How much water do you need per person per day in an emergency?

Q: How much water do you need per person per day in an emergency?

At least 1 gallon of water per person per day, the figure the CDC and the American Red Cross both use. For two weeks that is 14 gallons per person. Store more in hot weather, for children, nursing mothers and anyone sick, and for preparing freeze-dried food.

Checked against its sources on October 21, 2026

At least 1 gallon of water per person per day. That is the figure the CDC and the American Red Cross both use. For two weeks, that is 14 gallons per person.

The CDC says to “store at least 1 gallon of water per person, per day for 3 days” and to “try to store a 2-week supply if possible”. The Red Cross uses the same gallon, with a “3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home”.

How much water does my household need?

Household	3 days	2 weeks	1 month
1 person	3 gallons	14 gallons	30 gallons
2 people	6 gallons	28 gallons	60 gallons
3 people	9 gallons	42 gallons	90 gallons
4 people	12 gallons	56 gallons	120 gallons
5 people	15 gallons	70 gallons	150 gallons
6 people	18 gallons	84 gallons	180 gallons

Three days is the minimum. If you are planning to stay home through an outage or a storm, two weeks is the better goal.

What is the gallon for?

Drinking, and keeping clean. Ready.gov counts the gallon as “for drinking and sanitation”, and Utah’s Division of Drinking Water splits it into half a gallon for drinking and preparing food and half for washing. A person needs far less just to survive: the World Health Organization puts drinking water at 2.5 to 3 liters a day, and a gallon is about 3.8 liters. The rest is what keeps a household clean and healthy.

When should I store more?

Hot weather. Ready.gov notes that “in very hot temperatures, water needs can double.”
Children, nursing mothers and anyone sick. Ready.gov says they “may need more water”, and the CDC adds pregnant women to that list. Plan at least a full gallon for a child.
Freeze-dried food. It needs water to make. Mountain House says its one-year supply takes “just under 88 gallons” to prepare, and Augason Farms says its 30-day kit “only needs 12 gallons”. That is roughly a quarter to half a gallon a day on top of drinking water.
Pets. No US agency publishes a figure. MyPlann plans a quarter gallon for an average-size pet; a big dog drinks more, about 60 to 80 mL per kilogram of body weight a day, and a cat less.

How do I store it?

Use food-grade containers, not glass, and replace stored tap water every 6 months; for store-bought water, go by the date on it (CDC). If you ever need to make water safe to drink, the CDC’s step-by-step instructions cover boiling and how much household bleach to use.

How MyPlann counts water

MyPlann divides the water you have stored by what your household uses in a day, at a gallon per person, and shows it as days. Every rate it uses, and its source, is on How MyPlann Counts.

How many days does your household have?

MyPlann counts days for water, food, cooking fuel, heat and medicine from what is actually in your house, and tells you which runs out first. Get your number; it is free during early access.