If you purchased an emergency preparedness kit then you most likely have a modest 3 day supply of emergency drinking water with a shelf life of 5 years!

In addition to drinking water, you'll need water for other purposes like: cleansing, sanitation, and food preparation.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that an individual requires at least one gallon of water per day in the event of an emergency. At a minimum you should plan for a 3 day supply, but planning for 7 is a safer bet.

EmergencyKits.com carries U.N. approved Emergency Water Storage Barrel Kits that preserve 55 Gallons of water. The kits contains everything you need to store and preserve the water for 5 years! 

If you prefer, you can also use a water rotation system using store bought water to accomplish the same goal. Here is a simple and effective water rotation method:

• Purchase a 3 day supply of water (3 gallons for each family member) plus one extra.
  • For example: If you have a family of 4 and the water you decide to purchase comes in 2 gallon containers, you would buy 6 2-gallon containers of water, plus one extra, for a total of 7 2-gallon containers.
• Store all but one of the water contianers as close to your emergency supplies as possible.
• The extra container can be used in your home for everyday use.
• When the extra container is used up, simply take one of the 6 remain bottles for use in your home.

• The next time your go to the store, purchase another bottle to replace the one you just used.

That's all there is to it! A simple water rotation system that's easy to follow. In the event of an emergency, you'll have between 6 and 7 gallons of safe drinking water.