Emergency Water
at Home
Storms, floods, bushfires and burst mains can stop the taps or make tap water unsafe. Most homes still hold a surprising amount of usable water, if you know where it is.
Follow your water authority. A boil-water notice means boil all water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and making ice. A do-not-drink notice means boiling will not make it safe, so use stored or bottled water.
Before the Water Stops
If a storm, cyclone or flood is on the way, an hour of filling now saves days of worry.
Fill Up
- 1 Fill clean drink bottles, jerry cans and pots with lids for drinking
- 2 Fill the bath and laundry tub for flushing and washing. Keep toddlers away: they can drown in a few centimetres of water
- 3 Fill the kettle, and freeze containers of water to keep food cold
Protect Your Supply
- Know where your water main and hot water system shut-offs are
- If you are told the town supply is contaminated, close the main so it cannot reach your pipes and tank
- Turn off power or gas to the hot water system if the tank may be drained
Plan for Pets
- Pets need water too, about a litre a day for a medium dog
- Store a separate container for them
- See the Pet Emergency guide
Not for Drinking
Use these for flushing and washing, never for drinking or cooking.
Pools and Spas
- Chemicals make them unsafe to drink
- Fine for flushing toilets and washing floors
Never
- Toilet bowls
- Waterbeds, radiators and hot water systems after flood
- Floodwater of any kind. It can carry sewage, fuel and chemicals
Grey Water
- Water from washing up or showers
- Flush toilets with it by tipping a bucket quickly into the bowl
- Keep it off vegetable gardens
Store Water the Right Way
Stored water is the simplest prep there is, and the one people most often leave too late.
Containers
- Food-grade containers with tight lids: jerry cans, bottled water, water bricks
- Never use old chemical, fuel or milk containers
- Smaller containers are easier to carry and pour
Where and How
- A cool, dark place, off concrete floors and away from chemicals
- Label each one with the date you filled it
- Spread it around the house, car and shed so one disaster cannot take it all
Keep It Fresh
- Replace tap water you stored yourself every six months
- Use bottled water by its best-before date
- Rinse containers and refill. Put a reminder in your phone
Video Guide
Draining a storage water heater for emergency drinking water. The video is filmed in the US, but storage systems here work the same way.
Getting emergency drinking water out of your water heater (Iridium242)
This is a video from another creator on YouTube. Always switch the system off first and follow the maker's manual for your model.
How Much Water Do You Need?
Plan on at least 3 litres per person per day just to drink, and more in hot weather, for people who are breastfeeding, and for anyone unwell.
Drinking
- At least 3 litres per person per day
- More in heat or with hard work
Cooking and Washing
- Add a few litres per person per day
- Wet wipes and no-rinse wash cut what you need
Work It Out
- The Supplies Calculator does the sums for your household
- Aim for at least 3 days, ideally 2 weeks
Store Water Before You Need It
Jerry cans, water bricks, tanks and purification tablets.
More How-To Guides
This guide is general information only. Water from any natural or improvised source can carry germs, chemicals and toxins you cannot see, smell or taste. Use safe drinking water whenever you have it, and follow your local water authority during boil-water or do-not-drink notices. Always follow the instructions that came with your filter or purification tablets. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000). Hot water systems can scald. Read the manual for your model before draining it, and ask a licensed plumber if you are unsure.
Photo: Centre for Ageing Better on Unsplash