80: Calculating Your Daily Water Consumption Needs

Today's question about daily water consumption comes to us from Jason in VA.  Jason writes:

Hi Brian,

I listened to the Water Storage podcast yesterday. It was really good.

I wanted to get your opinion on my water storage.

We have a household of 5. I have built up to 20 cases of water along with 20 - 1-gallon jugs of water. I do keep a large trash can full of water outside available for when the power goes out so I can flush my toilets.

I feel like I should be good for almost a month with my current supplies for general hygiene, drinking, and cooking. My outside supply of water would probably last several days to flush the toilet.

Anything longer than a month, I feel like I should be able to collect enough rainwater to keep going if necessary. I also have a stream about a mile away that I could walk to get water. Not ideal but would do it if I needed to.

I have multiple ways to boil water that I collect when the power is out.

Do you think I am on the right track? I would love to hear your suggestions on other things to consider.

Thanks,Jason in VA

How Do You Calculate Your Daily Water Consumption Needs?

First off Jason, yes, I think you are definitely on the right track with your daily water consumption. As with most preppers, you have probably done more than 99% of the population when preparing for the hard times ahead. After all, as preppers, we know that it's not a matter of if something terrible will happen, but rather when something terrible will happen.

When it comes to figuring out your water storage prepping and how much water you should have on hand, you first need to determine how much water your family will need daily.

To establish our daily water needs, let's consider the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's recommendations, stating that men need 101 ounces of water per day (~13 cups). In comparison, women need 74 ounces of water each day (~9 cups).

8 Eight-Ounce Glasses of Water Is a Myth

It's worth mentioning that based upon our fundamental needs, the often-referred-to recommendation that we should consume 64 ounces of water per day falls short. This helps remind people who would otherwise not drink much water but leaves women with over an eight-ounce per day deficit and men with a nearly five glass per day deficit.

With the basic water intake needs of an adult set, it's critical to consider the situation for which each of you is planning. Those considerations matter because without their inclusion into your preparedness plan, you may find yourself with a less sustainable supply of water than you had hoped.

Some Scenarios Require Even More to Meet Daily Water Consumption Needs

Some individual considerations that you may want to consider when creating your water plan include age, environmental conditions, stress, expected physical exertion, and health and fitness levels among group members.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, require additional water. Pregnant women should drink 108-ounce glasses of water per day, while breastfeeding women may need a daily water intake of up to 104-ounces (13-cups).

Planning the water needs of children requires people to be flexible and attentive as their needs change over time.

Without individual considerations such as environmental impacts, Children's Hospital of Orange County recommends that children one year of age and older intake one cup of water each day, per year of age. So, for example, a one-year-old should drink one cup of water per day, while a seven-year-old should drink seven cups of water per day.

Another consideration with children is how to get them actually to drink enough water each day. One method is to encourage children to take small, frequent sips of water throughout the day. You can also try to make drinking water fun and turn it into a game. Regardless,