How we work
Water Ready Home helps households work out how much water to store, where to keep it and when to replace it. Here's how we make sure the numbers can be trusted.
Who we are
Water Ready Home is a small, independent site. We're not a government agency, and we're not connected to the CDC, FEMA or Ready.gov. We link to them because they set the public guidance our tools follow.
Where our numbers come from
Every rule in our calculators and guides comes from a public source, and each page links to it:
- Water for people: the CDC and Ready.gov.
- Water for pets: guidance reviewed by veterinarians (GoodRx, WebVet).
- Water in the home: the CDC's list of emergency water sources and the EPA for toilet flush volumes.
When the sources don't give a number, we say so instead of making one up. That's why the "extra cushion" in the calculator is your choice.
How the math works
The calculators run in your browser and show their working: people × days × 1 gallon, then very hot weather, any cushion you choose and your pets. We round the total up to the next whole gallon, because running short is worse than having a little extra. Weights use 8.34 lb per gallon.
How we keep pages up to date
Each page shows the date it was last updated. We recheck our sources when we update a page, and when public guidance changes we change the page and its date.
How we make money
Our calculators and guides are free and have no ads. We also run a separate page about collecting water from the air, which recommends a product as an affiliate: if you buy through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That page is clearly labeled, and it never changes the numbers here.
What we don't do
- We don't give medical advice. If someone in your home has special health needs, ask a doctor how much water they need.
- We don't publish fake reviews or invented stories.
- We don't sell your data. See our privacy policy.
Found a mistake?
Tell us at waterreadyhome@gmail.com. We fix errors and update the page date.