How Much Water Do You Actually Need? The One Gallon Rule

What you need

Store-bought gallon jugs of water, a permanent marker, a cool and dark shelf

Step by step

1. Count the people in your household and multiply by one gallon per day. Add half a gallon per pet.
2. Decide on three days as your floor and a week as your goal. Family of four: 12 gallons minimum, 28 gallons is the goal.
3. Buy sealed gallon jugs from the store. They are already food-safe and sealed, no extra gear needed.
4. Store them in the coolest, darkest place you have: a closet, a basement, a garage that does not freeze or bake.
5. Write the purchase month on each jug with a marker.
6. Every six months, use the old jugs for cooking or plants and buy fresh ones.

Mistakes to avoid

• Storing water next to gasoline, cleaning chemicals or in direct sun. Plastic breathes, and heat and light shorten its life.
• Reusing milk jugs. The plastic is thin and the residue is hard to clean out.
• Forgetting pets. A dog needs about half a gallon a day in summer.
• Counting only drinking water. The one gallon covers drinking and basic hygiene, cooking from dry food needs extra.