Water Storage Calculator
Enter your household and how many days you want to cover. We use the standard of 1 gallon per adult per day (and 0.75 for children) to estimate the gallons — and 55-gallon barrels — you need to store.
You should store about
— gallons
How the calculation works
The accepted emergency minimum is one gallon of water per adult, per day — roughly half for drinking and half for cooking and hygiene. We estimate children at 0.75 gallons. Multiply by your number of days, then divide by 55 to see how many standard food-grade barrels that takes.
Tip: hot climates, pets, and medical needs increase usage — round up. A common target is two months per adult (about 60 gallons each). Empty and refill stored water every six months to keep it fresh.