The CDC recommends at least one gallon per person (and per pet) per day- more for hot climates like Houston's. The CDC also recommends a minimum of a three-day supply. A two-week supply is better.

MORE INFORMATION

---

My wife and I live in an apartment, so storage space is limited. Nonetheless, we have 10-days worth of water stashed in small places throughout the apartment. It's convenient right now because, instead of boiling water as the city recommends, I'm just cycling through my supply.

Personally, I prefer store-bought single-gallon jugs. They are easy to carry and easy to store in small spaces. Because they are store-bought, they are sealed, and I don't have to worry about bacterial or algae growth. My experience is that the plastic jugs the water comes in will break down and may leak after a few years, so I like to date the jugs with a Sharpie, and then cycle through the old ones first to keep them fresh.

Regardless of how you do it, please keep an emergency water supply on hand. You can go for a day or two without food. But in the case of a natural disaster like a hurricane where the power may be out, and you could be without air conditioning, it will be difficult to go too many hours without clean drinking water.