Water supply in a crisis
Make sure you have a water supply in all situations
- Allow at least three to five litres of water per person per day. Remember that pets need water too.
- Store extra drinking water in cans or bottles so that you are prepared in the event of a power cut.
- Freeze water in PET bottles, which can be used both as cold packs and as extra drinking water. But don't fill the bottles completely, they can burst when they freeze.
- Keep a water bottle at home so that you can collect water from a water point.
- Boil the water if it might be contaminated. The water should boil until it bubbles vigorously with large bubbles.
For how long can you store drinking water?
If you follow the advice of the Swedish National Food Agency, drinking water will stay fresh for a long time, often several months:
- Use well-cleaned bottles or cans.
- Fill up with good quality drinking water, such as municipal drinking water.
- Keep the water in a dark place and as cool as possible.
It is not possible to say for how long you can store water in a bottle with maintained quality. It depends on the conditions and you will have to decide for yourself whether you want to drink the water. You can do this by looking, smelling and tasting the water. In good conditions, bottled drinking water can stay fresh for many months.
Make it a habit to check the water once or twice a year. Change the water in your supply if necessary, for example by using it for irrigation.
Hygiene
It is a good idea to have a plan to deal with toilet visits in case there is no water for several days, due to a power cut or something else.
On the MSB website you can read about how to manage toilet visits if there is no water
Good to have at home:
- toilet paper
- wet wipes, hand sanitiser
- nappies, sanitary towels
- plastic bags or rubbish bags
- compost litter or sawdust
- bucket with lid
More information
Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency: Access to water during a crisis