I've been looking at various ways to safely/conveniently/economically store large quantities of Potable Water.
I was leaning toward storing several 5 gallon water jugs in my basement then simply replacing them with fresh water every 6 - 12 months. But to store a decent supply for even a moderate emergency would require a lot of jugs and possibly take up a lot of space depending on stack-ability
Then I thought about Commercially available Rain Barrels:
1 - Rain barrel outside to catch water for sanitation (watering gardens, Lawns, and flushing toilets should local water system go down)
1 - Rain barrel inside, filled from household taps and sealed (Drinking water, cooking) Then every 6 - 12 months this can be drained using the tap located at the bottom of the barrel with a hose running to a basement drain. Worse case scenario this water could be treated with bleach or other purification chemical before consumed.
My question here is: Does anyone know if Potable water can be safely stored in Commercial Rain Barrels for indoor use? Or would it be better to stick to smaller container options?
If anyone else has any suggestions for safely & economically storing large quantities of water I'd like to hear them
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Water storage has been a thorn in my side for a while. If you do find 55 gal drums that are food grade, they will likely be expensive. I would not use commercial rain barrels, as 6 - 12 months could be considered long term storage, and you risk some contamination. However, other than an off taste or smell, I believe you would have to consume quite a bit of this "contaminated" water...and I mean years worth to have any real noticeable health issues from it. Of course now, I have two wells at my house, one deep well that is connected to the house using a 120v pump, and a shallow well that we can use buckets on a rope to draw from. The plan is to use the shallow well if SHTF and treat with boiling/chlorine for drinking. The problem with 5 gallon water carriers is the cost. At around $15.00 a piece this is an expensive option. What I have done for storage water is to buy 1 gallon spring water at local grocery stores when they go on sale for $0.99 a piece. 5 of them cost $5.00 instead of $15.00 and they already come with water in them. I did use this water every 6 months or so and replace it with treated tap water.
Thank You all for your input 🙂
I'm now considering moving away from the idea of a Large indoor Rain Barrel to smaller more easily maintainable storage simply because of the cost factor of Commercial Rain Barrels. Smaller storage options are considerably cheaper.
Thank you again for your input. 🙂
Keep in mind that if you can get your hands on some used plastic barrels, they are great for storing non potable water. This water can be used for gardening and toilet flushing and used barrels are relatively cheap. Try car washes, they sometimes get their soap in 55 gallon plastic barrels and will part with them for not much money. I have a few like this that I get free from work. I work at a print shop and we get industrial grade solvents in them. I would NEVER use these for drinking water, but after a good rinsing, They hold about 50 toilet flushes each.
Found a couple old plastic 55 Gallon Barrels, that won't cost me a thing 🙂
It will be a couple months before I can go get them, but its worth the wait if it'll save the cost of buying them commercially.
I won't be able to use them for potable water storage, but they'll work well for watering Lawns, Gardens, Flushing Toilets. ect.
Half way there 🙂
If you've got the money to spend and are looking for something to last a family of 4 about 2-3 months then this is your best option.
250-gallon-super-tanker-blue
Almost the same storage as 5 55gal drums and takes up less floor space than 2 drums. I have the smaller 125gal model and it's fantastic. There is also an additive to make the water safe for 5 years so that you don't have to replace it every 6-12 months.
aerobic-oxygen-8-oz-bottle
No, I don't work for them, not affiliated in any way. Just a very satisfied customer. Shipping is a little steep due to it being an oversize item but if it's alot of water storage you're looking for then this is the way to go.The place I got mine from is in Cochrane, Alberta.
Also, beofre I got the smaller one I inquired as to shipping prices. I was informed that a larger order, i.e. more than 2 or 3 would be cheaper individually because they would have to go by truck. This means the shipping cost gets spread around all the items instead of the 1 unit taking it all. Might be a great group purchase down the road.
I have a dug well, with a lid that can be taken off and rope and bucket to get water, pain in the ass in winter because its down hill from the house, and if there is lost of snow its a hard trudge. My concern is if there is a earth quake and it take out the cement rings that contain my well. My other plan was to have a cistern, many of the old home still have them.
If you've got the money to spend and are looking for something to last a family of 4 about 2-3 months then this is your best option.
250-gallon-super-tanker-blue
Almost the same storage as 5 55gal drums and takes up less floor space than 2 drums. I have the smaller 125gal model and it's fantastic. There is also an additive to make the water safe for 5 years so that you don't have to replace it every 6-12 months.
aerobic-oxygen-8-oz-bottle
No, I don't work for them, not affiliated in any way. Just a very satisfied customer. Shipping is a little steep due to it being an oversize item but if it's alot of water storage you're looking for then this is the way to go.The place I got mine from is in Cochrane, Alberta.
Also, beofre I got the smaller one I inquired as to shipping prices. I was informed that a larger order, i.e. more than 2 or 3 would be cheaper individually because they would have to go by truck. This means the shipping cost gets spread around all the items instead of the 1 unit taking it all. Might be a great group purchase down the road.
I've done business with the Company in Cochrane that you refer to, Great Company. I've looked at the Super Tankers and I admit they would be nice, but the shipping is a bit much for my personal budget.
My recommendation for Long term potable water storage is to simply go with Bottled water. Its cheap and typically commercial bottled water has a shelf life of 18 months to 2 years. Maybe not the best option for everyone, but it is a cheap and convenient alternative.
DaScribbler
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I hear freeze dried / dehydrated water is good to store... just add water and poof! ha ha welll in cardston alberta there is a survival supply store which carries water storage barrels of all sizes... 250 gallons to 5 gallons.. I'm sure you can find them any where ... a good idea would be to learn a bit about water purification... that way if the water is a bit off taste you could clean it and have good water to drink.
Water has an indefinite shelf-life---it just needs purifying.
I had stored gallon jugs for 3 years---I was gonna run them through the Berkey. No bleach, no filtering process before saving. Now, saying that--I had the commercial bottles I bought crack--not the juice, etc.
Also, I had 5 gallon buckets from delis for $1 empty, just sitting, and filled them with water.
But, dh and I last week made a run 150 miles (twice) to Lexington, Ky to get 30 gallon drums ($10 each)for the garage.
I'm pleased with them. They are only stacked 2 high. I also am looking into ION Stabilized Oxygen for back up with the pool shock and Berkey filter system. And, when emptied, I csn catch rainwater with them.
I also had 3-- 45 gallon trash cans, plastic with rollers from Lowe's, and for almost a year, they are filled with water. Water looks fine--- I will run that through the Berkey before drinking and Tang for any off taste(and vitamin C).
If there is a SHTF moment here, we plan on using a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat for our bathroom needs---I have kitty litter (lime is on my list to buy) and hundreds of garbage bags. My water will be used for my food and drink needs. I didn't have an inside toilet until I was 6 years old.
These are the plastic food grade drums...
http://www.lexingtoncontainercompany.com/Poly-Drums.html
