ALTA SURVIVAL • FREE ARTICLES & QUICK REFERENCES
Field Guide – Preparedness Library
Practical preparedness articles, clear answers, and useful references—all in one place. Learn why it matters, what to do, and how to put it into practice.
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Emergency Water Learning Center
Build a practical household water plan, one step at a time. Start with the basics, then go deeper with the companion Field Guide articles.
Store Water → Make Water Safe → Find Additional Water
Six free articles · Downloadable PDFs · Practical exercises
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Safe Water quick answers
How long will my stored water last?
Count the gallons of known safe water you can access. Divide that amount by your household’s expected daily use to estimate how long it will last.
Alta Survival recommends planning for at least 3 gallons per person per day where storage permits, to cover drinking, food preparation and basic hygiene. CDC advises storing at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days. Account separately for animals and other additional needs.
Worked example: Four people at the Alta Survival planning target need 12 gallons per day. A 36-gallon usable supply lasts about 3 days at that rate.
Run the Water Supply Check · Emergency water storage guide · Field Guide #21: Calculate your household water needs
What can my water treatment method handle?
Start with the source and the likely contamination. During a public water advisory, follow the instructions from your water utility or health department.
- Cloudiness: Removing sediment can help prepare water for treatment. Clear-looking water can still contain germs.
- Germs: Check what your exact filter or treatment method is designed to handle. A portable filter may leave viruses or bacteria behind. Follow official guidance and the product instructions for the hazard.
- Fuel, toxic chemicals or radioactive material: Seek a known safe source and follow public health guidance. Boiling and disinfection cannot make this water safe.
Review the Water learning section · Make water safe in an emergency · Field Guide #22: Filtration vs. purification
What if my primary water plan fails?
A backup is useful when it still works after the first option fails. Identify the dependency you are backing up before choosing another source or device.
- Source: Identify where you could obtain verified safe water if your normal source is unavailable. Check how you would get it home.
- Method: List what your primary method depends on, such as power, fuel, a replacement element or clean containers. Check whether the backup shares that dependency and addresses the actual water hazard.
- Storage: Keep a suitable clean container available and keep untreated water and equipment away from the clean side.
Try the planning exercise with known safe water. Explain the primary option, name one failure and show where you would find the backup and its instructions.
Review Water practice skills · Find additional safe water · Field Guide #23: Build a reliable household water system
Explore the Emergency Water Learning Center · Back to the Water article index