How Much Water to Store
Official water figures for the US and Canada, simple totals for 3 to 30 days, and who needs more.
Water calculator
How much drinking and washing water to store.
14 gal
53 L. It weighs about 116 lb (53 kg).
Based on 1 US gallon (3.8 L) per person per day, from Ready.gov and CDC.Based on 4 L per person per day, from the Government of Canada. Store extra for pets, illness, pregnancy and hot weather. How much water to store
Official figures
| Source | Per person per day |
|---|---|
| Ready.gov (US) | 1 gallon (3.8 L), drinking and sanitation |
| CDC (US) | At least 1 gallon (3.8 L); store 3 days, 2 weeks if possible |
| Canada.ca kit checklist | 2 L (about 2 quarts), drinking, cooking, hygiene |
| Canada.ca kits page | About 4 L (about 1 gallon) |
| Health Canada | 2 L, plus 2 L for cooking and cleaning |
| PreparedBC | 4 L (about 1 gallon) |
Canadian pages do not all give the same figure, and 2 L is the lowest of them. I plan on 1 US gallon (3.8 L) or 4 L per person per day.
Totals per person
| Days | US gallons | Litres |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 11.4 |
| 7 | 7 | 26.5 |
| 14 | 14 | 53 |
| 30 | 30 | 114 |
Who needs more
CDC says to store extra for pregnant women, people who are sick, pets, and hot climates. It does not give specific amounts, so add what you reasonably can.
Water weighs about 8.3 lb per gallon (1 kg per litre), so use containers you can lift.
Checklist
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Where to buy
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Water storage container, 7 gal / 26 L
Reliance: Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7 Gallon Rigid Water Container
A rigid 7 gal (26 L) container sold for drinking water storage, so one jug covers several person-days.
Sources
- Ready.gov: Build a Kit https://www.ready.gov/kit
- CDC: How to Create an Emergency Water Supply https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/how-to-create-and-store-an-emergency-water-supply.html
- Canada.ca: Emergency kit checklist https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/emergency-kits/get-kit.html
- Canada.ca: Emergency kits https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/emergency-kits.html
- Health Canada: Food and drinking water safety in an emergency https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-drinking-water-safe-emergency.html
- PreparedBC: Home Emergency Plan (PDF) https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/embc/preparedbc/preparedbc-guides/preparedbc_household_plan.pdf
Updated November 9, 2026