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Hosting Thanksgiving? How to Plan Your 5-Gallon Water for the Long Weekend
Taj Water Team · · 7 min read
Hosting Thanksgiving this year? Plan extra 5-gallon jugs, order before the long weekend, and sort out purified vs distilled for cooking, coffee and linens.
Thanksgiving Monday falls on October 12 this year, and for a lot of Lower Mainland households that means a full house: family in from out of town, a dinner that takes over the kitchen for a day and a half, and a coffee pot that never seems to be empty.
It also means your water goes faster than usual. If you rely on 5-gallon jugs at home, the long weekend is the one time of year when "we still have one left" can turn into "who's going to the store?" right in the middle of making gravy. Here's a simple way to plan your water for Thanksgiving so you can focus on the turkey instead.
Why water runs out on a long weekend
On a normal week, most homes settle into a rhythm with their jugs. A holiday weekend breaks that rhythm in a few ways at once:
- More people. Overnight guests drink water and make tea just like you do.
- More cooking. Potatoes, vegetables, stuffing, stock, gravy and the big pot of soup the next day all start with water.
- More coffee and tea. A full table after dinner can empty a coffee maker and a kettle more than once.
- Fewer chances to restock. Stores are busy before a long weekend, and nobody wants to haul heavy jugs through a wet parking lot on a rainy October Saturday.
None of this is a problem if you plan a few minutes ahead.
Step 1: Check your normal rhythm
Start with what you know: how many jugs your household usually goes through between deliveries, and how many full ones are on hand right now.
If you're not sure, our guide on how many 5-gallon jugs you need per month walks through an easy way to estimate.
Step 2: Think about the extra
Next, picture the weekend. A few questions help:
- Are guests staying over, or just coming for dinner? A houseful of overnight guests for three or four days uses a lot more than a single dinner.
- Who's cooking what? If you're making stock, soup or a lot of sides from scratch, you'll go through more.
- How much coffee and tea does your crowd drink? Some families brew a pot every couple of hours.
Most hosts find it easiest to add a spare jug or two on top of their normal order. An extra full jug sitting in the pantry is far better than an empty cooler on Sunday night, and anything you don't use simply carries over to the following week.
Step 3: Order before the long weekend
Timing is the part that catches people out. Long weekends are busy, and you want your jugs in the house before your guests arrive.
You can order as many or as few jugs as you need, and if you're already on a schedule, you can add extras to your usual delivery. Running low before your next scheduled delivery? Get in touch and we'll get you topped up. When you order, we can usually deliver this week, with next-day slots often available in most of our service area. Holiday weeks fill up quickly, so it's worth contacting us early to confirm timing for your address.
New to delivery? Our jug exchange guide explains how the reusable jugs and the refundable bottle deposit work on your first order.
Purified or distilled: which jugs for which jobs?
Both come in the same reusable 5-gallon jug and can arrive on the same delivery. For a hosting weekend, here's how they usually split up:
| Thanksgiving job | Best fit | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Drinking water for guests | 5-gallon purified | Keep a full spare jug close to the cooler so nobody has to hunt for one |
| Cooking: potatoes, stock, gravy, soup | 5-gallon purified | Fill pots straight from the jug to keep the taste consistent from dish to dish |
| Coffee and tea | 5-gallon purified | Fill the kettle and coffee maker from the same supply you drink |
| Ice cubes and pitchers | 5-gallon purified | Make ice a day or two ahead so you're not waiting on trays during dinner |
| Steam iron and fabric steamer for table linens | 5-gallon distilled | Distilled has virtually all minerals removed, which is why it's the usual pick for irons and steamers |
| Coffee or espresso machine that calls for distilled | 5-gallon distilled | Check your machine's manual first |
5-gallon purified water is the everyday choice for drinking, cooking, coffee and tea. It goes through a multi-stage filtration and purification process.
5-gallon distilled water is meant for appliances and equipment, such as irons, steamers and coffee and espresso machines. It isn't necessary for everyday drinking. If you're pulling out the good tablecloth and napkins this weekend, a jug of distilled for the iron or steamer is a handy add-on. For a deeper look at coffee equipment, see our post on distilled vs purified water for espresso machines.
You can learn more about both on our water page.
Setting up water for a houseful of guests
A little setup goes a long way when the house is full:
- Make water self-serve. Put glasses or a pitcher next to the cooler so guests can help themselves without asking.
- Stage a spare. Keep one full jug near the cooler or in the pantry, so swapping an empty takes seconds.
- Give the kitchen its own supply. If the cooler is in another room, a pitcher on the counter saves trips while you cook.
Storing extra jugs over the weekend
When you have more jugs than usual in the house, where you put them matters:
- Keep them cool and out of the sun. A pantry, closet, basement or shaded corner works well. Avoid spots beside the oven, a fireplace or a heater, which are all working overtime on a cold, wet October weekend.
- Keep them away from chemicals and strong smells. If the garage is your overflow spot, keep jugs well away from paint, gasoline, solvents and cleaning products.
- Leave the caps on until you're ready to use a jug.
- Store jugs upright and low, on a solid, level surface, where nobody will trip over them on the way to the table.
After the weekend
When the leftovers are packed up, a couple of quick steps keep everything on track:
- Put your empties out in your usual drop-off spot for the next delivery, ideally with the caps on. We swap them for full jugs, with nothing to rinse or recycle.
- Adjust your schedule if you need to. There are no long-term contracts. You can pause, skip or change your deliveries anytime, which helps if you're travelling later in the fall.
- Keep a jug in reserve for storm season. The wet, windy months are just starting. Our emergency drinking water storage guide has tips on planning ahead.
Hosting a Thanksgiving potluck at work instead? Our office water station setup checklist covers planning water for a busy breakroom.
Where we deliver
We run our own delivery routes from our Port Coquitlam facility, with no third-party couriers. That includes Mary Hill and Citadel Heights in Port Coquitlam, Fleetwood and Cloverdale in Surrey, and Silver Valley and Albion in Maple Ridge. We also serve Coquitlam, Port Moody, Burnaby, New Westminster, Vancouver, Richmond, Delta, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Pitt Meadows and Langley.
FAQ
Can I add extra jugs to my regular delivery just for Thanksgiving?
Yes. Order as many or as few jugs as you need. Add extras for the long weekend, then go back to your usual schedule afterward.
Do you deliver on Thanksgiving Monday?
Holiday schedules can shift, so the safest plan is to have your jugs at home before the weekend starts. Contact us to confirm delivery timing for your address.
Can I get purified and distilled water on the same delivery?
Yes. Both come in reusable 5-gallon jugs, and you can add both to the same order.
What if I order too much?
Extra full jugs simply carry over. You can also skip or change your next delivery so your supply evens out.
How much will a holiday order cost?
It depends on how many jugs you need and whether you add distilled water. Current pricing is on our products page, and our FAQ answers common questions about ordering and delivery.
Get your water sorted before the guests arrive
Choose your purified and distilled jugs, add a spare for the long weekend, and we'll bring them to your door. Start your order today.
Questions about timing or adding extra jugs? Get in touch or call us at (778) 504-7880. You'll talk to a real person on our local team.