Emergency water: store, assess, and treat it safely

Before an emergency: store water safely

• Use unopened commercially bottled water or clean, sanitized, food-grade water containers.
• Label containers and store them away from sunlight, heat, fuel, pesticides, and other chemicals.
• Do not use containers that previously held toxic chemicals.
• Include water needs for drinking, food preparation, hygiene, pets, and medical use when building your supply.
• Follow container manufacturer and official Ready.gov guidance for cleaning, filling, storage, and replacement.

When tap water may be unsafe

• Read the current advisory from the local water provider or public-health authority; notices may call for boiling, avoiding use, or another specific action.
• Use safe bottled water when it is available.
• Use bottled, boiled, or properly treated water for drinking and other uses named by the advisory.
• If water contains sediment, follow CDC instructions for clarification and treatment rather than improvising.

Important: A boil-water advisory is not the same as a do-not-use advisory. Follow the exact official notice.

Boiling and disinfecting require exact instructions

CDC identifies boiling as the best way to kill germs in water and publishes current steps for boiling or, when boiling is not possible, disinfecting. Product concentration, water clarity, and contact time matter, so use the measurements on the CDC page rather than a remembered ratio.

• Use the linked CDC procedure and verify that it applies to the water problem officials have identified.
• Let treated water cool in a clean, covered container and prevent recontamination.
• Do not boil or disinfect water to address fuel, toxic chemical, or radioactive contamination; obtain a safe alternative source.

After service returns

• Wait for the responsible authority to lift an advisory.
• Follow provider instructions for flushing plumbing, appliances, filters, and ice makers.
• Discard water or ice when authorities direct and clean storage containers before refilling.

Related PREPHAUS resources