Safe Water Starts Before the Boil-Water Notice

A drinking-water advisory can affect meal preparation, brushing teeth and caring for pets. The action you take depends on the notice. Store a safe reserve now, check your equipment’s treatment limits and save the page where your utility posts instructions.

Storage containers hold water; they may not treat it. Filters address particular contaminants and have operating limits. Follow the utility’s notice for the specific problem in your community.

Save those instructions and check your supplies while the tap is working normally.

Calculate how much water to store

CDC recommends storing at least one gallon per person per day for three days, and trying to keep a two-week supply if possible. It advises considering additional water for pets, hot weather and some individual needs. For a four-person household, the initial three-day calculation is 12 gallons, before those additions. CDC: How to Create an Emergency Water Supply, June 27, 2025.

Write down your target and count the sealed containers you have. Note where they are, who can carry them, and whether the storage space remains accessible if one part of the home is unavailable.

CDC identifies unopened commercial bottled water as the most reliable emergency source. It recommends food-grade containers for water you fill yourself, regular replacement of that stored water every six months, and keeping it away from direct sunlight and toxic substances. Never repurpose a container that held pesticides or other toxic chemicals.

Know which notice you are reading

Read the type of advisory before using tap water. CDC distinguishes a boil-water advisory, a do-not-drink advisory and a do-not-use advisory. Each requires a different response depending on the identified risk. Follow the local notice, including instructions about food preparation, washing and household appliances. CDC: Drinking Water Advisories, March 4, 2024.

A boil-water notice does not become irrelevant because water has passed through a pitcher or home filter. CDC says to boil filtered tap water too when that is the official instruction. For a do-not-use notice, avoid contact as directed rather than treating it as a drinking-only restriction.

Save your utility’s alert page and phone number in advance. Print the contact details with your household plan. When an advisory arrives, share the original official notice with everyone in the home rather than a shortened message that may leave out an important restriction.

Match treatment to the actual problem

CDC notes that boiling or disinfecting cannot make water containing fuel, toxic chemicals or radioactive materials safe. In that situation, use bottled water or a different safe source and seek the health department’s specific instructions. CDC: How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency, September 19, 2024.

Before buying a filter, read which contaminants it addresses, what source water it can accept and how it must be maintained. Use its instructions and performance information to assess whether it fits your needs. Keep those documents with the equipment so you are not trying to download them during an outage.

Organize storage and dispensing at home

Set aside a clean dispensing area and label stored drinking water clearly. Think through ordinary tasks such as brushing teeth and preparing a meal, not just filling a drinking glass. If several adults share the home, make sure each knows which supply is designated for drinking and where to find the current advisory.

For equipment comparisons, the Alexapure Pro Water Filtration System is a gravity-fed option. Its current instructions require appropriate testing and/or disinfection for microbiologically unsafe or unknown-quality water. It does not override a boil-water notice.

The Alexapure Emergency Water Bank is a separate storage option intended to be filled while the source water is safe and available. Its pump dispenses water; it does not filter or disinfect it. Check the reservoir’s placement and filling instructions before relying on it.

Check the reserve with your household

Count your stored water, check the labels and save the utility contact. Ask someone else in the household to find the reserve and explain what they would do after receiving an advisory. Correct anything that is unclear.