How to Find Clean Water in an Emergency

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Key points

  • In an emergency, your tap water may not be available or safe to use.
  • In these situations, use bottled, boiled, or treated water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene.
  • If you do not have bottled, boiled, or treated water, you can find other sources of clean water inside or outside of your home.
Blue plastic bucket outside collecting rainwater.

Inside the home

If you do not have bottled, boiled, or treated water, other sources of clean and safe water that can be found inside your home include:

  • Water from your home's tap water heater tank. This refers to the tank that connects to the water that comes out of your faucets and showerheads. (This is different than the tank used to supply hot water to radiators in older homes. In these homes, be sure to use the tap water heater tank, not the home heating system tank.)
  • Melted ice cubes made with water that was not contaminated
  • Water from your home's toilet tank (not from the bowl), if it is clear and has not been chemically treated with toilet cleaners such as those that change the color of the water
  • Liquid from canned fruit and vegetables
  • Water from swimming pools and spas can be used for personal hygiene, cleaning, and related uses, but not for drinking.

Pay attention to reports from local officials

Listen to reports from local officials for advice on water precautions in your home. You may need to shut off the main water valve to your home to prevent contaminants from entering pipes in your home.

Outside the home

Rivers, streams, and lakes might be contaminated with livestock waste, human sewage, chemicals, and other contaminants. Using contaminated water for drinking, bathing, and other hygiene activities can make you sick. During flood events, well water might also be contaminated.

Water from sources outside the home must be treated to kill harmful germs as described in Make Water Safe in an Emergency. If you suspect or know the water is contaminated with toxic chemicals or fuels, it cannot be made safe and you should not drink or bathe in this water.

Possible sources of water that could be made safe by treatment include:

  • Rainwater
  • Streams, rivers, and other moving bodies of water
  • Ponds and lakes
  • Natural springs


Safety alert

Do not use water that has been contaminated by fuel or toxic chemicals.
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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)