Chapter 14. Food, Water, Medication, and Sanitation Planning
Food, safe drinking water, necessary medication, and basic sanitation can become immediate concerns during an earthquake, wildfire, prolonged power outage, water-system failure, evacuation, severe storm, or other emergency. Stores and pharmacies may close, refrigerators may stop working, and tap water or sewer service may become temporarily unsafe or unavailable.
Residents of Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Sunol, and surrounding Tri-Valley communities should plan for both possibilities: leaving home with essential supplies and remaining safely at home without normal services. The right quantities will depend on household size, health conditions, dietary needs, pets, available storage, and the anticipated length of an interruption.
Store an Emergency Drinking-Water Supply
The CDC recommends storing at least one gallon of water per person per day for three days and, when possible, gradually building toward a two-week supply. Additional water may be necessary for hot weather, pregnancy, illness, medical needs, pets, food preparation, and sanitation.
Unopened commercially bottled water is generally the safest and most reliable emergency supply. Households using their own containers should select food-grade water-storage containers, keep them away from sunlight and chemicals, and follow appropriate cleaning and replacement guidance.
Do not assume that tap water is safe following an earthquake, wildfire, flood, loss of system pressure, or contamination incident. Local authorities may issue a boil-water, do-not-drink, or do-not-use advisory. These notices are not interchangeable. Follow the exact directions issued by the water provider or public-health agency.
Boiling does not remove fuel, toxic chemicals, or radioactive contamination. When such contamination is known or suspected, use an approved alternative source and follow official instructions. The CDC provides guidance on creating and storing an emergency water supply.
Select Shelf-Stable Food Your Household Will Eat
Maintain a supply of nonperishable food that requires little water, preparation, or cooking. Practical choices may include:
- Canned vegetables, fruit, beans, meat, or fish
- Shelf-stable meals, milk, and food pouches
- Crackers, cereals, nutrition bars, and dried fruit
- Nut or seed products when allergies permit
- Infant formula and baby food
- Medically appropriate or culturally suitable food
- Pet and service-animal food
Include a manual can opener, eating utensils, and a safe method of preparing food. Never use charcoal grills, generators, camp stoves, or other fuel-burning equipment inside a home, garage, or enclosed area because carbon monoxide can accumulate.
Choose foods household members already understand and enjoy. An emergency is a poor time to discover that supplies are difficult to prepare or unsuitable for a family member. Review the food supply twice a year, rotate items into normal use, and replace expired or damaged products.
Protect Refrigerated and Frozen Food
Keep appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer. During a power outage, leave both doors closed as much as possible. According to the FDA, an unopened refrigerator generally keeps food cold for approximately four hours. A full freezer may maintain its temperature for about 48 hours, while a half-full freezer may do so for approximately 24 hours.
When power returns, evaluate food using temperature and official food-safety guidance—not appearance, smell, or taste. Frozen food that still contains ice crystals or remains at 40°F or below may generally be cooked or refrozen. Perishable refrigerated food that has remained above safe temperatures for too long should be discarded. When uncertain, do not taste it to determine whether it is safe. Review the FDA’s food-safety guidance for power outages.
Plan for Necessary Medication
Create a current written list showing each household member’s prescriptions, dosage instructions, medical conditions, allergies, prescribers, pharmacies, and health-insurance information. Keep an appropriate copy in the household emergency kit and go-bag.
Ask the prescribing healthcare provider, pharmacist, or health plan how to maintain a lawful and safe emergency supply. Refill rules, insurance limitations, expiration dates, controlled-substance requirements, and storage conditions differ. Do not stop a medication, change its dosage, combine supplies, or transfer it to an unsuitable container without professional guidance.
Some medications require refrigeration or protection from heat, freezing, moisture, or light. Discuss backup cooling, transportation, temperature monitoring, and replacement procedures before an outage occurs. A household cooler may not maintain the correct temperature for every medicine, and medication should not be placed directly against ice unless a qualified professional or the product instructions confirm that method is safe.
Ready.gov advises people to speak with a doctor or pharmacist about creating an emergency medicine supply and maintaining a current prescription list. Review medication and disability preparedness guidance.
Prepare for Hygiene and Sanitation Interruptions
Store soap, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, paper towels, disinfecting supplies, disposable gloves, menstrual products, diapers, wipes, incontinence supplies, heavy-duty trash bags, and sealable plastic bags. People who use dental appliances, contact lenses, ostomy supplies, catheters, or other personal-care products should include adequate supplies and written instructions.
If water or sewer service is disrupted, local authorities may restrict toilet use or provide waste-disposal instructions. Follow those directions. Do not flush toilets when officials warn that the sewer system is damaged or unavailable.
Keep human waste, pet waste, garbage, food, and drinking water separated. Wash hands with soap and safe water whenever possible, particularly before preparing food and after using the toilet, changing diapers, handling waste, or caring for someone who is ill. The CDC provides additional emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene guidance.
Review supplies every six months and after any change in medication, diet, household membership, medical condition, or pet-care needs.
Helpful Hint
Speak with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before an emergency about safely maintaining necessary medications. Ask about emergency refills, expiration dates, transportation, and temperature requirements. Do not change dosages or storage methods without professional guidance.
Important Safety Reminder
Emergency supplies support preparedness but do not make an unsafe home suitable for sheltering. Follow current water, food-safety, public-health, evacuation, and sanitation instructions from authorized agencies. If authorities order an evacuation, leave promptly and do not delay departure to collect additional food, water, or medication.
Important Preparedness and Safety Notice
This chapter provides general preparedness education, not real-time emergency instructions. Conditions, evacuation zones, routes, shelters, road closures, and public-safety directions can change rapidly. During an emergency, consult current information from authorized public agencies and follow all instructions issued by emergency officials. Call 911 for an immediate threat to life, active fire, serious injury, crime in progress, or another urgent emergency.
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