Safety of Refilling Gallon Water Jugs

When disaster strikes, the public water supply may be unavailable, leaving people with no water for drinking, bathing or cleaning. To avoid finding yourself in this situation, provide yourself and your household with an emergency water supply. Refilling gallon water jugs is a very inexpensive way to make sure you have water when you need it. Plan on storing at least 1 gallon per person per day for at least three days, and store the water correctly to ensure that your supply is safe.

Safe Types of Water Jugs

• Look for the recycle sign and the letters "HDPE" on food-grade plastic jugs.

  FEMA and the American Red Cross recommend storing water in the food-grade containers you originally purchased the water in, and they recommend leaving the containers sealed until you actually use the water. However, these two organizations also say that food-grade gallon jugs that originally contained water or soda are safe to refill for emergency water storage. High Density Polyethylene is considered food-grade plastic, and you can find the initials "HDPE" next to the recycling sign on containers made from this material.

Preparation of Water Jugs

• Bleach kills bacteria that could taint your water.

  To prepare jugs for refilling with water, thoroughly clean them with hot water and dishwashing soap. Rinse the jugs very well so you don't leave any soap residue behind. Make a solution of 1 teaspoon liquid chlorine bleach to 1 quart water. Pour the solution into the water jug and swish it around until the solution has touched every part of the inside of the jug. Pour the bleach solution out of the jug, and rinse the jug with clean tap water. The bleach helps to kill any bacteria that may be present inside the jug.

Longevity of Safe Water Storage

• Use a permanent marker to record the date on the jug.

  If you fill your water jugs with city tap water, it has been treated with chlorine, and you don't have to treat it yourself. If you fill your jugs with well water, add 2 drops of chlorine bleach to help your water to last for six months. No matter which kind of water you use originally or how you treat your water, FEMA recommends replacing the water in your refilled jugs every six months. To help you remember when to replace your water, use a permanent marker to write the date you filled the jug on the jug itself.

Storage of Water Jugs

• Fluorescent light and sunlight degrade High Density Polyethylene, shortening its life, breaking down your water storage containers and causing them to crack and leak. To keep your water jugs intact, store them in a cool, dark place where they will not be subject to sunlight. Dark closets, cupboards, cellars and basements are good places to store your water supply.

Milk Jugs as Water Containers

• Reusing milk jugs as water containers can lead to storage of bacteria.

  Although gallon-sized milk jugs are handy and readily available, FEMA and the American Red Cross do not recommend refilling them with water for emergency water storage. Milk contains protein and fruit sugars that are very difficult to remove from the jug's plastic. When these proteins and sugars remain in the jug, bacteria grows, making the water unsafe to drink.