How much household bleach is needed to disinfect 1,000 gallons of clear water?

• A. 1 Pint
• B. 1 Quart
• C. 2 Pints
• D. 4 Pints

Answer: (A)

Disinfecting water with household bleach relies on delivering a small, known amount of available chlorine relative to the volume being treated. For clear water, a common emergency guideline is about 8 drops of 5–6% sodium hypochlorite per gallon. Multiply by 1,000 gallons and you get roughly 8,000 drops, which works out to about 0.4 liters of bleach. A pint is about 0.47 liters, so one pint provides more than enough to reach the needed chlorine level, with a bit of margin. After mixing thoroughly, let the water sit for about 30 minutes to ensure disinfection, and you should smell a faint chlorine odor indicating the right residual. This amount is appropriate for clear water; using more would create an excess chlorine taste/odor, while using less could fail to disinfect.