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How do I make an emergency toilet when the toilet won't flush?

By , The Steady Prepper · · 10 min read · Health, first aid and sanitation

Short answer (checked November 3, 2026): first work out why the toilet won't flush. If only the water supply is off and the sewer still works, pour 2 to 3 gallons (7.5 to 11 liters) of non-drinking water into the bowl to flush it. If the sewer or septic system might be damaged, after an earthquake, a flood or a long grid-down emergency, don't flush at all and use a two-bucket toilet: one lidded bucket for urine, one bag-lined bucket for feces, covered after each use with a dry material like sawdust.

That first question matters more than any product you could buy, because pouring water into a toilet that drains into a broken sewer can push sewage back toward your home or your neighbors. The guidance below comes from health departments and emergency managers in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Step 1: Can you still flush? A quick decision table

Your situation Can you flush? What to do
Water off, sewer working (planned shutoff, burst main) Yes, by pouring water Pour 2 to 3 gal (7.5 to 11 L) of non-drinking water
Power out, home on a grinder pump Barely Limit flushing to solids; the pump basin only holds a few dozen gallons
After a strong earthquake No, until officials say so Two-bucket toilet
Flooded septic system or flooded area No Two-bucket toilet until a licensed plumber checks the system
Officials say "do not flush" (for example, a national power outage) No Two-bucket toilet or bag-lined bowl

Why "no" after an earthquake even if the bathroom looks fine: Oregon State University Extension warns that "your home's pipes might be OK but pipes in the street may be broken," and Island County, Washington's twin-bucket pamphlet says not to flush "until given the OK by a local official." Listen to local radio or alerts for that all-clear.

Option 1: Pour-flush when only the water is off

If the sewer is working, Polk County, Oregon's disaster sanitation guide says you can flush by pouring 2 to 3 gallons (about 7.5 to 11 liters) of water into the bowl.

Use water you would not drink: bath water you filled before the shutoff, pool water, or rain barrel water. UK water companies give the same advice; Thames Water and Bristol Water both suggest filling a bucket from a water butt and pouring it into the bowl. Polk County is clear that water brought in for drinking must not be used for flushing.

To stretch it, flush solids only and let urine wait. Martin County, Florida's example household day assumes 15 flushes; pour-flushed at 2 to 3 gallons each, that would be 30 to 45 gallons (115 to 170 L). Our water storage calculator covers drinking water; flushing water is extra.

Option 2: Build a two-bucket toilet (the method agencies recommend)

The twin-bucket, or "no-mix," toilet was adapted by Pacific Northwest emergency planners from the system New Zealand households used after the Christchurch earthquakes. Island County says that after those quakes, 50,000 people were left without a working sewer "for months." It is cheap: Island County puts buckets, lids and a seat at "$20 or less."

You need:

How to set it up and use it:

  1. Label the buckets "pee" and "poo" (or #1 and #2) and set them in a private spot, ideally your bathroom.
  2. Leave the urine bucket unlined. WREMO adds 2 to 3 cm (about 1 inch) of water to the bottom.
  3. Line the feces bucket with a heavy-duty bag.
  4. After each bowel movement, cover it completely with about half a cup of dry material, per Oregon State. That stops odor and keeps flies off.
  5. Put used toilet paper in the feces bucket, not the urine bucket, so urine stays easy to pour out later.
  6. Keep lids on between uses. Oregon State says to leave the feces bucket not quite airtight so it dries and shrinks.
  7. Wash hands every time (see the hygiene section below).

Why two buckets: Bruce County, Ontario notes that "a day's worth of pee has almost 10 times the volume of poo," and urine causes the strong smell when the two mix. Island County adds that the feces bucket "contains most of the pathogens," so keeping them apart means the risky bucket fills slowly.

Option 3: Line the toilet bowl (for limited mobility or short stints)

If climbing onto a bucket is hard, the Washington State Department of Health describes using the toilet you already have:

  1. Turn off the water valve to the toilet.
  2. Flush or bail out the water left in the bowl.
  3. Line the bowl under the seat with a kitchen garbage bag inside a second bag.
  4. Add kitty litter, peat moss or a similar absorbent to the inner bag.
  5. Tie off the inner bag when needed and store it away from children, pets and wildlife.

New Zealand agencies treat this as a last resort because mixed waste spills more easily and smells worse, but it suits anyone who needs the support of a normal toilet.

How much to stock: supplies per person

Most guides stop at "get a bucket." Here is the math for how much you actually need. The rates come from the agencies cited; the totals are worked examples.

Item Rate from the guidance 2 weeks, 1 person 2 weeks, family of 4
Waste volume About 5 gal (19 L) per person per week (Oregon OEM) 10 gal (38 L) 40 gal (151 L)
Cover material About a gallon bag (3.8 L) per day (Island County) 14 gal (53 L) 14 to 28 gal (53 to 106 L)
Feces bucket fill time About a week for 2 people (Island County) 1 bucket every 2 weeks 2 bucket loads a week
Heavy-duty bags One per feces bucket load, doubled when storing 2 to 4 8 to 10

Example scenario (an illustration with stated assumptions, not a real household): a family of four plans for 14 days without a sewer. Using Island County's fill rate of about a week per bucket for two people, they will fill about four feces bucket loads, so they stock a box of 20 contractor bags (enough to double bag each load with spares). For cover material, they buy one compressed bale of pine shavings or peat moss and save a bag of shredded paper, aiming for the 14 to 28 gallons above. Urine goes into the unlined bucket and is emptied daily as local officials allow. Check local prices before you budget.

Store the whole kit inside the buckets.

Where the waste goes

Local rules differ, so check your own city or county's emergency page now, while things are calm.

Island County says diapers, pads and pet waste go in the trash, not the buckets.

Should you add bleach?

Seattle and Polk County both recommend pouring a solution of 1 part liquid chlorine bleach to 10 parts water into the container after each use to reduce odor and germs. If you do:

With a no-mix bucket and dry cover material, bleach is optional; keep it for cleaning the seat and buckets.

Septic tanks and grinder pumps: special cases

Grinder pumps (common in low-lying US subdivisions) need electricity. When the power is out, every flush fills a small basin. Upper Providence Township, Pennsylvania says its pumps have 38 to 46 gallons of space at the start of an outage, about 23 to 28 flushes, and Martin County, Florida puts its basins at a little over 80 gallons. Once it's full, wastewater can back up into your lowest drain, so switch to buckets early in a long outage. If you plan to run the pump from a generator, Martin County lists the outlet and size its pumps need, and our sister site covers safe generator placement.

Septic systems that weren't flooded can often keep working. Oregon State says a septic system "may be safe to continue using as long as you do not see signs of leaking or backing up." After a flood, NSW Health in Australia says not to use any toilets connected to a flood-affected system until a licensed plumber or technician has inspected it, and to cut water use until then. Systems with pumps or aerators also need power, and NSW Health says an undamaged tank can serve as a temporary holding tank that is pumped out.

Keep hands clean without running water

The CDC says to wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, set up a temporary handwashing station with a large water jug if tap water isn't available, and use an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol when you have no soap and water.

The UK CMOs suggest a shared washing-up bowl of water with soap or household disinfectant for handwashing after the toilet, with a separate bowl for anyone with diarrhea. If you need to treat water for handwashing, our guide to purifying water in an emergency has the bleach doses.

Bruce County adds two habits worth copying: make one adult responsible for emptying the buckets, and keep the toilet well away from food.

Your emergency toilet kit checklist

Store it with your other supplies, and check it when you check your emergency cash and water every six months.

Sources

All checked November 3, 2026.

Quick answers

How do you make an emergency toilet?

The simplest version used by emergency managers in Washington, Oregon and New Zealand is a two-bucket toilet: two 5-gallon (about 20 liter) buckets with tight lids, one for urine and one for feces. Line the feces bucket with a heavy-duty bag and cover each use with about half a cup of sawdust, shredded paper or peat moss. Keep lids on and store the waste until officials say how to dispose of it.

Can I flush my toilet with a bucket of water when the water is off?

Yes, if the sewer is still working. Pour about 2 to 3 gallons (7.5 to 11 liters) of non-drinking water, such as bath, pool or rain barrel water, straight into the bowl. Do not do this after an earthquake, a flood or a sewer warning, because the pipes under your street may be broken even if your house looks fine.

Why keep urine and feces separate in an emergency toilet?

Separating them cuts the smell and makes each easier to handle. Island County, Washington notes that urine carries almost no health risk while the feces bucket holds most of the germs, and Bruce County, Ontario says a day's urine has almost 10 times the volume of feces, which is why a single mixed bucket fills fast and smells worse.

What do I do with the waste from an emergency toilet?

Follow your local officials. Most US guidance says to double bag, tie and store waste in a lidded outdoor bin away from children, pets and food until you are told how to dispose of it. Seattle allows bagged waste in household garbage during emergencies only, while Polk County, Oregon says it must not go in regular garbage, so the local rule decides.

Owen Hartley is the pen name of The Steady Prepper's editorial team. Guidance comes from the official and manufacturer sources linked above, checked on the date shown. Follow instructions from your local authorities in a real emergency. Example scenarios are illustrations with stated assumptions, not real households. Some links may be affiliate links that pay us a commission at no extra cost to you.