Water

"Water is more essential in sustaining life than food is, so it is one of the first items you should collect for your food storage. Although it is difficult and impractical to store water in large quantities, experts recommend that you keep a two-week emergency supply of water on hand, because natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes may pollute or disrupt water supplies for that long. You should store at least fourteen gallons per person—seven for drinking and seven for other uses. ...

Using Your Water

If you have had water in storage for a long time or if it is contaminated, you can purify it by one of the following methods:

Filtration. There are many good water filters on the market. The activated charcoal type is best because it can also remove some bad tastes. Some filters also add chemicals to kill bacteria.

Chemicals. In addition to the bleach and iodine treatments described above, halazone tablets are effective and readily available. However, they have a shelf life of only one year. Most outdoor stores have other good treatment chemicals as well.

Boiling. Boil water for three to five minutes, depending on elevation. A higher elevation requires longer boiling.

For added protection, store a supply of water-purifying agents.—Relief Society General Board

(Source: Ensign, Oct. 1991, pg 71.)