How do you manage toilets and waste when the water is off?

Short answer. When water or sewers fail, stop flushing and use a bucket toilet. New Zealand's Wellington emergency office recommends two lidded 15-20 litre buckets: one for urine, one for faeces and toilet paper covered with dry material such as sawdust ³. Empty urine daily and faeces at least every three days ³. Wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, or use sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol ².

Why does sanitation matter so much in an emergency?

Human waste is one of the main ways disease spreads. The World Health Organization links poor sanitation to diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera and dysentery, as well as typhoid, intestinal worm infections and polio ⁷. It estimates that unsafe sanitation accounts for 564,000 deaths a year, largely from diarrhoeal disease ⁷. The CDC puts it plainly: sanitation and hygiene are especially important during an emergency ².

The risk is practical, not abstract. Anchorage's emergency management office warns that untreated raw sewage can pollute fresh groundwater, and that digging holes for toilets attracts flies and promotes the spread of disease ⁴. A simple, closed system at home keeps waste contained until it can be removed safely.

Can I still flush the toilet if the taps are running?

Not always. After a large earthquake, the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) says not to flush, because even if water is still running, the wastewater pipes are likely to be broken ³.

Sweden's civil defence agency gives the same reason in a different context: without electricity, the water supply and sewage system won't work ⁵. If authorities say the sewer is damaged, or the water stops, treat the toilet as out of service until they say otherwise.

How does the two-bucket method work?

The two-bucket method separates urine from faeces. WREMO explains why: keeping them apart reduces the smell, and it is safer, because urine contains far fewer germs than faeces ³.

Dry cover material can be sawdust, dry leaves, soil or shredded newspaper ³. Sweden's MCF suggests cat litter, compost material or sawdust ⁶. The faeces bucket should be kept as dry as possible, with absorbent material used to soak up spills ³.

Period products and nappies go in a normal rubbish bin, and wet wipes stay out of the bucket toilets too, since most of these products are not biodegradable ³.

What if I only have one bucket, or no bucket at all?

Many agencies describe a single bagged container instead. Anchorage's office describes two options: sturdy buckets lined with heavy-duty plastic bags, or the toilet bowl itself, emptied of water and lined with a heavy-duty bag ⁴. After use, it advises adding a small amount of cornstarch and disinfectant, then tying the bag securely ⁴.

Sweden's MCF gives a similar method: sit on the toilet as usual with a plastic bag or bin bag in the seat, preferably a biodegradable one, and sprinkle cat litter, compost material or sawdust over it when you are done ⁶. It suggests urinating in the toilet but putting the paper in a bucket or wastebasket beside it, with a tight-fitting lid so the smell does not spread ⁶.

The bag-in-bowl method needs the least equipment. Separating urine, as in the two-bucket method, reduces smell and makes the faeces bucket easier to empty and more hygienic ³.

How do I dispose of the waste safely?

Disposal rules are local, so follow your authorities first. MCF says your municipality will tell you how to dispose of the waste ⁶. Anchorage says it will provide a means to dispose of the bags ⁴.

Until then, the agencies agree on containment:

• Bagged waste: put sealed bags in a large lined bin with a tight-fitting lid; Anchorage specifies a bin of at least 10 gallons (about 38 litres) ⁴.
• Apartments and homes without a garden: tie the bag with as much air removed as possible and put it in a large storage bin, or the building's skip bin ³.
• Homes with a garden: WREMO allows emptying the faeces bucket into a hole 50 cm deep, away from any water source, above the groundwater table, and away from vegetable gardens and neighbours' boundaries ³.
• Separation: keep bucket contents away from other household waste ³.

Agencies differ here. WREMO accepts a garden hole as part of its plan for a major earthquake ³, while Anchorage warns that digging holes for toilets attracts flies and spreads disease and plans for bagged collection instead ⁴. Check which approach your local authority uses.

How do I keep hands and surfaces clean with little water?

The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If tap water is unavailable, it suggests a temporary handwashing station made from a large water jug. Without soap and water, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol ².

WREMO adds three precautions ³:

• Wear gloves when emptying buckets if possible, then wash and dry your hands.
• Rinse and clean the faeces bucket after emptying, and disinfect it with a dilute bleach solution if necessary.
• Keep the toilet area and its waste away from food preparation.

For disinfectant, Anchorage specifies liquid bleach diluted 1 cup of bleach to 10 cups of water ⁴. Use plain household bleach and follow the label.

What if someone in the household is sick?

If someone is vomiting or has diarrhoea, WREMO advises using a separate bucket for that person, taking extra care, and disinfecting. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist ³. Most deaths the WHO attributes to unsafe sanitation are from diarrhoeal disease ⁷, so this is the moment to be strict about handwashing and keeping waste away from food and water.

How much should a household store?

No agency cited here gives an exact bag or paper count, so plan from the routines they describe.

• Containers: two 15-20 litre lidded buckets ³, plus a lidded outdoor bin for sealed bags ⁴.
• Bags: heavy-duty garbage bags and ties appear on the U.S. kit list "for personal sanitation" ¹. If the faeces bucket is lined and emptied at least every three days ³, two weeks means at least five liners for that bucket alone; the bag-in-bowl method uses more bags.
• Cover material: sawdust, cat litter, compost material or soil, enough for a cup or handful after each use of the faeces bucket ³⁶.
• Hygiene: toilet paper, wet wipes, hand sanitiser, nappies and menstrual protection ⁵; soap and disinfecting wipes ¹; gloves ³; plain bleach ⁴.
• Water: Ready.gov's one gallon (3.8 L) per person per day covers drinking and sanitation together ¹; WREMO lists 2 litres per person per day with its bucket toilet kit ³.

Duration matters more than any single item. WREMO says Wellington communities will need to be self-sufficient for sanitation for at least 30 days after a major earthquake, and some parts of the region longer ³.

What official agencies recommend

• United States (FEMA / Ready.gov): moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation; soap, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes; one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation ¹.
• United States (CDC): soap and water for at least 20 seconds, a water-jug handwashing station, or sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol ².
• United States (Municipality of Anchorage): bag-lined bucket or bowl, cornstarch and disinfectant after use, sealed bags in a lidded bin of at least 10 gallons, bleach 1:10 ⁴.
• New Zealand (WREMO): two-bucket method, don't flush after a major earthquake, plan to be self-sufficient for at least 30 days ³.
• Sweden (MCF / Krisinformation.se): a plan for toilet and washing without water; bags, compost bedding or sawdust, a bucket with a lid; disposal per your municipality ⁵⁶.
• World Health Organization: poor sanitation is linked to diarrhoeal disease, cholera, dysentery and typhoid ⁷.

The main differences are disposal (garden hole versus bagged collection) ³⁴, and water: Ready.gov counts sanitation within its one gallon per person per day ¹, while WREMO lists a separate 2 litres per person per day with its toilet kit ³.

Frequently asked questions

Why separate urine from faeces?

Separating them reduces smell, and it is safer because urine contains far fewer germs than faeces ³. WREMO adds that it makes the faeces bucket easier to empty and more hygienic, and advises keeping that bucket as dry as possible ³.

Can I pour a bucket of water into the toilet to flush it?

Only if the sewer is known to be working. After a major earthquake, WREMO says not to flush even if water is running, because wastewater pipes are likely broken ³. Without electricity, Sweden warns that sewage systems may not work ⁵.

What bleach dilution should I use to clean the bucket?

Anchorage specifies 1 cup of liquid bleach to 10 cups of water ⁴. WREMO recommends a dilute bleach solution when needed, without giving a ratio ³. Use plain household bleach and follow the label.

Is hand sanitizer enough?

It is the fallback. The CDC prefers soap and water for at least 20 seconds and recommends sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol only when soap and water are unavailable ².

Where do I put the bags when bins are not collected?

Keep sealed bags in a large lined bin with a tight lid ⁴, away from other household waste ³, and follow your municipality's instructions on collection ⁶.

Next step: build your kit

Buckets, bags, cover material and hand hygiene supplies appear on official lists in the United States, New Zealand and Sweden ¹³⁵, but the quantities and disposal rules depend on where you live. Start from what your own emergency agency lists, then let the Phaenyx plan count it for your household. Build your Phaenyx plan.

Sources

1. Ready.gov (U.S. Department of Homeland Security / FEMA) — Build A Kit — https://www.ready.gov/kit (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Guidelines for Personal Hygiene During an Emergency — https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/safety/guidelines-for-personal-hygiene-during-an-emergency.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO), New Zealand — Emergency toilets — https://www.wremo.nz/get-ready/home-ready/emergency-toilets (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Municipality of Anchorage, Office of Emergency Management — Sanitation and Hygiene in an Emergency — https://muni.org/Departments/OEM/Prepared/Pages/EmergencySanitation.aspx (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. Krisinformation.se (Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency) — Home preparedness — https://www.krisinformation.se/en/hazards-and-risks/home-preparedness/toilets-and-hygiene-during-a-crisis/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
6. Myndigheten för civilt försvar (MCF), Sweden — Tvätt och toalett i kris — https://www.mcf.se/sv/rad-till-privatpersoner/hemberedskap---preppa-for-en-vecka/vatten/hygien-tvatt-och-toalett/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
7. World Health Organization — Sanitation (fact sheet, 22 March 2024) — https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sanitation (accessed 2026-10-20)