Family Survival

Guides / sanitation

Sanitation and Hygiene

What to do when the toilet won't flush, how to set up a two-bucket toilet, keeping hands clean without running water, cleaning safely with bleach, and handling trash, sewage, and septic systems after a disaster.

Reviewed 2026-09-21 · 6 sections · 22 sources

Your region's section opens first once you choose your region. Every region is listed under each section below.

01 When the toilet won't flush

Human waste spreads disease fast after a disaster. Cholera, salmonella, and other illnesses spread when waste is not handled safely, and flies and rodents carry germs from it to food and water.⁠[1] Plan for toilets the same way you plan for water.

First, ask: is the sewer working?

  • If the water is off but the sewer works, you can still flush. Pour a bucket of water, at least 2 gallons, quickly into the bowl, or fill the tank and use the handle.⁠[2] Use water you are not going to drink: bath water, rinse water, or rain. General guidance.
  • If the sewer or the pipes in the street may be broken, do not flush. Flushing can let neighborhood sewage back up into your home through toilets, sinks, and floor drains.⁠[2]
  • If you have a septic system that is not flooded or damaged, pouring water to flush usually still works.⁠[2]⁠[1]

If you can't flush, line the toilet. Turn off the water valve to the toilet and flush out what is left in the bowl. Put a kitchen garbage bag inside a second bag under the seat. Add kitty litter, peat moss, or something similar to soak up liquid and cut odor. Tie off the inner bag when it is full.⁠[3]

Or use a two-bucket toilet (next section), which handles waste better over days or weeks.⁠[1]

Store toilet supplies before you need them: garbage bags, plastic ties, and moist towelettes,⁠[4] plus heavy contractor bags, toilet paper, and gloves.⁠[1]

By region

Northeast / New England
  • Homes on private wells lose water when the power goes out, because the pump is electric. Keep water set aside for flushing. General guidance.
  • Fill the bathtub before a big storm. Bathtub water is for flushing and washing, not drinking. General guidance.
Local detail: Southeastern Connecticut
  • Many homes in the more rural towns are on private wells, which stop in a power outage. Fill a bathtub before a nor'easter or hurricane so you can flush. General guidance.
  • Sign up for CT Alert to get official word on water and sewer problems by text, email, or phone.⁠[5]
Mid-Atlantic
  • During and after flooding, sewers can back up. If officials say the sewer is overwhelmed, don't flush, and use a lined toilet or buckets.⁠[2]⁠[3]
  • Store garbage bags and kitty litter with your emergency supplies.⁠[3]
Southeast & Gulf Coast
  • After a hurricane, sewer systems may be flooded or without power. Wait for local officials to say it is safe before you flush. General guidance: listen to local officials.
  • A lined toilet or two-bucket toilet keeps waste out of floodwater.⁠[3]⁠[1]
Midwest / Great Lakes
  • Flooding can overwhelm sewers and septic systems. Use your system as little as possible while the ground is flooded.⁠[6]
  • In a long derecho outage, well pumps stop.⁠[7] Keep water for flushing. General guidance.
Great Plains
  • Many rural homes have wells and septic systems. A septic system can take a poured-water flush as long as it is not flooded or damaged.⁠[2]⁠[1]
  • Keep water set aside for flushing, because the well pump stops without power. General guidance.
Mountain West
  • If you have a septic system and no water pressure, you can still flush by pouring water into the bowl.⁠[2]
  • Snowmelt can be used for flushing. General guidance.
Desert Southwest
  • Water is precious. Keep drinking water for drinking, and flush with used wash water. General guidance.
  • A lined toilet or two-bucket toilet uses no water at all.⁠[3]⁠[1]
Local detail: Tucson, AZ
  • Report sewer backups and overflows to Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation, which takes sewer calls around the clock at (520) 724-3400.⁠[8]
  • Flush with used wash water, and keep stored water for drinking. General guidance.
Pacific Northwest
  • After a major earthquake, don't use the toilet even if your home's pipes seem fine. The pipes in the street may be broken. Wait for local authorities to say it is safe.⁠[1]
  • Sewer and wastewater systems are likely to take longer to recover than drinking water after a disaster.⁠[9]
California
  • After a major earthquake, don't flush until officials say the sewer lines are working. Your home's pipes may be fine while the street's are broken.⁠[1]
  • Set up a two-bucket toilet instead.⁠[1]
Alaska
  • After a strong earthquake, don't flush until you know the sewer lines are working.⁠[1]
  • In deep cold, pipes and sewer lines can freeze. Keep a lined toilet or buckets ready. General guidance.
Hawaii
  • After a hurricane or tsunami, wait for your county to say the sewer is working before you flush. General guidance: listen to local officials.
  • Keep garbage bags and kitty litter in your 2-Weeks Ready supplies.⁠[3]⁠[10]

02 The two-bucket toilet

The two-bucket (twin-bucket) toilet is safe, cheap, and easy. Portland-area emergency planners adapted it from a New Zealand design, after seeing how hard waste was to manage after earthquakes there and in Japan. Used buckets are often free, and the rest costs less than $20.⁠[1]

Why two buckets? Pee has volume and odor but is generally sterile. Poo carries the germs. Keeping them apart cuts the smell and the amount of dangerous waste.⁠[1]

What you need: two 5-gallon buckets with lids, marked "pee" and "poo"; heavy-duty 3 to 5 mil contractor bags to line the poo bucket; a toilet seat that fits a bucket; toilet paper; disposable gloves; and a dry cover material such as sawdust, wood shavings, shredded paper, or peat moss.⁠[1] Kitty litter also works.⁠[3]

How to use it:

  1. Set the buckets up somewhere private.
  2. Try not to pee in the poo bucket. That is what causes the strong smell.
  3. After each use of the poo bucket, cover the waste completely with about half a cup of the cover material. This controls odor and keeps flies off.
  4. Keep a lid on, but not airtight.⁠[1]

Emptying it:

  • Pee bucket: when it is about a quarter full, dilute it with water if you can and pour it on the ground outdoors, in a different spot each time.⁠[1]
  • Poo bucket: fill it no more than half full. Wearing gloves, double-bag the waste, tie it tight, and store it away from food and water until officials say how to dispose of it. Do not put human waste in the regular trash.⁠[1]

By region

Northeast / New England
  • Keep the buckets in a heated room in winter so the pee bucket does not freeze. General guidance.
  • Store the kit, with bags and sawdust inside the buckets, ahead of time.⁠[1]
Local detail: Southeastern Connecticut
  • In a winter outage, keep the buckets in the warm room so they do not freeze. General guidance.
Mid-Atlantic
  • Never pour urine where it can run into floodwater, a well, or a stream. General guidance.
  • Store sealed waste bags away from floodwater and out of reach of pets.⁠[1]
Southeast & Gulf Coast
  • Heat and humidity make waste smell and draw flies fast. Cover it completely every time.⁠[1]
  • Keep the kit with your hurricane supplies. General guidance.
Midwest / Great Lakes
  • A two-bucket toilet works in an apartment or a basement shelter. General guidance.
  • Store supplies inside the buckets so the kit is ready to go.⁠[1]
Great Plains
  • In rural areas you may be able to bury waste, but never within 100 feet of a water source or where it can leach downhill into one.⁠[1]
  • Keep the buckets where they will not freeze in winter. General guidance.
Mountain West
  • If you bury waste, stay at least 100 feet from any water source.⁠[1]
  • Cold slows the breakdown of waste. Keep it bagged and sealed. General guidance.
Desert Southwest
  • Heat draws flies fast. Cover the waste completely after every use and keep the lid on.⁠[1]
  • Keep the buckets out of direct sun. General guidance.
Local detail: Tucson, AZ
  • Summer heat speeds up odor and flies. Keep the buckets indoors in the coolest room, covered, and double-bag waste tightly.⁠[1]
Pacific Northwest
  • Oregon expects a Cascadia earthquake to leave water and sewer systems unusable for weeks, months, or longer in some communities. A two-bucket toilet is the plan for that.⁠[1]
  • Oregon's 2 Weeks Ready plan includes a waste and hygiene plan.⁠[9]
California
  • After a major earthquake, a two-bucket toilet can serve for weeks while sewers are repaired.⁠[1]
  • Keep the kit where falling objects cannot crush it. General guidance.
Alaska
  • Keep the buckets in the heated part of the home so they do not freeze. General guidance.
  • If you bury waste, stay at least 100 feet from any water source.⁠[1]
Hawaii
  • Warm weather draws flies. Cover the waste completely after each use.⁠[1]
  • Keep the kit with your 2-Weeks Ready supplies.⁠[10]

03 Clean hands without running water

Good hygiene and handwashing are critical to preventing disease, and even more so in an emergency, when clean water is hard to find.⁠[11] Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.⁠[11]

Key times: before, during, and after preparing food; before eating; after using the toilet; after changing diapers; after caring for someone who is sick; and after touching garbage or animal waste.⁠[13]

Make a handwashing station. Set a jug of clean water with an on/off spigot on a table or at the sink, with soap, towels, and a bucket underneath to catch the used water. If you can, set up two: one by the toilet and one where you prepare food.⁠[1]

No soap and water? Use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.⁠[12] It does not work well on visibly dirty or greasy hands, and it does not kill every germ. Supervise young children so they do not swallow it.⁠[12]

Other hygiene:

  • Brush your teeth only with clean water.⁠[11]
  • Don't bathe in water that may carry sewage or chemicals.⁠[11]
  • Keep cuts clean and covered. Avoid floodwater with an open wound, and get medical care if a wound turns red, swollen, or oozing.⁠[11] General information, not medical advice.

By region

Northeast / New England
  • A handwashing station works indoors in winter with a catch basin in the sink.⁠[1]
  • Keep hand sanitizer in your warm-room kit. General guidance.
Local detail: Southeastern Connecticut
  • Shoreline flooding: coastal water can carry Vibrio. Keep cuts out of it and covered.⁠[11]
Mid-Atlantic
  • After a flood, keep cuts away from floodwater and cover them with a waterproof bandage.⁠[11]
  • Wash hands after any cleanup work and before eating. General guidance.
Southeast & Gulf Coast
  • Coastal floodwater can infect wounds. Bacteria such as Vibrio in salt or brackish water can cause skin infections. Keep open wounds out of it.⁠[11]
  • Get medical care fast if a wound turns red, swollen, or oozing.⁠[11]
Midwest / Great Lakes
  • Wash hands after touching garbage, animals, or animal waste.⁠[13]
  • Keep soap and a water jug with a spigot in your kit.⁠[1]
Great Plains
  • Wash hands after touching animals, animal feed, or animal waste.⁠[13]
  • Hand sanitizer is not a substitute after farm work: it does not remove chemicals like pesticides.⁠[12]
Mountain West
  • Stream and lake water can carry germs. Use clean or treated water for washing hands and brushing teeth.⁠[11]
  • Keep hand sanitizer in your go-bag. General guidance.
Desert Southwest
  • When water is short, wash hands at the key times and use sanitizer in between.⁠[13]⁠[12]
  • Reuse the catch-basin water to dilute urine before pouring it out, but never for anything else.⁠[1]
Local detail: Tucson, AZ
  • When water is short, wash at the key times and use sanitizer between washes.⁠[13]⁠[12]
Pacific Northwest
  • After an earthquake, set up two handwashing stations: one by the toilet, one by the kitchen.⁠[1]
  • Use only clean water for brushing teeth until officials say tap water is safe.⁠[11]
California
  • After a wildfire cleanup, wash with soap and water. Sanitizer may not remove chemicals such as heavy metals.⁠[12]
  • Keep a handwashing station set up during long outages.⁠[1]
Alaska
  • Where water is hauled, a spigot jug and catch basin make a little water go a long way. General guidance.
  • Wash hands after handling fish, game, or animals.⁠[13]
Hawaii
  • Keep open wounds out of floodwater and salt or brackish water, which can carry Vibrio.⁠[11]
  • Brush teeth only with clean water.⁠[11] Treat catchment water first. General guidance.

04 Cleaning and disinfecting with bleach

After a flood or sewage backup, clean first, then disinfect. never with ammonia or any other cleaner.⁠[14]

Use plain, unscented household bleach, 5% to 9% strength.⁠[14]

  • Hard surfaces (floors, sinks, tools, some toys): wash with soap and water, rinse, then sanitize with 1 cup of bleach in 5 gallons of water.⁠[14]
  • Surfaces that touch food (counters, plates): wash, rinse, then sanitize with 1 tablespoon of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Let them air dry.⁠[14]
  • Mold on hard surfaces: 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Scrub rough surfaces, rinse, and let dry.⁠[14]

Protect yourself. Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles if sewage is involved.⁠[15] Open windows and doors, and never use bleach in a closed space.⁠[15]

Dry out fast. Clean up and dry your home within a day or two after a flood if you can. Throw away what you can't clean or dry quickly, such as mattresses, carpet, upholstered furniture, and stuffed toys. Remove drywall and insulation that sewage or floodwater touched.⁠[15]

Bleach loses strength over time. Replace your bottle regularly. General guidance.

By region

Northeast / New England
  • Coastal and river flooding can push sewage into basements. Wear boots, gloves, and goggles to clean it up.⁠[15]
  • Dry the basement fast to stop mold.⁠[15]
Local detail: Southeastern Connecticut
  • Ledge Light Health District is the local health department for East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Lyme, New London, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Stonington, and Waterford. It is the place to call with local public health questions after a flood.⁠[16]
Mid-Atlantic
  • Flooding and sewage backups are common after tropical storms. Clean, then disinfect, and throw out what can't be dried.⁠[15]
  • never with ammonia or any other cleaner.⁠[14]
Southeast & Gulf Coast
  • Floodwater can carry sewage and farm and industrial waste. Protect your skin and eyes during cleanup.⁠[15]
  • In heat, take breaks, drink water, and work in cooler hours.⁠[15]
Midwest / Great Lakes
  • River floods soak basements. Remove drywall and insulation that floodwater touched.⁠[15]
  • If sewage backed up into the basement, clean the area and disinfect the floor.⁠[6]
Great Plains
  • Floodwater on farms can carry agricultural waste. Wear boots, gloves, and goggles.⁠[15]
  • never with ammonia or any other cleaner.⁠[14]
Mountain West
  • After a flash flood, clean and dry quickly to prevent mold.⁠[15]
  • Open windows when you use bleach indoors.⁠[14]
Desert Southwest
  • After a monsoon flood, clean and sanitize hard surfaces with the bleach mix.⁠[14]
  • Do cleanup work in the cooler hours of the day.⁠[15]
Local detail: Tucson, AZ
  • After a monsoon flood, clean and sanitize hard surfaces, and dry the home quickly.⁠[14]⁠[15] The monsoon season runs through September 30.⁠[17]
Pacific Northwest
  • Heavy rain and flooding can back up sewers. Wear rubber boots, gloves, and goggles to clean up sewage.⁠[15]
  • Damp climates grow mold fast. Dry wet areas quickly.⁠[15]
California
  • After floods or mudslides, clean then sanitize surfaces, and throw out what can't be dried.⁠[15]
  • never with ammonia or any other cleaner.⁠[14]
Alaska
  • After spring breakup flooding, clean and disinfect anything floodwater touched.⁠[15]
  • Open windows for fresh air when using bleach, even in the cold.⁠[14]
Hawaii
  • Heat and humidity grow mold fast after a flood. Dry out quickly.⁠[15]
  • Clean and sanitize hard surfaces with the bleach mix.⁠[14]

05 Trash, rodents, and flies

When trash pickup stops, garbage piles up fast, and flies, pests, and rodents spread germs from waste to food and water.⁠[1]

  • Seal it. Keep garbage in heavy bags, tied, inside cans with tight lids. General guidance.
  • Keep human waste separate. Double-bag it and store it apart from other garbage, away from food and water, in a dedicated can. Secure it from pets, flies, and rats.⁠[1]
  • Cover toilet waste every time so flies do not settle on it.⁠[1]
  • Store food in tight containers so pests can't reach it.⁠[18]
  • Wash your hands after touching garbage.⁠[13]

No toilet at all, for a day or two? A "cat hole" is a last resort: at least 6 inches deep, on dry land, at least 100 feet from wells, homes, and open water. Cover it and pack the dirt down.⁠[3]

Keep a supply of heavy garbage bags and ties in your kit.⁠[4]

By region

Northeast / New England
  • Snow can delay pickup for days. Keep extra bags and a lidded can. General guidance.
  • Keep garbage in a closed can so animals can't get into it. General guidance.
Local detail: Southeastern Connecticut
  • After a nor'easter or hurricane, pickup may stop for days. Keep extra heavy bags and a lidded can. General guidance.
Mid-Atlantic
  • Flood debris draws rodents. Keep food sealed and trash in lidded cans.⁠[1]
  • Store bagged waste above flood level. General guidance.
Southeast & Gulf Coast
  • Heat and humidity speed up rot and flies. Tie bags tightly and keep cans closed.⁠[1]
  • After a hurricane, pickup can stop for a long time. Stock extra heavy bags. General guidance.
Midwest / Great Lakes
  • After a flood, rodents move into homes. Seal food and trash.⁠[1]
  • Keep human waste out of the regular trash.⁠[1]
Great Plains
  • On farms and ranches, keep waste well away from wells and water.⁠[1]
  • Bagged garbage outdoors draws animals. Use a lidded can. General guidance.
Mountain West
  • Bears and other wildlife will get into unsecured trash. Use a secure container. General guidance.
  • Keep waste far from streams and water sources.⁠[1]
Desert Southwest
  • Heat speeds up odor and flies. Tie bags tight, keep cans lidded, and keep them in the shade. General guidance.
  • Cover toilet waste completely every time.⁠[1]
Local detail: Tucson, AZ
  • Summer heat makes garbage rot fast. Tie bags tight, keep cans lidded and shaded, and keep human waste double-bagged and separate.⁠[1]
Pacific Northwest
  • After a major earthquake, you may have to store waste until the sewer system is fixed. Keep it double-bagged and separate.⁠[1]
  • Rain soaks paper bags. Use plastic bags inside lidded cans. General guidance.
California
  • After an earthquake, store bagged waste separately from other garbage until officials say how to dispose of it.⁠[1]
  • Keep food sealed from rodents.⁠[18]
Alaska
  • Bears are drawn to garbage. Keep it in a secure container. General guidance.
  • If you must bury waste, stay at least 100 feet from water.⁠[1]
Hawaii
  • Warm weather means flies all year. Cover waste and keep cans closed.⁠[1]
  • Rats spread disease. Keep food and trash sealed.⁠[1]

06 Sewers, septic systems, and floods

If your septic system is flooded:

  • Don't use it while the soil is saturated. Wastewater won't be treated and will pollute.⁠[6]
  • Don't use it until the water in the drainfield is lower than the water level around the house.⁠[6]
  • Don't pump the tank while the ground is flooded. The tank can float out of the ground and break its pipes.⁠[6]
  • Plug basement drains and use as little water as you can. Using it less is the only way to prevent a backup.⁠[6]
  • Don't drink well water until it has been tested.⁠[6]
  • Only trained specialists should clean or repair a septic tank, because tanks can hold dangerous gases.⁠[6]

If sewage backs up into your home, clean the area and disinfect the floor.⁠[6] Wear rubber boots, gloves, and goggles.⁠[15]

After an earthquake, avoid the toilet even if your own pipes look fine, because the pipes in the street may be broken. A septic system may still be usable if you see no leaks or backups.⁠[1]

By region

Northeast / New England
  • Frozen septic systems: use warm water daily, such as one warm laundry load, but never leave water running. Never add antifreeze, salt, or additives, and never light a fire over the system.⁠[19]
  • A layer of mulch 8 to 12 inches thick over the tank and pipes helps insulate it, but don't add it once the system has frozen.⁠[19]
Local detail: Southeastern Connecticut
  • Shoreline and river flooding: homes on septic should cut water use and not pump the tank until the ground drains.⁠[6]
  • Ledge Light Health District serves nine towns in the area, including Groton, New London, and Waterford. Ask it for local septic contractors and well-testing advice.⁠[16]⁠[6]
Mid-Atlantic
  • Flooding and sewage backup are major risks. Plug basement drains and cut water use while the ground is saturated.⁠[6]
  • Don't drink well water after a flood until it is tested.⁠[6]⁠[20]
Southeast & Gulf Coast
  • After a hurricane, don't use a flooded septic system, and don't pump it until the ground drains.⁠[6]
  • Have a flooded private well tested before you drink from it.⁠[20]
Midwest / Great Lakes
  • River floods saturate drainfields. Wait until the water in the drainfield is lower than around the house.⁠[6]
  • If the septic system freezes in winter, call a professional. Don't run water nonstop to thaw it.⁠[19]
Great Plains
  • Keep heavy vehicles and equipment off a wet drainfield. Compacted soil can ruin it.⁠[6]
  • In winter, spread out water use and fix leaky fixtures to help prevent freezing.⁠[19]
Mountain West
  • Cold snaps can freeze septic lines. Use warm water daily and never add antifreeze.⁠[19]
  • After a flash flood, have the septic system inspected if you suspect damage.⁠[6]
Desert Southwest
  • After a monsoon flood, don't use the septic system while the ground is saturated.⁠[6]
  • Heat speeds up odor from a backup. Clean it up and disinfect quickly.⁠[6]
Local detail: Tucson, AZ
  • Sewer overflows and backups on the public system go to Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation, (520) 724-3400, any hour.⁠[8]
  • Sign up for Pima County emergency alerts at myalerts.pima.gov.⁠[21]
Pacific Northwest
  • A Cascadia earthquake could leave water and sewer systems unusable for weeks or longer.⁠[1] Don't flush until the lines are checked.
  • A septic system may still be usable after an earthquake if it shows no leaks or backups.⁠[1]
California
  • After an earthquake, the pipes in the street may be broken even when yours are fine. Don't flush until officials say it's safe.⁠[1]
  • After floods or mudslides, septic tanks can fill with silt and need professional cleaning.⁠[6]
Alaska
  • Frozen septic systems: never add antifreeze or salt, never light a fire over the system, and call a professional.⁠[19]
  • After an earthquake, don't flush until you know the sewer lines are working.⁠[1]
Hawaii
  • Hawaiʻi has about 88,000 cesspools, which don't treat waste, only dispose of it, often in direct contact with groundwater.⁠[22]
  • After flooding, use a cesspool or septic system as little as possible until the ground drains. General guidance, based on EPA's septic advice.⁠[6]

Sources for this guide

Numbers in brackets in the text link here. Items marked General guidance are widely accepted practice rather than a figure from one source.

  1. Survival Basics: Sanitation and Waste Management (EM 9334) · Oregon State University Extension Service · checked 2026-09-21
  2. Sanitation in a Disaster · City of Ivins, Utah · checked 2026-09-21
  3. Toilet Use During an Emergency · Washington State Department of Health · checked 2026-09-21
  4. Build a Kit · Ready.gov (FEMA) · checked 2026-09-21
  5. CT Alert · State of Connecticut · checked 2026-09-21
  6. Septic Systems - What to Do after the Flood · US EPA · checked 2026-09-21
  7. Facts About Derechos · NOAA Storm Prediction Center · checked 2026-09-21
  8. Wastewater Reclamation Customer Portal, Need Help · Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department · checked 2026-09-21
  9. Be 2 Weeks Ready · Oregon Department of Emergency Management · checked 2026-09-21
  10. 2-Weeks Ready in Hawaiʻi · Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency · checked 2026-09-21
  11. Guidelines for Personal Hygiene During an Emergency · CDC · checked 2026-09-21
  12. Hand Sanitizer Guidelines and Recommendations · CDC · checked 2026-09-21
  13. About Handwashing · CDC · checked 2026-09-21
  14. How to Safely Clean and Sanitize with Bleach · CDC · checked 2026-09-21
  15. Guidelines for Cleaning Safely After a Disaster · CDC · checked 2026-09-21
  16. Ledge Light Health District · Town of East Lyme, CT · checked 2026-09-21
  17. Monsoon (NWS Tucson) · National Weather Service Tucson · checked 2026-09-21
  18. Food and Water in an Emergency · FEMA · checked 2026-09-21
  19. Don't let your septic system freeze · Minnesota Pollution Control Agency · checked 2026-09-21
  20. Protect Your Home's Water (private wells) · U.S. EPA · checked 2026-09-21
  21. Pima County Emergency Alerts · Pima County Office of Emergency Management · checked 2026-09-21
  22. Cesspools in Hawaiʻi · Hawaii Department of Health, Wastewater Branch · checked 2026-09-21