Water planning is easier when you separate drinking from everything else. For a first three-day household reserve, use 3 litres of drinking water per person per day. That gives a baseline of nine litres each, before considering cooking, hygiene, medical needs or pets.
Work through a household example
For two people, the drinking-water baseline is eighteen litres for three days. This is a planning example, not a complete allowance for every activity. If your food needs water to prepare, or someone has a specific care requirement, add that need separately so it does not silently consume the drinking reserve.
- Count people who regularly stay overnight.
- Write pets on their own line in the plan.
Check the weight and storage
Choose container sizes the intended person can lift and pour. Distribute heavy water across suitable low, stable storage instead of loading one high shelf. Follow packaging instructions and keep it away from heat and chemicals. Start with what you can store safely and add gradually.
Treat special needs individually
A general storage figure is not a personal instruction to drink a particular amount. Anyone with a prescribed fluid restriction should follow their care team's advice. Baby feeding and water-dependent medical equipment also need specific arrangements. Record how you would contact the supplier and obtain support during a longer outage. Do not assume a planned reserve guarantees that every emergency can be managed at home; local notices and evacuation instructions still apply.
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