Water Security
Clean water is the first thing you need. Storing a little is cheap and easy, and it's the highest-value prep you can do.
🟠 What to do now
Most urgent first. You do not have to finish the list to be safer.
- Fill every clean container, plus the bathtub, while pressure remains.
- Stop using tap water for drinking, ice, brushing teeth or washing food if an advisory is active.
- Boil at a rolling boil for one full minute (three minutes above 2,000 m), then cool and store covered.
- If you cannot boil, use unscented household bleach: about 2 drops per litre of clear water, mix, wait 30 minutes. Double it for cloudy water — and filter cloudy water through cloth first.
- Keep water for washing separate and clearly labelled so nobody drinks it.
What this is
- Water can be lost three ways here: the power that pumps it goes out, a main breaks after shaking, or the source is contaminated by flooding.
- Boil-water advisories are common after heavy rain in the Cowichan Valley and on small local systems.
Warning signs
Early warning signs
- Cloudy, coloured or odd-tasting tap water
- Sudden low pressure
- Heavy rain warnings
Serious warning signs
- Boil-water advisory issued
- Water main break in your area
Immediate danger signs
- Water smells like fuel or chemicals
- Flooding reaching a well or cistern
Where official alerts come from
- Municipal and CVRD water notices
- Island Health advisories
- HealthLink BC 811
Prepare ahead — by the time you have
I have 5 minutes
- Fill two bottles and put them where you'd grab them.
I have 1 hour
- Wash and fill several food-grade containers. Label each with the date.
I have 1 day
- Reach 3 days per person. Add a means to treat water: bleach, tablets, or a filter rated for microorganisms.
Long-term improvement
- Work toward 7–14 days. Add a rain barrel for washing water only, and a way to carry water safely.
Supplies, in three levels
Start at Level 1. Everything here has a purpose and a cheaper alternative where one is safe.
Level 1 — Essentials
The minimum that makes you safer today.
- Bottled or stored tap water, 4 L/person/dayWhy: Immediate drinking supply.Low-cost option: Rinsed pop or juice bottles — never reuse milk jugs (protein residue spoils).
- Unscented household bleach + dropperWhy: Disinfects clear water cheaply.Low-cost option: Under $5; replace yearly, bleach loses strength.
- Pot with lidWhy: Boiling is the most reliable home treatment.
Level 2 — Better prepared
Roughly 72 hours to seven days.
- Food-grade 10–20 L jugsWhy: Bulk storage that stacks.Low-cost option: Ask restaurants or bakeries for empty food-grade buckets.
- Water filter rated for bacteria and protozoaWhy: For creek or rain water when boiling isn't possible.
- Collapsible jug and a cart or wagonWhy: Carrying water injures backs — 20 L weighs 20 kg.Low-cost option: Two smaller containers balance better than one big one.
Level 3 — Extended resilience
Longer disruptions, built gradually.
- Rain barrel with a screen and first-flush diverterWhy: Washing, flushing and garden water.Low-cost option: Roof runoff is not safe drinking water without treatment; use it for washing.
- Larger filter or gravity systemWhy: Sustained treatment for a household.
Different living situations
No house, car, garage or credit card assumed.
House or apartment
Store jugs low, on a shelf or under the bed, away from heat and light. Know where your building's shutoff is.
Single rented room
Six 2 L bottles under the bed is three days for one person. Rotate them monthly by drinking and refilling.
Shelter or supportive housing
Ask what the site's water plan is. Keep a personal 1 L bottle full and with you.
Vehicle
Keep water low and secured — loose jugs become projectiles. Insulate against freezing in winter and heat in summer.
Tent or outside
Two 1 L bottles you carry, plus a larger container at your site. Keep water off the ground and out of sun.
Workplace or school
One full bottle in a drawer or locker covers a day.
Moving between locations
Refill wherever taps are available: libraries, community centres, drop-ins, washroom taps.
Accessibility, health and medication
- Use several small containers instead of one heavy one if lifting is hard.
- A wagon, backpack bladder or rolling suitcase moves water without lifting.
- Mark drinking water with a texture or large-print label so it's never confused with washing water.
- If you can't boil safely, prioritise bottled water and treatment tablets instead.
Children, seniors and pets
- Infants: use ready-to-feed formula during an advisory, or boil water and cool it before mixing.
- Pets: about 60 mL of water per kg of body weight per day. Store it with yours.
- Seniors often drink too little — set reminders during heat and outages.
🚫 Mistakes to avoid
- Do not reuse milk or juice jugs for long-term water storage.
- Do not assume boiling makes chemically contaminated water safe.
- Do not store water in direct sunlight or next to fuel, pesticides or cleaners.
- Do not drink from creeks or the Cowichan River untreated, even upstream.
- Do not use scented, colour-safe or thickened bleach for disinfection.
Recovery afterward
First hour
- Check whether the advisory is lifted before drinking tap water again.
First day
- Flush taps as directed, and discard ice made during the advisory.
First week
- Clean and refill storage containers.
- Replace filters used with questionable water.
Longer recovery
- Increase storage by one container.
- Set a rotation reminder every six months.
☎️ Numbers worth writing down
- Fire, police, ambulance: 911 — Life-threatening emergency, fire, or someone not breathing.
- HealthLink BC: 811 — Free 24/7 nurse advice when you're not sure it's a 911 situation.
- Poison control (BC): 1-800-567-8911 — Swallowed, breathed in, or spilled anything harmful.
- 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: 988 — Call or text, 24/7, anywhere in Canada.
- Vancouver Island Crisis Line: 1-888-494-3888 — 24/7 local mental-health and emotional support.
- BC Hydro outages: 1-888-769-3766 — Report an outage or a downed line (stay 10 m back).
- Emergency Info BC: EmergencyInfoBC.gov.bc.ca — Current evacuation alerts and orders.
Personal notes: ______________________________________________
Date last checked: ____________________
Key takeaways
- Store about 4 litres per person per day when possible.
- Minimum 72 hours; a better goal is 7 days.
- Don't forget water for pets and basic hygiene.
Step-by-step
- Store enough. Aim for 4 litres per person per day — about 2L for drinking and 2L for hygiene and cooking. Start with 72 hours, build toward 7 days.
- Add pets and hygiene. Include extra water for pets, washing hands, and cleaning. Sick people, infants, and hot weather need more.
- Label and rotate. Use clean food-grade containers, write the date on each, keep them cool and dark, and refresh every 6–12 months.
- Purify when unsure. If water might be unsafe, boil at a rolling boil for 1 minute, or add 2 drops of unscented bleach per litre and wait 30 minutes.
✅ Printable checklist
- 4L per person per day stored (72 hours min)
- Working toward a 7-day supply
- Water set aside for pets
- Containers labelled with the date
- A purification method ready