.
- National Health Service (NHS), How to make up baby formula (opens in a new tab). Page date: 31 August 2023 (last reviewed). Read 12 November 2026.
Canada
- Health Canada, Food and drinking water safety in an emergency (opens in a new tab). Page date: 8 May 2026. Read 12 November 2026 in a browser.
- British Columbia: Government of British Columbia (PreparedBC), Build an emergency kit and grab-and-go bag (opens in a new tab). Page date: 11 August 2026. Read 12 November 2026.
- Ontario: Government of Ontario, Emergency preparedness guide for people with disabilities (opens in a new tab). Page date: 8 September 2025. Read 12 November 2026.
Australia
- New South Wales: NSW Health, Boil water alerts: what to do (opens in a new tab). Page date: 23 May 2025. Read 12 November 2026.
- Northern Territory: Northern Territory Government (SecureNT), Emergency kits (opens in a new tab). Page date: 9 October 2025. Read 12 November 2026.
New Zealand
- National Emergency Management Agency (Get Ready), Storing water (large print) (opens in a new tab). Page date: October 2023. Read 12 November 2026 in the official PDF.
- Health New Zealand, Preparing for an emergency (opens in a new tab). Page date: 22 July 2026. Read 12 November 2026.
- National Emergency Management Agency, Have emergency supplies (opens in a new tab). Page date: 4 November 2026. Read 12 November 2026.
Ireland
- Uisce Éireann (Irish Water), Boil Water Notice (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026.
- Government of Ireland, Office of Emergency Planning, Be Emergency Ready booklet (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026 in the official PDF.
India
- National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Emergency preparedness checklist (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026 in the official PDF.
- India Meteorological Department (Meteorological Centre Srinagar), Do's & Don'ts (earthquakes, urban floods and other hazards) (opens in a new tab). Read 12 November 2026 in the official PDF.
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