That one-gallon-per-person-per-day figure is really just the bare minimum for survival, not for comfort or even basic cleanliness. In my experience, it’s more realistic to plan on at least 2 gallons per day—one for drinking/cooking, and one for washing up, especially if you’re dealing with heat or extra mess. During a summer power outage a few years back, we went through almost double what I’d estimated just trying to keep everyone clean-ish and cool (lots of sponge baths and rinsing off).
Don’t forget the water you’ll need if you want to have any sort of sanitation—like flushing toilets or washing dishes. If you’ve got pets or kids, your needs will jump up pretty quick too. I always keep some unscented bleach around for purifying extra water just in case. A few rain barrels can be a game changer if you’re able to store outside.
Curious—does anyone actually ration strictly if it comes to it, or do you try to keep routines normal for as long as possible?
