Best Books on Water Storage and Purification for Preppers (2026)
Few books are only about purifying water. Most of the good ones cover the whole supply: storing it, catching rain, running a well or spring, and reusing greywater. This list mixes both, starting with the books that cover emergency water at home.
9 books, ranked. Affiliate links.
#1
Prepper's Water Survival Guide
Daisy Luther
A short, focused guide to finding, storing, and purifying water in an emergency. Good for a first water plan. Beginner level, 224 pages, 2015 edition.
beginner
#2
When All Hell Breaks Loose
Cody Lundin
Cody Lundin's guide to surviving disasters at home: water, sanitation, food, and heat, with humor and common sense. Beginner level, 480 pages, 2007 edition.
beginner
#3
Water Storage
Art Ludwig
Covers tanks, cisterns, and ponds: sizing, materials, and keeping stored water safe. Practical for anyone planning more than a few jugs. Intermediate level, 125 pages, 2007 edition.
intermediate
#4
The Home Water Supply
Stu Campbell
An older Storey guide to wells, springs, pumps, and plumbing for rural homes. The basics of water systems haven't changed much. Intermediate level, 236 pages, 1983 edition.
intermediate
#5
Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond
Brad Lancaster
Shows how to read your land and capture rain with earthworks and tanks. Volume 1 is the place to start. Intermediate level, 304 pages, 2012 edition.
intermediate
#6
The Water-Wise Home
Laura Allen
A homeowner's guide to rainwater catchment, greywater, and cutting water use. Clear and well illustrated. Beginner level, 2015 edition.
beginner
#7
Create an Oasis with Greywater
Art Ludwig
How to reuse household greywater safely for irrigation. Useful when water is scarce or rationed. Intermediate level, 2Rev Ed edition (2000).
intermediate
#8
Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Plumbing
Editors of Cool Springs Press, Chris Peterson
Photo guide to home plumbing repairs and installs. Intermediate level, 288 pages, Updated 8th edition (2023).
intermediate
#9
The Resilient Farm and Homestead
Ben Falk
Ben Falk's detailed account of designing a resilient Vermont homestead, from water systems to food forests. Advanced level, 304 pages, 2013 edition.
advanced
See the full water section of the directory.
How we picked
Every book here is a print reference you could actually use during an emergency, and every edition, ISBN, and page count was checked against Open Library or the publisher. If we couldn't verify a detail, we left it out. The order is our editorial judgment: books a beginner can use come first, then specialist references. Free legal copies are flagged, and we never link to pirated PDFs. Affiliate commissions don't decide what gets listed or where it ranks.
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