Tool
Water Storage Calculator
Built on the CDC baseline: at least one gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation, stored in food-grade containers and replaced every six months if you filled it yourself.
Your household
A case of bottled water (24 x 16.9 oz) holds about 3.17 gallons. A full 55-gallon barrel weighs about 480 lb: fill it where it will live.
Your numbers
Storage is only half the system. Pair it with treatment: the CDC and EPA guide to boiling and bleach doses, and the full storage guide for sanitizing, placement, and the six-month rotation.
A sensible container mix
Bulk barrels are the cheapest gallons but cannot move; jugs and cases are the portable fraction you can carry to a car, a neighbor, or a boil-water shelter run. Most households do best with about 70% of the total in barrels or a tank and 30% portable. Whatever the mix, containers must be food-grade, sanitized before filling, labeled with the date, and kept in a cool place away from fuels and chemicals, per CDC guidance.