If you get your water from a private well, disinfect your tap water before bottling. Place six drops of bleach for each gallon of water, shake well, then let sit for 30 minutes. If you get your water from a municipal water system, there is no need to disinfect tap water before bottling.

Replace your water supply every six months if you bottle your own water. Always sanitize bottles before refilling them. Store your water in a cool, dark place.

Sanitize bottles before filling:

1. Wash containers with dishwashing soap and rinse with water
2. Sanitize by washing a solution of 1 teaspoon of liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water on all interior surfaces of the container.
3. Let air dry for at least one minute

Use clear plastic bottles with tight sealing caps. Milk jugs don’t make good water storage containers, they don’t seal well, and water stored in them can sometimes develop a plastic taste. Only use bottles that originally had beverages in them (large plastic soft drink bottles work well). See the previous page to find out how much water you should have for your family in an emergency.

Other Water Tasks