If the Water Supply Shut Off Today, How Long Could You Last?

The above question is one I've been considering a lot lately with everything going on in the world (unrest in Virginia, potential war with North Korea, etc.).

Storing water is generally more difficult than regular food storage because of how much space it takes up. Because of that, most people tend to focus on food storage, and neglect their water storage, even though you can survive up to 3 weeks without food, yet only 3 days without water.

So, honestly, how long could you last if the tap shut off tomorrow and the stores got cleared out? A few days? A week maybe?

The average estimates on how much water a person needs per day for drinking alone range from 0.5 gallons to 1 gallon per day. FEMA recommends, on average, 1 gallon per adult per day for drinking alone. You'll also need to consider water for re-hydrating food, cleaning, washing, etc.

With that included, we're getting closer to 2-3 gallons per person per day to cover all of the bases. Now, in reality, in a SHTF scenario, most people would look to ration the water they have out to make it last longer. If they stored 30 gallons for drinking and intended it to last 30 days, they'd probably work to stretch that out to 50-60 days, or more.

So, keeping that in mind, the number per person per day that most have settled on, is 2 gallons at a minimum. That, in my opinion, is a solid target number to work with.

For 1 person to have a 30 day complete water supply (drinking, re-hydrating food, cleaning, etc), they'll need to store 60 gallons of water. For a family of 2, we're looking at 120 gallons.

For younger children, cut the drinking water from 1 gallon per day to 0.5 gallons per day to start, and leave the other gallon for cleaning, etc. So for children, 1.5 gallons total per day. So for 2 adults and 1 child, we're looking at 165 gallons for 30 days.

The numbers start to add up quickly the bigger your family. Below you will find a chart with some rough recommendations on how much water you should shoot for depending on your family size.

My challenge for you this week is to take an inventory of the total amount of water you have on hand. That could include sparklets bottles, bottled water, etc. How many gallons do you have, and using the per day gallon rules above, how long could you and your family last if the water supply went away tomorrow?

My second challenge is to begin working to build a complete 30 day water supply. You can start by getting an extra case or 2 of bottled water at the store, or grabbing some of the storage containers we offer on our site (anywhere from 3 gallons to 100 gallons storage options available, Click Here to View).

Build the supply, then also consider getting a water filter for each member of your family to go in your 72 hour kit/bug out bag. The Sawyer MINI is the ideal option in my opinion. Filters up to 100,000 gallons, can be used as a straw, hook right to a bottle, filter out of a pouch, or hook inline. Click Here to View.

Having 30 days of water set aside will help you to rest a little easier at night with everything that is going on in the world. So make it a goal to get started today! Below is a little chart to help you determine how many gallons you need! Some of these numbers may seem daunting, but just get started with what you can. Something is better then nothing!

30 Day Complete Water Supply Chart