I have been saving my older 1000 litre totes for my garden use, but i think i'll commit them one by one each year,into the ground as cisterns when i move to the bush. Will try to rig a good seal for a short pipe, thru the cap, with a threaded 2" removable plastic cap for installing a cheap pitcher pump.They won't freeze if i dig a 5' pit, or tarp/mound over the top anyway for rain drainage. Disguise with a bottom-drilled stump which wont put too much weight on the centre of the tote.
I figure if i leave the cage on the tote, i could span edge to edge with some industrial roofing and the sides, so the tote doesnt crush ,or pack straw all around tote in hole to reduce crushing.

Good points here. Water is so important, we use so much of it every day.

There are some fine ideas here for cold storage of water.

As anyone with a barn or old well can tell you, many times its not the water that freezes - but the delivery system. I've been combatting -20 degree temperatures this week in Southern Ontario. My well pipe comes up into the barn from the ground into a slightly heated (above zero) office room. But the tap itself is actually outside the room. Every time I wanted to get water this week I've had to thaw out the tap using an old hair dryer.
I'm now tackling replacing a pipe that split in the office itself.

There's the challenge in storing water in the cold. Getting it out when it's needed. In my experience, it's the delivery system that's the weak link.

Here's a good description of the standard procedure for a non-freeze standpipe, which drains water above the groundlevel pipe and taps....back down thru the weeping holes in the ground at the bottom of the standpipe, 6" below your local frost line. Once done, fuggetabotit.

Posted by lazypup (lazypup@yahoo.com) on Sun, Sep 20, 09 at 1:52
There is a very simple low tech solution to this problem.
The waterline from the source to the barn should be installed at a depth at least 6" below the average frost line for your region and you terminate the line with "Lawn Hydrant Valves"

A lawn hydrant valve looks like an ordinary hose bib but it has a large D handle that rotates upwards about 120 to 180degrees to turn the water on.

In actual operation the valve itself is installed on the water line below the frost line. It then has a vertical standpipe from the valve up to grade level and continuing up about 3' with the spigot head on the top of the standpipe. Inside the standpipe there is a control rod from the control handle down to the valve so that when you rotate the control handle the internal control rod lifts upwards, opening the valve and allowing the water to flow up through the standpipe and out through the faucet in a normal hose bib type function. At the base of the standpipe there are small weep holes so that when you turn the water off the below grade valve is closed and the weep holes are opened to allow the excess water in the standpipe to flow down and exit through the weep holes, thus no water remains in the standpipe when the faucet is not in use.

To install this type of valve you must dig a hole approximately 3' x 3' and slightly below the depth of the water line. After the valve has been attached to the water line and the standpipe run up above grade the hole is then back filled with pea gravel to allow excess water to seep down below grade and be absorbed into the soil. You should also install a 4x4 post to support the standpipe.

Generally the valves are designed in such a manner that the valves can be repaired without digging, by unscrewing the control head and lifting the control rod up and out to change the gaskets and seals.I an attaching a web address where you can go to see some different variations of hydrant valves. Please understand that I found this website by a quick search, and I have no personal knowledge of the company or the brand of products they carry. This is being provided solely for illustration purposes. Rather than purchase these products online, I would strongly suggest you contact a commercial plumbing supply house near you and they can provide products that are proven reliable in your climatic conditions.

http://www.wcmind.com/Woodford/Yard_Hydrant_Pages/YrdHyd.htm

Also, before you install the water line you should determine how many hydrants or faucets you will be installing and compute the maximum total demand load in gal/min then determine the maximum developed length of pipe from the source to the furthest fixture from the source. Once you know the length of the pipe, multiply that length by 1.20 to compensate for fitting losses , then consult a pipe Friction Head Loss table to determine the size of pipe you will need to maintain proper volume and pressure in your system.