# How do you store water?



## RedDunesPrepper

I'm currently looking for a cheap way to store a lot of drinking water. How do you store your water? How much do you store? And can you think of any cheap ways to store drinking water?


----------



## seanallen

RedDunesPrepper said:


> I'm currently looking for a cheap way to store a lot of drinking water. How do you store your water? How much do you store? And can you think of any cheap ways to store drinking water?


Ive been debating on spending 300$ on a plastic septic tank. Ive heard of ppl sterilizing these things and burying them, but i would look into whether you still need to treat the water afterwards. For a quickie cheapo method dig as big a hole as you want, then line it with several layers of plastic sheeting. You can buy plastic barrels, but they arent cheapo like they used to be.


----------



## hiwall

If you have a farm/ranch store in your area you can look at and price water tanks there(roughly about 50 cents per gallon). Many save 2 liter soda bottles and fill them with water. Or 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon juice containers. Food grade 5 gallon buckets with lids. Almost anything that once contained a liquid that you ate or drank.


----------



## RedDunesPrepper

hiwall said:


> If you have a farm/ranch store in your area you can look at and price water tanks there(roughly about 50 cents per gallon). Many save 2 liter soda bottles and fill them with water. Or 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon juice containers. Food grade 5 gallon buckets with lids. Almost anything that once contained a liquid that you ate or drank.


I've heard or people using milk jugs and soda bottles. I'llprobably take a look at the local farm stories, I doesn't hurt to try, and I do get a few free 5 gallon food containers a month from a little bakery in my town. I also heard supermarkets that have bakerys like Meijer will hive you free food grade containers. Thanks for replying!!


----------



## RedDunesPrepper

seanallen said:


> Ive been debating on spending 300$ on a plastic septic tank. Ive heard of ppl sterilizing these things and burying them, but i would look into whether you still need to treat the water afterwards. For a quickie cheapo method dig as big a hole as you want, then line it with several layers of plastic sheeting. You can buy plastic barrels, but they arent cheapo like they used to be.


I do see plastic barrels have become very expensive. And could possible look into a septic tank.


----------



## hillobeans

I have a combo of bottled water that I've found on sale, Aquatainers (which I wouldn't exactly call cheap), and orange juice containers that I've refilled with water. I'm still not satisfied with the amount of water I've got stored, but it already takes up so much space as it is...


----------



## RedDunesPrepper

hillobeans said:


> I have a combo of bottled water that I've found on sale, Aquatainers (which I wouldn't exactly call cheap), and orange juice containers that I've refilled with water. I'm still not satisfied with the amount of water I've got stored, but it already takes up so much space as it is...


How many gallons of water do you have stored? (Estimated)


----------



## PackerBacker

RedDunesPrepper said:


> I'm currently looking for a cheap way to store a lot of drinking water. How do you store your water? How much do you store? And can you think of any cheap ways to store drinking water?


I store a combo of common plastic bottles of water, canned water in mason jars and plastic juice bottles filled with treated water.

We use a couple of cases of bottled water a month so if I store 4 or so cases i will rotate through it every couple years. I am not real comfortable storing water in those cheap plastic bottles much longer then that.

My water canned in mason jars should keep until the day after forever.

Refilling the juice bottles costs nothing and is a good exercise for the kids to do.

A cistern is next on my list but water isn't that hard to get a hold of around here.


----------



## OldCootHillbilly

I use 5 gallon buckets with gasketed lids. Water be treated with pool shock.

In buckets such as these, ya can transport them ifin ya need ta. A 55 gallon drum a water be heavy an hard ta move. 5 gallon buckets can be stored under stairwells an many other places. The pool shock will keep the water stable fer at least a couple a years an could be retreated. Plus all ya gotta do is test it with a test strip ta see what clorine level yall be maintainin.

I keep those an a few canned jars on hand.

Just be how I do it.


----------



## flyingbrickracing

I drink lots of seltzer,4-5 2 liters a week. Been saving water by refilling from the tap and stacking in a cubby by the basement steps.
Our muni water has more than enough clorine (we filter it for drinking ) to keep it good.
I've got about 100 bottles so far.


----------



## hillobeans

RedDunesPrepper said:


> How many gallons of water do you have stored? (Estimated)


Sorry, just saw your question. Probably around 45 gallons.


----------



## hiwall

Plus we all have waters heaters that are full of water.


----------



## BillS

We have 1500 one-gallon water jugs at 69 cents each. Based on the type of plastic they're made from they should last indefinitely. I was concerned for awhile that the plastic would break down but it doesn't. I have them arranged in 4'x8' patterns with 2 sets of 3 cinder blocks on each layer topped with a 3/4" sheet of plywood. I think they're 5 layers high. Each tower holds 512 jugs. The water is all at least 18 months old and tastes just as fresh as if it were bottled yesterday with no trace of plastic breakdown.


----------



## Country Living

We have a three acre spring-fed lake on our property about 150 yards from the house. And we have a Berkey with extra sets of filters. Next week we're putting a hand pump on the water well that will be inline with the electric pump. This way we can continue to use faucets and toilets. 

That takes care of the "in". The "out" is an aerobic septic tank modified to flow into a lateral line leach field if the pump tank gets to a certain level.

"In" and "Out". Both are important.


----------



## JayJay

I have (20) 30 gallon drums from Lexington Containers..drove 175 miles twice to get these.
They are great.
But, I bought a 34 gallon trash can from Ace Hdw. for $10.
Gonna put two garbage bags in and filler up.
I plan on getting more. Yeah, I know, can't move when filled, but when it all means something, space in the garage for my car won't matter---thirst will.
I do fill every plastic with water and store them on shelves too.
Some for drinking, other not so much.
Will use the drums to catch rain water when emptied.

Amt. so far?? About 700 gallons...I took my vinegar jugs today and put my shampoo and dishwashing liquid in them.
That was great for space saver, believe it or not.
Note: not worried about condition of water now; I have a Berkey and extra filters/spigots.


----------



## -prepper-

I use old soda bottles .

Wash them out about 3 good times with soap (last time with bleach) to get All germs 
Fill with water
Put in dark place for 2 months 
After 2 months put bottles in full sunlight for 6 hours 
And repeat


----------



## RedDunesPrepper

hillobeans said:


> Sorry, just saw your question. Probably around 45 gallons.


It's all good. That's not bad! Keep it up.


----------



## RedDunesPrepper

BillS said:


> We have 1500 one-gallon water jugs at 69 cents each. Based on the type of plastic they're made from they should last indefinitely. I was concerned for awhile that the plastic would break down but it doesn't. I have them arranged in 4'x8' patterns with 2 sets of 3 cinder blocks on each layer topped with a 3/4" sheet of plywood. I think they're 5 layers high. Each tower holds 512 jugs. The water is all at least 18 months old and tastes just as fresh as if it were bottled yesterday with no trace of plastic breakdown.


You actually buy them for 69 cents? Where you I find these for dirt cheap?


----------



## RedDunesPrepper

-prepper- said:


> I use old soda bottles .
> 
> Wash them out about 3 good times with soap (last time with bleach) to get All germs
> Fill with water
> Put in dark place for 2 months
> After 2 months put bottles in full sunlight for 6 hours
> And repeat


What does it do when putting them in sunlight for 6 hours then back into dark?


----------



## smaj100

I dehydrate mine, it's alot more compact and and easy to move around. Just add water and poof instant water.

:lolsmash:

oh sorry I just couldn't resist or help myself. Some great ideas for water storage though.


----------



## BullDozer

RedDunesPrepper said:


> I'm currently looking for a cheap way to store a lot of drinking water. How do you store your water? How much do you store? And can you think of any cheap ways to store drinking water?


Like hiwall said, I store 2 liter bottles, being I am a thirteen year old prepping out of a room


----------



## PackerBacker

smaj100 said:


> I dehydrate mine, it's alot more compact and and easy to move around. Just add water and poof instant water.
> 
> :lolsmash:


Do you dehydrate it yourself or buy from this site?

http://www.buydehydratedwater.com/


----------



## RedDunesPrepper

BullDozer said:


> Like hiwall said, I store 2 liter bottles, being I am a thirteen year old prepping out of a room


How many gallons do you have in your room?


----------



## Tacitus

PackerBacker said:


> Do you dehydrate it yourself or buy from this site?
> 
> http://www.buydehydratedwater.com/


You have to watch out what you buy online. Some of those sites have dihydrogen monoxide in their products, and we all know how dangerous dihydrogen monoxide can be.


----------



## -prepper-

RedDunesPrepper said:


> What does it do when putting them in sunlight for 6 hours then back into dark?


I do it just as a precautionary thing . Letting them sit in sun will kill all the bacteria . I'm just paranoid that I may have messed up and a few bacteria turns into thousands then you have sorry water . So it's not mess scary but it keeps me at ease .


----------



## Tacitus

I store:

pre-packaged individual sized water bottles
pre-packaged large volume containers (e.g., 1 gallon, or 3 liters)
refilled juice containers
filled multi-gallon jugs (I have several 7 gallon jugs that stack...although I can't bring myself to stack them 3 high...they are so darned heavy, and I'm afraid the bottom one will burst)

I'm considering a larger container (e.g., 55 gallon, or even 273 gallon), but my wife would probably kill me.

Something else to note: I had a store bought container of water leak on me. It was the same kind of container that milk is sold in. Since then, if I buy store bought water, I make sure it is in stronger plastic...which usually costs a little extra.


----------



## Country Living

We like Hawaiian Punch and buy it in the gallon plastic jugs. After the container is empty, I soak it in hot water to easily remove the lable, wash the container, let it dry, and then put it up for future use. The container is heavy duty plastic not like the flimsy milk containers.

Our Plan D is to get water from the lake, filter it using flour towels and then coffee filters, put the water in the Hawaiian Punch jugs and let it sit in the sun for several hours to get the UV cleansing effect.


----------



## dixiemama

I am addicted to Welch's grape juice so every time I go to the store (today as a matter of fact), I buy one jug of every size. The small ones go to work with me (dorm fridge), the big one in the fridge and the snack size in my BOB. None last more than 2 weeks before they are drained, cleaned and stored. Only prob is, I have all these empty bottles bc our water was contaminated (safe to wash just not cook with/drink) by a coal mine blow out. Taking them to my grandpa's next weekend for fill up and storage (he has more space). 

We won't have city water (which isn't any better than what we have now) until the summer. Right now, our stores water is Culligan water in the 5 gallon jugs from Walmart. We have 3 jugs per person for our group (13 ppl).


----------



## BillS

RedDunesPrepper said:


> You actually buy them for 69 cents? Where you I find these for dirt cheap?


We got ours at Woodmans, a grocery store chain in Wisconsin but I think you can get cheap gallons of water at Wal-Mart. I don't like their water though.


----------



## BillS

Tacitus said:


> You have to watch out what you buy online. Some of those sites have dihydrogen monoxide in their products, and we all know how dangerous dihydrogen monoxide can be.


That reminds me of this video:


----------



## Moose33

I've always followed CDC guidlines and not used milk or juice jugs. http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/safe_water/personal.html

I must say that if I could use them I'd have a whole lot more available containers. I do use empty soda bottles but never have very many as I don't drink a lot of it. Guess I'm back to the web to investigate the milk/juice jug thing again.

I keep commercially bottled drinking water around. I also keep lots of 2L jugs and a big 15 gal tub full that I plan on using for flushing if need be. Finding a good way to get water out of my well when the power is out is on my list of things to do this year. 
Moose


----------



## BillM

I wash out milk jugs , two liter soda bottles and juice jugs and fill em with tap water. I leave about ten precent of the space in the top unfilled. This allows for the container to freeze and not burst. I know that some people say you can't use milk jugs but I have done this for years and drunk the water with no ill effects. If I thought it wasn't clean enough, I would just boil it first.


----------



## Moose33

BillM, thank you, if you've been doing it for years and are still here to talk about it, it must be ok. 

I'm going to rethink my storage. I go through a couple of gallons of milk a week and would have a lot for water storage.
Thanks again,
Moose


----------



## OldCootHillbilly

Just gotta watch them milk jugs. New ones be designed as biodegradeable, that means there gonna start ta break down. Older ones didn't used ta do that. I don't know how long it takes in say a cool dark enviroment, but be sumtin ta thin bout.


----------



## BullDozer

RedDunesPrepper said:


> How many gallons do you have in your room?


25gallons and 10 hidden and 3 in bags


----------



## Justaguy987

2 55 gallon drums, 350 .5 liter bottles, 6 5 gallon water cooler jugs and a spring fed creek in the back yard. Berkey will be ordered as soon as I can talk the wife into it. I do have one of their "sport bottles" and really like the way the water tastes.


----------



## Aliaysonfire

smaj100 said:


> I dehydrate mine, it's alot more compact and and easy to move around. Just add water and poof instant water.
> 
> :lolsmash:
> 
> oh sorry I just couldn't resist or help myself. Some great ideas for water storage though.


I was expecting someone to say something like that. 

We have 4 55 gallon drums that are blue and have a siphon pump and the junk to treat it annndd a nice pond in out back yard. I do want to have some more portable options like the 2 liter bottles, you know, before they're illegal :/


----------



## AuroraHawk

Each month I buy 3-4 gallon water bottles. 2 go into the preps and 1 goes to the water cooler in Davis' man cave. The bottles state that they are good for 2 or more years, they are being stored in a cool, dark place and, Lord willing and the river doesn't rise, I'll start rotating them next year.


----------



## Grimm

I reuse any food grade container I have on hand. I have several glass juice bottles I have water in as well as milk jugs. Once every month or so I buy a flat or 16.9-oz water bottles at Costco. When 1-gallon jugs of water were on sale I bought 30 and got a rain check for another 20. I do have 8 6.5-gallon Blitz jugs. I have over 125 gallons of water stored in our apartment right now. My plan is to get a waterBOB for every tub so that would add almost another 100 gallons here maybe more when we move...


----------



## OldCootHillbilly

Justaguy987 said:


> 2 55 gallon drums, 350 .5 liter bottles, 6 5 gallon water cooler jugs and a spring fed creek in the back yard. Berkey will be ordered as soon as I can talk the wife into it. I do have one of their "sport bottles" and really like the way the water tastes.


Ya can build the same thin as one them high dollar berkey's with a couple 5 gallon buckets an the filters. Ain't as purdy but does the same thin an lots cheaper. Just a thought.


----------



## Justaguy987

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Ya can build the same thin as one them high dollar berkey's with a couple 5 gallon buckets an the filters. Ain't as purdy but does the same thin an lots cheaper. Just a thought.


I have seen those and just might do that. Thanks for reminding me.


----------



## thenance007

If you have an outdoor area or basement, this is a great, cheap idea for thousands of gallons: http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/water-storage-tank.aspx For now, I store the fencing and big roll of plastic so I could make one if I needed to. I have a flat area downhill from my house and could run black plastic drain hose from the gutters to keep it filled.

Alternatively, I store 500 gallons in a plywood and pond liner tank I built in my basement. Framed with 2 x 6s horizontally (like straps around it) with overlapping corners, it's only 4' x 4' x 4'. It is just a big plywood box inside the 2 x 6 frame. Most pressure is at the 2' line, so I have 3 frames at bottom, 2' and 4' levels. Lined with potable pond liner and filled with a potable garden hose. Covered with a piece of plywood.

It sits near a corner of my basement so that for SHTF, I can run a piece of black plastic drain hose from my nearest gutter downspout through a hole in the wall into the tank. We get an average of over 4" per month of rain, so most months would keep it filled. Cost under $100 to build.


----------



## lanahi

Get a hot water tank that doesn't heat anymore? Your regular one holds several gallons.


----------



## Grimm

lanahi said:


> Get a hot water tank that doesn't heat anymore? Your regular one holds several gallons.


These tanks are rusty and have a layer of sediment at the bottom. Many sources say you still need to filter and purify any water you plan to drink from your water heater. Not worth my time to deal with a rusty hunk of junk.

Well, I'll use it as a feed trough or raised garden bed when cut in half length wise.


----------



## LincTex

Grimm said:


> These tanks are rusty ... Not worth my time to deal with a rusty hunk of junk.


Might be handy in an emergency.

You can fix water heater tank leaks FAST with a small screw, a washer, and a small piece of bicycle innertube rubber.


----------



## PackerBacker

LincTex said:


> Might be handy in an emergency.
> 
> You can fix water heater tank leaks FAST with a small screw, a washer, and a small piece of bicycle innertube rubber.


I have "fixed" many tires with a sheet metal screw.


----------



## RONSERESURPLUS

Hello all, I have Many different size food Grade Buskets with Lids as well I get free 5 Gallon Containes from Chinese Food Resturants wash out and I use for Potable water I use for Toilet Flushing and washing duties! These will stack up to 3 hight and store a lot of water in closets and other darkened places! 
Ron L


----------



## thecowboysheart

RedDunesPrepper said:


> I'm currently looking for a cheap way to store a lot of drinking water. How do you store your water? How much do you store? And can you think of any cheap ways to store drinking water?


Water need liners are pretty cheap nowadays. You could get a couple two or three liners! Make a heavy rack system for them and have allot of water, right at your finger tips.


----------



## thecowboysheart

Water bed not water need sorry.


----------



## emilysometimes

I've been considering storing water in empty bleach and/or vinegar bottles. It seems to be that after being rinsed out they should be great for water storage. Has anyone else tried this?


----------



## micapurewater

Hey, all you have to do is purchase a mineral solution that purifies your water. A 32oz bottle (doesn't take up much room) will purify hundreds of gallons of pond, lake etc... No need for anything fancy, just the minerals. Check out the video ... http://micapurewater.com/videos/ Problem solved!


----------



## MommytoTEandM

Would one gallon vinegar plastic jugs work for drinking water storage or water for sanitary purposed only? I can't smell the vinegar in the water anymore...


----------



## LincTex

MommytoTEandM said:


> Would one gallon vinegar plastic jugs work for drinking water storage or water for sanitary purposed only? I can't smell the vinegar in the water anymore...


The problem is the plastic they are made from tends to break down, even when kept out of sunlight. 2 liter bottles will last 20+ years.


----------



## teotwaki

I don't like soda bottles because the plastic becomes brittle with age. Likewise any plastic container that has a welded seam is no good because they all fail with. I've had too many of them fail after a few years.

Short term storage is a couple of cases of 16 oz water bottles. I consider the water heater and toilet tanks as short term also because they are dependent on usage and the functionality of the local water mains.

Long term storage.

three 33 gallon blue plastic barrels with O-ring lids and locking metal rings

six 5 gallon Scepter water cans
four 2.5 gallon Scepter water cans
19 Gallons in my offroad trailer's stainless water tank

Rough total:

70 short term gallons
99 gallons in barrels
40 gallons in Scepter water "cans"
19 gallons in the trailer
_______________

228 gallons

Three of my neighbors have swimming pools so I plan to try some bartering as needed


----------



## Kaytee

RedDunesPrepper said:


> I've heard or people using milk jugs and soda bottles. ...


Skip the milk jugs, unless it's for very short term. The plastic breaks down, and... mmm... no longer contains the water.  We don't drink soda, so can't speak to those, but supposedly the plastic is more durable.

We have rain barrels for each of our downspouts-- this is/will be for watering fruit trees/vegies; 3 hold ~ 50 gal each, plus a 250 gal tank on 1 downspout. I also fill them with the hose during the summer-- to let the chlorine blow off before watering the plants. Also have some filled glass jugs around/behind some plants-- partly for temp regulation, plus water for the plants, plus it holds them up and keeps the dogs from crawling back there.

For drinking water-- have 3 food-safe plastic barrels, plus a few 5 gal jugs. Filled from the tap, and will run through our Berkey filter before use.


----------



## LincTex

teotwaki said:


> I don't like soda bottles because the plastic becomes brittle with age.


I can't say I have experienced that. I have an old 2-liter bottle full of screened/filtered sand for the hand-held sandblaster that sits on a shelf under the lean-to, and it hasn't cracked in 20 years. Polyethylene terephthalate is neat stuff!!


----------



## popcorn590

RedDunesPrepper said:


> I'm currently looking for a cheap way to store a lot of drinking water. How do you store your water? How much do you store? And can you think of any cheap ways to store drinking water?


Everytime I go to thrift stores I look for the five gallon plastic bottles used on office coolers. Get them home, wash them out, put the right amount of clorox in them for five gallons, fill them to allow for expansion, put plastic wrap on the opening then put the cap back on or wrap with a long lasting tape. I also do the same for the acceptable drinking water bottles. I can not remember now what the number on the obttom has to be for re-storing water, but you can find out on line. I do the same with them. The best way I have found for a larger supply that can be put in a permenant place are 55 gallon heavy plastic barrels. As long as they stored water or the clorox type chemicle used for large water systems. Sometime you have to buy them, but I got six for free. I would not try others because you have no idea what they were used for. There is a deposit on them and most facilites take them back for the $40.00 deposit, so you may have to purchae them. When you get them you need to flush them out first. Next you fill them with water, and put plastic wrap on the opening then the screw lids back on both sites. I only fill to 50 gallons so there is room for expansion. Finally you need to get a water testing person to check a couple of drums for parts per thousand. The onces I rinsed out that had a gallon or two of the chemicles in them were way below the acceptable limit for consumtion. So once you seal them they are good forever as far as I am concerned, because they were purified when the water was put in by the residule of the chemicle that was in them. So for me this is good. The other way is to get the Ceramic charcol water filters with five gallon buckets for drip, and the iodine tablets for sure. Clorox degrade in half for about every year it is on the shelf. I also got the survival straws that will filter 1000 liters of water for emergency and got some extras of those. I got the emergency filter straws from My Patriot Supply. The ceramic filters I got from monolithic ceramic drip filters facility on line. Hope this helps. Oh the other way is never throw away vinegar bottles, or clorox bottle, fill them with water and seal them too. I also have playground sand stored and charcol from the wood I burn. In the morning I dust off the white ash, then scrape the charcol off the burnt woold with a knife or metal spatuala, then have extra coffee filters, and some soda liter bottles with the bottom cut off. You put coffee filter at the bottom, charcol, filter, sand, filter, charcol, filter, and sand. Also for sure absolute safty if you have them add iodine tablets if you have them.


----------



## Grimm

Because we are moving I am replacing our milk jugs with 5 to 7 gallon jugs. It makes more sense to move empty jugs to the new place and toss the milk jugs at the old. I will continue to clean and use milk jugs once we are settled in to speed up our water storage.


----------



## Redhen2

Here's our deal: Every gallon jug we use gets washed and refilled with tap water and a few drops of chlorine. Lotta traffic here - surprised how quickly they add up. We put them at the back of our basement shelves, which are deep enough to accommodate them as well as other things in front of them. The investment part is a Berkey water purifier with extra filters. Can't say enough about it - it will filter out red food coloring. It will filter out all the chlorine from the stored water. We also have 35-gal rubbermaids by the downspouts for rainwater - currently used for the garden - but the Berkey can deal with that as well. A must have IMO. Rotate as you normally would, but let's face it, if there is a water shortage, you are not going to be worried about whether or not the water is old...it's WATER...and if you have a Berkey you're golden.


----------



## froggymountain

Aeration, UV lamp in the aeration circulator with scheduled dosing of H2O2 (peroxide).


----------



## popcorn590

Redhen2 said:


> Here's our deal: Every gallon jug we use gets washed and refilled with tap water and a few drops of chlorine. Lotta traffic here - surprised how quickly they add up. We put them at the back of our basement shelves, which are deep enough to accommodate them as well as other things in front of them. The investment part is a Berkey water purifier with extra filters. Can't say enough about it - it will filter out red food coloring. It will filter out all the chlorine from the stored water. We also have 35-gal rubbermaids by the downspouts for rainwater - currently used for the garden - but the Berkey can deal with that as well. A must have IMO. Rotate as you normally would, but let's face it, if there is a water shortage, you are not going to be worried about whether or not the water is old...it's WATER...and if you have a Berkey you're golden.


I use the filters I mention but will look up the one you mentioned. Thanks


----------



## tupreco

I built a vertical storage system that holds 4 x 55 gal in an 1.5 x 4 foot footprint. Lowes sells a rack system by edsal shown here http://www.lowes.com/pd_319491-1281...l=1&currentURL=?Ntt=edsal+shelving&facetInfo= that can hold 4 ea 55 gal drums laying on their side. I have the two bungs set up so that the top drum fills first and its output is piped to feed the input of the one directly below it and so on until all 4 are filled. Once per month I gravity fill from the top drum and drain from the bottom drum. The interconnects are 3/4 in PVC.

The barrels I purchased for $35 from a local soap distributor and cleaned out prior to use. The space efficiency and portability from this system makes you wonder why everything fits so perfectly. Total cost for 4 drums, 2 ea 18 x 72 end racks, 3 ea 4ft beam pairs , and assorted plumbing was about $240 and is uber flexible. The first drum sits on the ground with a wheel chock on either side to hold it in place. 
Each drum has shutoff valves so each drum can be quickly isolated and removed for transport by one person. At almost 400 lbs/drum 2-3 people can lift each into the back of a pickup for transport.


----------



## kirk1959

FYI, regardless of how you store water you need to consider keeping the water potable. I would strongly suggest looking into Chlorine dioxide. Research Jim Hubble and his Genesis church he started. MMS or chlorine dioxide is something I suggest you keep on hand and buy Jims e-book (about $30.) on its many uses. You can use health food store sea kelp liquid drops its a form of iodine.

For long term storage systems if you can afford a septic tank , cap the holes put in ground as cistern and use a hand pump. Tractor Supply and local co-ops are good places to get pumps and even storage tanks in your budget if the septic tank is too pricey .


----------



## Boris

store as much as you can, anyway you can. then get a water filter,because you really in my opinion can't store enough water.


----------



## LincTex

popcorn590 said:


> ... some soda liter bottles with the bottom cut off. You put coffee filter at the bottom, charcoal, filter, sand, filter,... etc.


Not the best filter. 
Your charcoal isn't Activated Carbon, either. 
A.C. is the stuff that pulls chemicals out of the water. 
You are filtering the water some, but not a lot.

Look into making a BioSand Filter... you will have better results. Take the water that comes out of the BioSand filter and run it through a Berkey and you will have the nicest quality drinking water around.

I wouldn't drink the stuff that comes out of the soda bottle filter you described.


----------



## popcorn590

kirk1959 said:


> FYI, regardless of how you store water you need to consider keeping the water potable. I would strongly suggest looking into Chlorine dioxide. Research Jim Hubble and his Genesis church he started. MMS or chlorine dioxide is something I suggest you keep on hand and buy Jims e-book (about $30.) on its many uses. You can use health food store sea kelp liquid drops its a form of iodine.
> 
> For long term storage systems if you can afford a septic tank , cap the holes put in ground as cistern and use a hand pump. Tractor Supply and local co-ops are good places to get pumps and even storage tanks in your budget if the septic tank is too pricey .


Unfortunately we are to old to bug out, so we are bugging in in case of a situation. Wish we were younger.


----------



## Kaytee

*Urban limitations*



kirk1959 said:


> ...For long term storage systems if you can afford a septic tank , cap the holes put in ground as cistern and use a hand pump. Tractor Supply and local co-ops are good places to get pumps and even storage tanks in your budget if the septic tank is too pricey .


Able to afford a septic tank-- yes. Able to install one-- no. We live in an urban area-- on a city lot with half the back yard being a hill. I doubt a back hoe could get in or find anywhere to dig a proper hole without causing a lot of damage.

Tractor supply places are in very short supply in urban areas , and the few "co-ops" are farmer markets type places across town. Had to special order the one water storage tank when we had our gutters replaced, and the 50g blue barrels were ordered from Emergency Preparedness-- they're not available locally. As for pumps... well, I supposed one could modify one of the kind made for ornamental ponds, but not easily, and they require electricity to run. The siphon thingie we got with the barrels is... difficult... to use, although it'll help empty the food-grade barrels enough that we could move them to where we could tip them.


----------



## LincTex

?????

You can't find *ANY* "IBC" totes on Craigslist????? What area/region do you live? http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/3581861322.html

Just make sure they were food grade. I have a couple that were used for soap but they cleaned up really easily. After catching rainwater for a couple years and using it up, I would drink the water from one without question.


----------



## popcorn590

LincTex said:


> ?????
> 
> You can't find *ANY* "IBC" totes on Craigslist????? What area/region do you live? http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/3581861322.html
> 
> Just make sure they were food grade. I have a couple that were used for soap but they cleaned up really easily. After catching rainwater for a couple years and using it up, I would drink the water from one without question.


I found, for me, I just type in, "55 gallon water barrels for sale", in my search engine.


----------



## LongRider

We have a deep well with two back up generators and hand pump if all else fails. Barring that option you may want to have a couple of WaterBobs that hold 100 gallons of clean drinking water each. CheaperThanDirt had them but they are out of stock. Camping Survival seems to have them in stock. They are cheap so I would suggest getting several. Also saw waterbeds mentioned great idea huge capacity for long term water storage to wash with but if you plan on drinking it be sure to boil, filter the water or add bleach before drinking it


----------



## Kaytee

LincTex said:


> ?????
> 
> You can't find *ANY* "IBC" totes on Craigslist????? What area/region do you live? http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/3581861322.html
> 
> Just make sure they were food grade. ...


Just looked again on the local Craigslist. There are lots of ads re: barrels, but most seem to be dealers. The one I found that had all the barrel criteria I wanted doesn't list prices at all-- it says to call for availability and prices; one with prices quoted a delivery fee of $75 to $100 per order. Several have prices "+ delivery fee". A lot of the barrels are white, rather than blue, and used ones have the note that they are not to be used for food (even when I put "food safe" in the search criteria). The one "water storage kit" was more expensive than Emergency Prep's was delivered, and the price does not include delivery.

Currently we have three-- and have no idea where we would put more, where they are secure/protected from the elements and accessible. No basement, no attic, no extra room in the house, and the garage is full. Digging a hole for an underground storage tank is not feasible.


----------



## Grimm

I recently started filling clean and sterile pasta sauce jars with water and sealing them up. I figure the water will be good to go and the jars can be used at a later time for canning if needed.


----------



## popcorn590

LongRider said:


> We have a deep well with two back up generators and hand pump if all else fails. Barring that option you may want to have a couple of WaterBobs that hold 100 gallons of clean drinking water each. CheaperThanDirt had them but they are out of stock. Camping Survival seems to have them in stock. They are cheap so I would suggest getting several. Also saw waterbeds mentioned great idea huge capacity for long term water storage to wash with but if you plan on drinking it be sure to boil, filter the water or add bleach before drinking it


We had five houses on our well system. Every so often we self tested our well and took the sample to teh extension for the country. One time it came pack with a bad reading of possible e-coli. I called the guy that drilled our well. She was only about 40 feet down. He took off the hand pump, then poured a bottle of Clorox down and had all the homes open their faucest nearest the pressure tank or inlet. I beleive he did this once but maybe twice. After a certain length of time he took a sample from each house, had them tested and we were fine.


----------



## Newbie007

Grimm said:


> I recently started filling clean and sterile pasta sauce jars with water and sealing them up. I figure the water will be good to go and the jars can be used at a later time for canning if needed.


Are those commercially bought pasta jars like "Ragu"? Furthermore how do you make sure the lid is secured tight? Might sound like a dumb question, but sounds like an affordable plan. Thx


----------



## popcorn590

Newbie007 said:


> Are those commercially bought pasta jars like "Ragu"? Furthermore how do you make sure the lid is secured tight? Might sound like a dumb question, but sounds like an affordable plan. Thx


The commerical bottles may be more dangerous for pressure canning than some might know. I have heard that by the old timers I learned from. They would be great for the Gifts in a Jar, the dried soup mixes or pasta meals.


----------



## LincTex

LongRider said:


> Waterbeds..... if you plan on drinking it be sure to boil, filter the water or add bleach before drinking it


I would be more worried about the vinyl components/compounds in the water. Maybe use just for washing and cleaning, that would be pretty safe.


----------



## LincTex

popcorn590 said:


> The commercial bottles may be more dangerous for pressure canning than some might know.


I think she just stores water in the jars at atmospheric pressure... she is not "pressure canning" her water


----------



## Kaytee

*Ragu jars*



Newbie007 said:


> Are those commercially bought pasta jars like "Ragu"? Furthermore how do you make sure the lid is secured tight? Might sound like a dumb question, but sounds like an affordable plan. Thx


The Ragu/other commercial glass food jars are just plain glass, whereas canning jars are tempered glass. As another poster said, they're good for dry food storage, but not for canning. Ragu/other pasta sauces in the "canning jar" style jars have started to make the tops different, so the standard canning lids won't fit, to avoid getting their plain glass jars mixed up with canning jars.

You can re-use the lids the jars came with, and to make the seal a bit better, put a square of waxed paper over the top of the jar before screwing on the lid-- sort of acts like a gasket. It still won't be an air-tight seal, though.

I also re-use commercial food glass jars for frozen juice, sauces, etc. Leave room for expansion in the jar, and only loosely cover, set in the freezer, and after it is frozen, tighten the lid.


----------



## Kaytee

Grimm said:


> I recently started filling clean and sterile pasta sauce jars with water and sealing them up. I figure the water will be good to go and the jars can be used at a later time for canning if needed.


Don't use them for canning!  They tend to break during the process. Also, most of the the pasta-sauce jars now have a different lid size than the canning jars, so the standard rings/lids don't fit.


----------



## PackerBacker

Kaytee said:


> Don't use them for canning!  They tend to break during the process.


What a bunch of nonsense.

There is no "danger" to canning in commercial glass jars.

If I was going to the bother of filling the jars with water with the intent to store it I would indeed "can" it.


----------



## hiwall

> canning jars are tempered glass


I don't can but I can tell you that neither of these jars are tempered glass.


----------



## Grimm

Newbie007 said:


> Are those commercially bought pasta jars like "Ragu"? Furthermore how do you make sure the lid is secured tight? Might sound like a dumb question, but sounds like an affordable plan. Thx


They are Classico jars. I don't pressure can them. I would use a waterbath. To store the water I boil it in my tea kettle. Pour the water in the jars and replace the lid. As the water cools it pings the lids.


----------



## Grimm

Kaytee said:


> Don't use them for canning!  They tend to break during the process. Also, most of the the pasta-sauce jars now have a different lid size than the canning jars, so the standard rings/lids don't fit.


Um... You see the "air quotes" on my signature at the bottom of ALL my posts?!

The goobermint can kiss it as far as what I can and how I do it!


----------



## ashley8072

I just finished our rain collection barrels. 3 55gal drums. I purchased 2 13gal drums that used to hold dr pepper that we keep in the bathroom as a stand for the toweLs and wash rags. Their draped with an old tablecloth as a disguise. Then in the closet under the stairs, I've got 8 water bricks stacked up against the wall. Also have 5gal water cooler, reusable lids, behind each toilet. We could drink the water from any of these if we had to. I mostly plan on using it for the toilet, cleaning and cooking. Water planned for drinking we have 2liters, Hawaiian punch bottles, and purchased ozarka water bottles. Then an abundance in cases of 16oz water bottles. Also have 4 5gal containers that I bought new at the fish store. They were the perfect size to put in the bak of a deep cabinet.


----------



## Newbie007

Grimm said:


> They are Classico jars. I don't pressure can them. I would use a waterbath. To store the water I boil it in my tea kettle. Pour the water in the jars and replace the lid. As the water cools it pings the lids.


Ok, so just to clarify, do you just boil water and pour it in the jar and put the lid on? I did a practice test with a jar, I poured the boiling water in, replaced the lid and eventually pinged. Did I do it right? Will it be safe in the future? Thanks.


----------



## Grimm

Newbie007 said:


> Ok, so just to clarify, do you just boil water and pour it in the jar and put the lid on? I did a practice test with a jar, I poured the boiling water in, replaced the lid and eventually pinged. Did I do it right? Will it be safe in the future? Thanks.


Yup, that is how I did it. I do this with glass juice bottles too. As long as the lid does not un-ping it should be fine. I date them so I can check the lids and know how long they stay sealed.

This is the method Classico claims is how they seal their sauce in the jars.


----------



## Newbie007

Grimm said:


> Yup, that is how I did it. I do this with glass juice bottles too. As long as the lid does not un-ping it should be fine. I date them so I can check the lids and know how long they stay sealed.
> 
> This is the method Classico claims is how they seal their sauce in the jars.


So how long do you think the water last?


----------



## LincTex

Newbie007 said:


> So how long do you think the water last?


100 years, or until the lid rusts through, whichever comes first


----------



## Grimm

Newbie007 said:


> So how long do you think the water last?


Its water in food grade glass jars. It will be good until the jar breaks (don't drop 'em) or the lid fails.


----------



## LongRider

LincTex said:


> I would be more worried about the vinyl components/compounds in the water. Maybe use just for washing and cleaning, that would be pretty safe.


Agreed which is why I think that WaterBobs are a more viable option with 100 gallons of clean drinkable water. Using water from the water bed would not be my first choice and we agree it would be more practical for washing and cleaning, saving the drinkable water from being used for those needs. That said if all else fails and it is all you have, it beats dying from dehydration. Ideally, you would be able to filter boil or at least add bleach to minimize your risks of exposure to contaminates. Even with the risks and extra effort needed to make it safe it still seems to beat out the time effort involved canning quarts of water. Another option is simply to use a water cooler and stock pile the water jugs. Even if you do not have or use a water cooler the jugs are what five ten gallons of clean drinkable water in containers made to store water safely.


----------



## eddy_dvyvan

Interesting read everyone.

Although i think i may be doing it all wrong lol. I don't use any bleach or stuff like that. I usually have at least 5000L on hand and at max capacity 25,000L in rainwater tanks. All the water is harvested from the roof and pumped direct to faucets. Ive had the water quality checked twice and its been substantially better than the local tap water (which is good drinking quality). I prefer the taste to bottled store bought water and i haven't been sick yet.

Is it just a matter of time before i get sick? and should i be looking at getting filters and chemicals?

I also fill milk bottles with water (only bottles i have as im a water,tea,beer drinker) i generally don't drink out of them but i have got a few that are 16months old and the plastic is still ok. I keep them around to fill the fridge and freezer up as the food gets emptied out. Keeping fridges/freezer full uses less power.


----------



## LincTex

eddy_dvyvan said:


> All the water is harvested from the roof and pumped direct to faucets. I haven't been sick yet. Should I be looking at getting filters and chemicals?


It depends on the area.

My house is surrounded by huge Oak trees and we have a LOT of birds in the area, so the water that comes from the roof is very filthy and needs a lot of cleaning before being stored.


----------



## Tacitus

LincTex said:


> It depends on the area.
> 
> My house is surrounded by huge Oak trees and we have a LOT of birds in the area, so the water that comes from the roof is very filthy and needs a lot of cleaning before being stored.


I hadn't thought about that. My house is surrounded by monstrous trees as well...with birds and sqirrels. Hmmm. I haven't taken any steps to collect rain water yet, but it has been in the back of my mind for some time now. Guess I'll have to take water filtration and purification seriously if I do that.


----------



## Kaytee

Roof run-off in urban areas tends to have contaminants due to traffic-- dust from eroding asphalt and tires, by-products of burning petrochemicals, "acid rain" components... in addition to the donations from the birds.


----------



## LincTex

Tacitus said:


> I hadn't thought about that. My house is surrounded by monstrous trees as well.


I have a pretty decent size sloped screen the water runs through from the down spout, otherwise there would be tons of trash on the bottom of my tanks.

Very similar to this but larger surface area:


----------



## ashley8072

Just a thought: Should I worry about mosquitos turning my barrels into little terrariums? Is there something that I could use to deter them, and still be able to safely use the water? I had a solar water fountain for a couple years, that went caput. Until I dug it up and turned it into an herb pot, it housed many larvae...which I put a liquid killer in it to keep them under control. I could have dumped out the water, but it was 2ft in the ground and only occassionally crossed my mind.


----------



## LincTex

ashley8072 said:


> Just a thought: Should I worry about mosquitos turning my barrels into little terrariums?


Just seal around the opening where the downspout attaches to the tank. The skeeters will NOT fly up and down the length of the downspout. They aren't that smart. Maybe if it is a straight vertical with no bends they might fly up it to get out - but they won't fly down the length to the water surface to lay eggs.... So, No problemo.



ashley8072 said:


> I had a solar water fountain ... it housed many larvae.


Go to any fish store and buy a couple of the cheapest "non-heated-aquarium" fish you can find. Goldfish work well for this. Since it is two feet deep you may need 4-5 fish. Let the fishies swim and eat, you'll never have another skeeter problem again!

I love doing this to people's birdbaths and such. The fish will get nice and fat eating skeeter babies for days..... up until a bird comes along and eats it....That is why you buy cheap fish.


----------



## eddy_dvyvan

Another handy accessory is a first flush diverter. When it rains it bypasses the first 10-20 litres of water so that any sediment or crap in your gutters doesnt all end up in your tank.


I think maybe i have a higher tolerance for water quality after 20 years of drinking unfiltered tank water haha. Never gotten sick from it. Any wrigglers in the water just add protein


----------



## JuliaMatt

I use to store it in the water tank. I have an extra water tank at home. I do pump water in to the tank and use during an emergency situation.


----------



## Grimm

Since the move I am now storing water in empty juice jugs. We end up with about 4 -6 at the end of the month so why not use them for water?!


----------



## LincTex

Grimm said:


> Since the move I am now storing water in empty juice jugs. We end up with about 4 -6 at the end of the month so why not use them for water?!


I do that, with just a pinch of chlorine... never can tell if you got ALL the juice residue out. I use very little. The water that comes out of the fridge icemaker/dispenser is triple-filtered, so I use that to fill them.

I also use the juice bottles for storing rice!


----------



## BillM

How to Store Water

Be sure to store it in waterproof sealed containers ! !


----------



## Tribal Warlord Thug

lol......we store lots of water.........in our OWN wells...........lmao:laugh:

doesn't git much easier than that........


----------



## Tacitus

Tacitus said:


> I had a store bought container of water leak on me. It was the same kind of container that milk is sold in. Since then, if I buy store bought water, I make sure it is in stronger plastic...which usually costs a little extra.


Another one leaked. Guess I'll start drinking all of those.

These are the kind that leak:

















(Not that brand, just that kind of plastic container--not meant for long term storage.)


----------



## BillM

Have any of you tried the dehydrated water ?


----------



## jonny

Dehydrated water is that an oxymoron. You can't de hydrate water


----------



## Tribal Warlord Thug

jonny said:


> Dehydrated water is that an oxymoron. You can't de hydrate water


sure ya can..................................
how many do ya want?........i've got thousands of zip lock bags full of the stuff..............i'll sell ya a few fer .50 cents each to see how good it works.

..................and the instructions are fairly simple enough even someone like sentry couldn't mess one up...........................................................................

>>>>>>>JUST ADD WATER<<<<<<<<<:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

:cheers:


----------



## Tacitus

Here we go again!


----------



## LincTex

Tacitus said:


> Another one leaked. Guess I'll start drinking all of those. (Not that brand, just that kind of plastic container--not meant for long term storage.)


These work well for very long periods:


----------



## kappydell

Ive stored water is used bleach bottles for years...just rinse them out, fill with tap water and set aside. Learned it from my mother's doing the same for the bomb shelter back in the 60s. The bottles are portable, tough, last for years, and the only thing that might leach into the water is minute amounts of bleach, which would normally be added to water to purify it anyway. A win-win set up.


----------



## LincTex

kappydell said:


> Ive stored water in used bleach bottles


The old brown glass Hi-Lex bottles were the *best!*

The plastic ones must be kept out of sunlight at all costs. Even the UV light from fluorescent bulbs will kill the plastic.


----------



## kappydell

Hmmmn, I didn't realize that. I keep mine in dark storerooms and they last for years. I rotate the water about once a year (if I remember) but never had any taste plasticky yet. Not too worried about that, as I just read an accound by someone who survived in Bosnia for a year under SHTF conditions, and he was adamant that saving water was a critical items, because when you have none, the plastic taste does not matter a bit. Of course he was a little predjudiced, as he knew some who died from drinking bad water....


----------



## -prepper-

Pretty much like this ! I have 6 more sitting in the sun for the final step !


----------



## ashley8072

I rotated my 2L water bottles yesterday (Dollar store pop bottles, rinsed with bleach, and 2 drops added to each one before filled about 8 mos ago). There was little specs of purple towards the top in some of them! WTC is that? I thought at first maybe I didn't have them completely cleaned out. So I dumped ALL of them out, scrubbed the insides with bottle brush, bleached, and filled again. These are mostly water that I plan on using for washing, or cooking, and last resort we can drink it. The only water I store for def not drinking is in the chemical bottles (laundry soap, bleach, etc.). The water in our 5gal containers had no purple specs, and was filled with the same, at the same time. As so on with our Water Bricks.


----------



## carolexan

We have a free source for blue 55 gal plastic barrels which originally contained soda syrup. They are cleaned with a power washer we have and work very well. Found a 2000 gallon cistern for underground water supply. Time will tell about its worth.


----------



## GaryS

I have two 65 gal water tanks in the garage, and I installed an oversize water heater in the new house. After that's gone I'll have to see if the neighbors will share their pool water.


----------



## Halloween

3 - 55g drums filled with treated water and a skid of assorted cases


----------



## machinist

Home cistern, 12' x 14' x 7 ' deep, with standard electric pump and pressure tank for normal use. Also have a hand well pump on the cistern, just outside the kitchen door, AND a gravity drain from it in the basement. This cistern holds well over 6,000 gallons by my calculations, roughly 6,400, IIRC. 

For animal water and garden irrigation, we have a 3,000 gallon tank in its' own shed that collects water from 2 outbuildings. The outlet is gravity flow to all 3 gardens and the chicken house. 

Water is bulky, HEAVY, and needed in large amounts, so I figure you just as well start big on storing it, and it needs to be very close to your point of use. I'd like to have more storage.


----------



## Tacitus

Unless I'm misunderstanding, it seems that some people have outdoor tanks. How do you keep outdoor tanks from freezing? May not be a problem in Texas, but I assume it is a problem in many other places. Perhaps if I could bury a tank....


----------



## machinist

Tacitus, 

Freezing would be a problem here in south Indiana with temps as low as 0* F. for a week or more, so cisterns are commonly constructed of masonry and buried. The top is usually exposed for access, since temps do not get so low as to freeze the ground more than a couple feet deep at the worst, and the stored water is warmed by the ground temps from the bottom. As an example, our cistern has about 8" exposed at the top, but is 7 feet deep, so the mass of water below keeps it from freezing at the top. The water does get cold in winter, though. 

Access to cistern water traditionally has been with an opening in the top large enough for a bucket to bee lowered on a rope. Later, a cover was mounted with a hand well pump on it. Hand pumps can freeze in very old weather, so sometimes a pipe was run into the house with a hand "pitcher style" pump mounted beside the kitchen sink. Those pumps can splash a lot and make a mess, so we elected to put a gravity drain in the basement for cold weather access.


----------



## Tacitus

I want to store water in my basement where the temperature is regulated year round. But I know I can't get a cheap barrel.

If I put a big tank or barrel in my basement, and it leaks, I will have a marital crisis on my hands on the order of *"The Great Burning Log on the Persian Rug Incident of '08"* (which occurred shortly after I "won" the Gas vs. Wood Fireplace Debates).

But if I put a tank in the garage, it will get hot in the summer; and if I put it outside, it will freeze in the winter. Oy.


----------



## LincTex

Tacitus said:


> I want to store water in my basement where the temperature is regulated year round. But I know I can't get a cheap barrel.
> 
> If I put a big tank or barrel in my basement, and it leaks, I will have a marital crisis on my hands


Well, as long as its food grade it doesn't matter what you pay for it, really.

You can place it in a tub of some sort. All OSHA compliant businesses have their barrels over a catchment of some form. You could even get a huge water heater pan with a drain on it, LOL!



Tacitus said:


> "The Great Burning Log on the Persian Rug Incident of '08"


Ouch....... yeah, we bought a hearth rug for $40. It does get damaged when a burning log lands on it, but it saves the carpet.


----------



## Tacitus

LincTex said:


> ...we bought a hearth rug for $40. It does get damaged when a burning log lands on it, but it saves the carpet.


Hearth rug. Now you tell me.

We never had another fire in that fireplace. (I wasn't there for the actual event--just the aftermath. My son rolled the log out of the fire place while I was gone to the store. But somehow, it was my fault.  )


----------



## weedygarden

*I fill anything and everything with a cap or lid, up.*

One of the things that I have also done is to really look at my water bill and consider how in the world we will live with so little water.

I will never have enough water. And I really lack in the amount of water I have.

The thing that separates us from third world countries is warm, running water.

I use milk cartons and plan on using that water for non human consumption. I have some older ones spring a leak, so I am careful about where I store them. I have also had soda bottles crack and lose all water. Mine are pretty old. Since I really don't drink much soda and my closest friends and family don't either, I don't have a good access to them. I have 55 gallon blue barrels also.

Edit: I got an email asking to buy 55 gallon blue barrels, Roy. Is there anything in this post that said I sell them? I do not. Weird.


----------



## LincTex

I think everyone should really consider getting a 275 gallon (or larger) IBC tote (or similar). A buried concrete cistern is ideal. I think just about everyone is used to using more water than we really should.


----------



## hiwall

As a prep item everyone might consider a cheap kid's pool. Store it and when you consider things are headin' south, take it out, set it up near your house, and fill it. They don't cost much and hold alot of water. Just a thought


----------



## LincTex

hiwall said:


> As a prep item everyone might consider a cheap kid's pool.


We set one up in the living room for when my wife gave birth to our youngest one (water birth) and the floor handled it fine (pier and beam). 
If the SHTF and you "bug in", it might not be a bad idea to take the bed down in one of the smaller bedrooms and put the pool in there. The water is more easily protected indoors than out.


----------



## LongRider

hiwall said:


> As a prep item everyone might consider a cheap kid's pool. Store it and when you consider things are headin' south, take it out, set it up near your house, and fill it. They don't cost much and hold alot of water. Just a thought


How much are those? A Cheaper than Dirt Water Bob runs about $25


----------



## hiwall

LongRider said:


> How much are those? A Cheaper than Dirt Water Bob runs about $25


I was thinking something maybe like this one $18 and holds 550 gallons.......

http://www.walmart.com/ip/My-Sunshine-8-Snap-Set-Pool/19336116


----------



## tsrwivey

hiwall said:


> As a prep item everyone might consider a cheap kid's pool. Store it and when you consider things are headin' south, take it out, set it up near your house, and fill it. They don't cost much and hold alot of water. Just a thought


They are all crap nowadays. I bought one for the dog one year & stored it in the shed over winter. When I got it out the next spring, it cracked. :gaah: whatever happened to the good ole days when plastic lasted 500 years?


----------



## LongRider

hiwall said:


> I was thinking something maybe like this one $18 and holds 550 gallons.......
> 
> http://www.walmart.com/ip/My-Sunshine-8-Snap-Set-Pool/19336116


Definitely bigger and cheaper would be great for grey water uses but for drinking I's still want something made with food grade material and seal-able.


----------



## hiwall

LongRider said:


> Definitely bigger and cheaper would be great for grey water uses but for drinking I's still want something made with food grade material and seal-able.


I agree 100%. But in reality the huge bulk of our water is not used for drinking. Even if you used it to wash clothes and flush the toilet, it would be a great help. Water is vital. Repeat- - water is vital.


----------



## Navajo

AS snow on a mountain about 10 miles from here, comes flowing past the house all year long....

yeah the snow never all melts in the summer either, and when it did once the creek still ran.


----------



## LongRider

hiwall said:


> I agree 100%. But in reality the huge bulk of our water is not used for drinking. Even if you used it to wash clothes and flush the toilet, it would be a great help. Water is vital. Repeat- - water is vital.


True that is why we have a generator and hand pump for our well


----------



## popcorn590

The first thought of emergency water use is drinking. A person can go without showing, washing, and shaving as long as garlic, orange peels, etc. are available, (just kidding). Our area does have access to non-potable water. This eventually can be used for drinking with treatment. Our main concern is to have enough for drinking to get us over the shock of not have easy access to water, if whatever happens does last for a longer than normal time. Getting oer the initial shock of utilities going down is the main concern, Eventually we will all adapt. Later, Popcorn


----------



## carolexan

Popcorn why not turn your water off for 24 hours and see how your water stores hold up. We did this with water, electric and eating only stored food for 3 days...wow was it an eye opener.
This was early on when we thought we were well establish in our homestead; we do drills of this sort on a regular basis. Some people "ripen" a lot faster than others and you did not want to stand down wind of them...also no one knew when the exercise was to begin so there were no last minute showers or water accumulation. BTW I learned to make hygiene products and more ways of sanitation after this drill! LOL


----------



## LincTex

tsrwivey said:


> They are all crap nowadays. When I got it out the next spring, it cracked.


It seems most vinyl and plastic stuff is coming from China, and is really poor grade.


----------



## popcorn590

carolexan said:


> Popcorn why not turn your water off for 24 hours and see how your water stores hold up. We did this with water, electric and eating only stored food for 3 days...wow was it an eye opener.
> This was early on when we thought we were well establish in our homestead; we do drills of this sort on a regular basis. Some people "ripen" a lot faster than others and you did not want to stand down wind of them...also no one knew when the exercise was to begin so there were no last minute showers or water accumulation. BTW I learned to make hygiene products and more ways of sanitation after this drill! LOL


We went through seven days without one time in 1987, and refined our thought pattern, and consumtion patterns. If it happens we ration immidately, everything, then ease up if and when we feel we can, by replacing our emergencies water, supplies, medical, etc. GREAT IDEA OF YOURS THOUGH for others to try.


----------



## cantinawest

*Barrels, bottles and jugs*

Over the years we have stored water in a haphazard way, but at least we were doing it.
We acquired some 35 gallon blue water barrels from my brother and after about two years finally cleaned them out and filled them with water and now they sit on the north side of the house/garage. If nothing else we will use this for bathing, washing etc. and it can be boiled to make it taste better for drinking.

We have also stored water in cleaned out two liter soda bottles and milk/juice jugs, but of course this is not a very efficient form of storage since they do not stack well. These are easy to grab and go with on the run though if need be.

We just barely though purchased us a 250 Gallon Water storage tank with two spigots that we will be locating in the back corner of our garage. This is something that I have been wanting to do for some time and we finally got a good deal on one.

This company is based in Utah, so for those close by it might be worth contacting them. Their website is not very good or proactive, but there is still some contact information to email or call them.

We plan on getting one more of these later on. They fit through most doorways due to their tall and more narrow profile.

http://rockwellwater.com/?action=features


----------



## machinist

250 gallons of water weighs roughly 1,000 pounds, so better put that thing on a concrete floor somewhere. 

All of the small quantity methods of storing water make me really appreciate our cistern. While it is possible to store enough water for a short term emergency, for the long term you need a creek, a lake, an accessible well or a cistern and means to assure their purity. There just ain't any easy ways to long term water supply. Water supply was always the top priority of early settlers in any area of the world. We seem to have forgotten this. 

Water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon and we use an average of 75 gallons a day for normal life that includes flush toilets, showers, cooking, dish washing, and drinking. If we had to haul it, that 75 gallons weighs about 600 pounds. No way I am going to carry that much. When TSHTF, I will have plenty of other things to worry about besides a water supply. That's why our FIRST prep was to fix up the cistern and add a hand well pump right outside the back door. No problem. 

The way I see it, water, food, and heating/cooking fuel are on the must-have list and have to be sustainable supplies, or you are just putting off the inevitable day when you will do without.


----------



## Paltik

We have a Water Bob, a large reservoir to put in the bathtub to fill when an interruption in water is feared. Beyond that, we also keep our 2 liter soda pop bottles, washing them and filling them with tap water, then storing them under the beds.

While a person can survive on 1 quart of water a day, the recommendation is at least 1 gallon per person per day--2 quarts for drinking, and 2 quarts for cooking and sanitation. You may add 5-8 drops of chlorine bleach (5.25% hypochlorite, unscented) per gallon to the water you store, but this isn't necessary, as there's usually already chlorine in tap water. It is recommended to recycle water stored like this every 6 months (empty, rinse, refill), and it is recommended to recycle prepackaged water and self-serve purified water once a year.

Throw 2-3 bottles of water (with 2-3 inches of air at the top) into the freezer for storage. This will help keep your frozen food cold longer in case of a power interruption.

We thought about those nifty Water Bricks, thinking to make a low "wall" of stored water in the back and sides of our closets, but frankly we're just too cheap.


----------



## LincTex

machinist said:


> 250 gallons of water weighs roughly 1,000 pounds, so better put that thing on a concrete floor somewhere.....Water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon


ummm... 250 x 8 = *2000 lbs*

Yes, must definitely be on a good floor!


----------



## machinist

OOPS! Not my best math day.  Thanks, LincTex.

Anyhow, that's why people used masonry cisterns, underground to prevent freezing. It's the cheapest way to store large quantities of water year around. Same as a well, the earth keeps it around 50 to 55 F. Unlike a deep well, you don't have the problem of getting water out of the ground from 20 feet to 300 feet down, depending on the well water level. Pumping well water without electricity is a major PITA. Been there, done that for a herd of dairy cows long ago and ain't planning on repeating that.


----------



## ZoomZoom

cantinawest said:


> We just barely though purchased us a 250 Gallon Water storage tank with two spigots that we will be locating in the back corner of our garage. This is something that I have been wanting to do for some time and we finally got a good deal on one.
> 
> http://rockwellwater.com/?action=features





LincTex said:


> ummm... 250 x 8 = *2000 lbs*
> 
> Yes, must definitely be on a good floor!


 If you don't want to read all of this, just read the underlined.

I didn't read all the posts and just peeking in on the last 2 pages.

Are y'all talking about putting this 250 gallon tank on a concrete garage floor?

If so, I'm thinking I wouldn't worry about the weight much if your floor is decent.

Take your car for example. Let's say it weighs 2 tons. That's 1000# where each tire touches the floor. That area on the floor is only about 60 sq/in (per tire) which is about 17 pounds per square inch.

That tank lists dimensions as Oasis 25025028" W x 36" L x 80 " H78 lbs dry
_I don't know how they have a length in a cylinder but I'm assuming 28" wide by 80" high._

28 inch diameter = 615 sq/in of floor space.

That's only 3.25 pounds per square inch. A lot less than a car.


----------



## cantinawest

machinist said:


> 250 gallons of water weighs roughly 1,000 pounds, so better put that thing on a concrete floor somewhere.


Yes it is heavy.
We have it on a pallet in a corner of our garage that is close to the back door.
We can hook a hose to it and draw water easily and it makes it easy to rotate the water by using a hose to water the lawn, plants etc. and then we just refill it again with a hose.

We plan on getting a second one later on.


----------



## machinist

I didn't mean to criticize about putting it on the garage floor, in fact that would be my choice. Just warning others who may get one of those.


----------



## popcorn590

machinist said:


> 250 gallons of water weighs roughly 1,000 pounds, so better put that thing on a concrete floor somewhere.
> 
> All of the small quantity methods of storing water make me really appreciate our cistern. While it is possible to store enough water for a short term emergency, for the long term you need a creek, a lake, an accessible well or a cistern and means to assure their purity. There just ain't any easy ways to long term water supply. Water supply was always the top priority of early settlers in any area of the world. We seem to have forgotten this.
> 
> Water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon and we use an average of 75 gallons a day for normal life that includes flush toilets, showers, cooking, dish washing, and drinking. If we had to haul it, that 75 gallons weighs about 600 pounds. No way I am going to carry that much. When TSHTF, I will have plenty of other things to worry about besides a water supply. That's why our FIRST prep was to fix up the cistern and add a hand well pump right outside the back door. No problem.
> 
> The way I see it, water, food, and heating/cooking fuel are on the must-have list and have to be sustainable supplies, or you are just putting off the inevitable day when you will do without.


I made sure our 55 gallon drums are each on their own good quality loading pallet, that is on the ground of a root cellar that has been in place since about 1904.


----------



## LincTex

ZoomZoom said:


> I wouldn't worry about the weight much if your floor is decent.


I don't suppose everybody that buys one has the ability to place it on a concrete floor. I can only assume there are folks who will want to set it up inside their house.... hence the "integrity of floor" statements.


----------



## justme

I know this is an old thread but I'm concerned about storing water in plastic containers. I would think that it would get a plastic taste to the water after while. I do have water in plastic jugs but I am going to use them for cooking, or washing but not for drinking. I have looked into stainless steal water storage containers but they are really pricey new. Mason jars is what I will be getting for drinking water storage but I still want something larger to keep water in and doesn't take a lot of room to store.


----------



## LincTex

justme said:


> I know this is an old thread but I'm concerned about storing water in plastic containers. I would think that it would get a plastic taste to the water after while.


I get that from HDPE containers, but not from PET



justme said:


> I still want something larger to keep water in and doesn't take a lot of room to store.


For 55 gallons or more, the sky is the limit!!!

For 5 gallons at a time - Use these:
http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f2/5-gallon-water-jugs-any-use-them-20078/


----------



## justme

Thanks for the info and I will look for PET containers.


----------



## LincTex

Just do an internet search for "PET containers" to see sources, or click on "images" to see examples.


----------



## JayJay

justme said:


> I know this is an old thread but I'm concerned about storing water in plastic containers. I would think that it would get a plastic taste to the water after while. I do have water in plastic jugs but I am going to use them for cooking, or washing but not for drinking. I have looked into stainless steal water storage containers but they are really pricey new. Mason jars is what I will be getting for drinking water storage but I still want something larger to keep water in and doesn't take a lot of room to store.


Berkey for that plastic taste??
I don't worry about the storage process. Just storing is a plus. I have 30 gallon drums, I have juice containers, I have gallon vinegar jugs, and lots more.
Worried about plastic taste?? Tang. Good for taste and good for vitamin C.
And, no Berkey?? There's always pool shock.


----------



## LincTex

JayJay said:


> Berkey for that plastic taste??
> I don't worry about the storage process. Just storing is a plus.


If I am thirsty enough, I will (and have before) not worry about taste as long as its safe to drink.


----------



## Paltik

PET plastic bottles should have the number "1" in a triangle formed by three bent arrows.


----------



## Katcl

:wave:I bought a couple of blue 55 gal. drums @$15 each from a local (Reno) recycling place. I am thinking of storing them outside since I have no room for them in my little house. My thought is that if they are in the shade (north side of shed) and I wrap insulation around them, they will be fine. Any thoughts on this? I appreciate learning from others experience.


----------



## popcorn590

LincTex said:


> I get that from HDPE containers, but not from PET
> 
> For 55 gallons or more, the sky is the limit!!!
> 
> For 5 gallons at a time - Use these:
> http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f2/5-gallon-water-jugs-any-use-them-20078/


I understand what you mean, but when you need water you will not care if it tastes like plastic. I agree with using those types of container for other than drinking water. I personally only use platic containers for drinking water that had liquid in them to start with. There are numbers on the bottom of plastic containers that give the useage abilities. You need to seach engine those numbers and see which ones are agreeable to storage of drinking water. ANYONE OUT THERE GOT THOSE NUMBERS AT HAND????????


----------



## popcorn590

Katcl said:


> :wave:I bought a couple of blue 55 gal. drums @$15 each from a local (Reno) recycling place. I am thinking of storing them outside since I have no room for them in my little house. My thought is that if they are in the shade (north side of shed) and I wrap insulation around them, they will be fine. Any thoughts on this? I appreciate learning from others experience.


I am certainly no expert, I just learn from others, reading and research with the search engines. If you store them on the north side of the shed, you are storing them in the winter blast. First you want convienance for getting water during emergencies. If in the cold of winter that area would really suck to me. Personally I would go get a bunch of loading pallets that are free and build a structure that contects to the shed then cut a door, and get siding to surround the built pallets enclosing them. I did this type of build for a 18' x 32' x 8' sized wood shed. Loading pallets are great for that. Hard wood and extremly strong. When I had to put two side by side, I just got a 2 x 4 and shaved it if needed then slid it through the pallets and screwed them together. For stacking I tagged them together then got a straight 2 x 4 made sure the pallets were straight up and down then screwed the long 2 x 4 as the upright. I eventually used 2 x4's as long cross pieces to keep the walls straight as I put up siding, then eventually got the plywood on top for the roof thus making the structure very strong. Next rolled roofing, and NO TARPAPER, just cold tar on the plywood, and the contecting edges of the folled roofing, and nailed the rooled roofing down. Later you can take out those corner cross pieces. What I did that works really well, for us.


----------



## unbill

Any clean container and put 8 drops of regular bleach per gallon of
water, will store at least 10 yrs that way.


----------



## LincTex

An update:

I have .5 liter bottles of (cheap store brand) bottled water - stored in an old filing cabinet cache - in the middle of a heap of junk - in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. The cab is partially shaded by a tree, but only in the morning. The afternoon gets full sunlight.

It's been there since 2007. About once a year I sample a bottle to check for quality.

The bottles are covered with mouse poop and dried mouse piss. I washed one off the best I could with plain tap water and buried it in the ice in my cooler while I did some chores.

I came back after a couple of hours and drank a nice, cold, fresh bottle of water with _no weird tastes at all!_

So being in a (white/beige) filing cabinet in the sun did not affect the water! (that I could tell? I am still alive 24 hours later, LOL!)


----------



## teotwaki

LincTex said:


> An update:
> 
> I have .5 liter bottles of (cheap store brand) bottled water - stored in an old filing cabinet cache - in the middle of a heap of junk - in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. The cab is partially shaded by a tree, but only in the morning. The afternoon gets full sunlight.
> 
> It's been there since 2007. About once a year I sample a bottle to check for quality.
> 
> The bottles are covered with mouse poop and dried mouse piss. I washed one off the best I could with plain tap water and buried it in the ice in my cooler while I did some chores.
> 
> I came back after a couple of hours and drank a nice, cold, fresh bottle of water with _no weird tastes at all!_
> 
> So being in a (white/beige) filing cabinet in the sun did not affect the water! (that I could tell? I am still alive 24 hours later, LOL!)


Can you write me into your will real quick before the Hanta Virus kicks in? :laugh:


----------



## LincTex

teotwaki said:


> Can you write me into your will real quick before the Hanta Virus kicks in?


Still kickin'.

I drank the water that was *"*IN*"* the bottle..... not the "cooler water"



LincTex said:


> I washed one off the best I could with plain tap water and buried it in the ice in my cooler while I did some chores.


----------



## neldarez

OldCootHillbilly said:


> Ya can build the same thin as one them high dollar berkey's with a couple 5 gallon buckets an the filters. Ain't as purdy but does the same thin an lots cheaper. Just a thought.


Do you have a link that shows how to do that OCH??


----------



## BlackDogWV

neldarez said:


> Do you have a link that shows how to do that OCH??


Go to www.homespunenvironmental.com for an even more cost-effective way and diagrams/how-to.


----------



## weedygarden

*Does this sound crazy?*

I have become aware that on recycling day, several bins have some wine bottles. It occurred to me that wine bottles would work for storing water, but it would take many bottles to have any decent amount of water.

Wash the bottles well, fill with water, add a drop of chlorine bleach, seal with a cork, dip in wax.

Any suggestions? Does this seem too crazy? Really, I could have 100s of wine bottles in a month or two if I was willing and able to work the neighborhood.

One of the challenges of course is storage, and I could put them in the basement. I am thinking wine boxes would be the best way to store them.


----------



## OldCootHillbilly

neldarez said:


> Do you have a link that shows how to do that OCH??


Sorry I didn't get back ta yall sooner darlin.

Here be a site with good instruction an I got some a there filters. Happy with em an cheaper then berkeys.

http://www.homespunenvironmental.com/category_s/42.htm

I built up a couple a these just in case. Perty cheap insurance.

I thin that be the same site that Black Dog posted.


----------



## clarsenaz

Currently there is no easy solution for life-saving Emergency Water Storage. The Armageddon Water Tank is an easy, convenient, practical solution that uses only 5 sq. ft. garage floor space to hold 250 gallons of UV sterile emergency water -something vital in extreme weather or disasters.

1.	Secure the Tank 
2.	Fill it with Water (through built-in filter)
3.	Plug it in (110, battery or solar) and the UV light keeps the water sterile indefinitely

It is an idea that I'm promoting through an invention website called Quirky.com. The idea needs at least 200 votes for the company to put it before their executive review which decides whether they produce the product.

On average people will last about 3-6 days without water; in extreme heat some people only last hours. Water decides who survives. The website where you can vote to help promote the idea is 
http://www.quirky.com/invent/630528/action/vote/query/sort=ending_soon&categories=all

Please vote if you can, and thank you for your help - let's try to make this a reality for our families.


----------



## Tacitus

clarsenaz said:


> The Armageddon Water Tank is an easy, convenient, practical solution that uses only 5 sq. ft. garage floor space to hold 250 gallons of UV sterile emergency water
> ...
> It is an idea that I'm promoting through an invention website called Quirky.com. The idea needs at least 200 votes for the company to put it before their executive review which decides whether they produce the product.
> ...
> Please vote if you can, and thank you for your help - let's try to make this a reality for our families.


Great idea, Cory. I would vote for it, but Quirky makes you log in to vote, so it is not a secret ballot. I don't like that.

I read your pitch, and I wondered if you might get more votes if you pitched the idea for third world or other non-US water supplies...tug on those heartstrings a little bit. Drop the survivalist name ("Armageddon") and go with something that just indicates it is a personal water supply. This can be personal everyday use of clean water for people in the third world, or it could be an emergency supply for people in the first world. Don't think about how you would use it; think about how your voters (and the Quirky board) would think people would use it. They may think the market of preppers is small, but they may think the UN would consider buying a thousand of the things.

Just a thought.


----------



## clarsenaz

Tacitus said:


> Great idea, Cory. I would vote for it, but Quirky makes you log in to vote, so it is not a secret ballot. I don't like that.
> 
> I read your pitch, and I wondered if you might get more votes if you pitched the idea for third world or other non-US water supplies...tug on those heartstrings a little bit. Drop the survivalist name ("Armageddon") and go with something that just indicates it is a personal water supply. This can be personal everyday use of clean water for people in the third world, or it could be an emergency supply for people in the first world. Don't think about how you would use it; think about how your voters (and the Quirky board) would think people would use it. They may think the market of preppers is small, but they may think the UN would consider buying a thousand of the things.
> 
> Just a thought.


The feedback is much appreciated! I submitted the same idea about a year ago under the name "Water Cell" and pitched it as an option for home emergency, disaster relief, and a version of it on wheels with solar panels for 3rd world countries where they still have to fetch water from a distant source. You're absolutely right by the way, I changed it to Armageddon because of my Marketing classes. Sadly, it has received much more attention using fear than it did pitching foresight and Problem solving. I will revisit those avenues with the new name and see what happens. Again, thank you for the feedback, it's very welcome, and if you have any more in the future please don't hesistate to share.


----------



## unbill

*how to store water simply*

Any clean water container put in 8 drops of plain common bleach per gallon
of water,no foul taste,no complicated apparatuses to fail,simple fool proof
and time tested.


----------



## dutch9mm

unbill said:


> Any clean water container put in 8 drops of plain common bleach per gallon
> of water,no foul taste,no complicated apparatuses to fail,simple fool proof
> and time tested.


You don't need the bleach If the waters clean already


----------



## Toffee

weedygarden said:


> I have become aware that on recycling day, several bins have some wine bottles. It occurred to me that wine bottles would work for storing water, but it would take many bottles to have any decent amount of water.
> 
> Wash the bottles well, fill with water, add a drop of chlorine bleach, seal with a cork, dip in wax.
> 
> Any suggestions? Does this seem too crazy? Really, I could have 100s of wine bottles in a month or two if I was willing and able to work the neighborhood.
> 
> One of the challenges of course is storage, and I could put them in the basement. I am thinking wine boxes would be the best way to store them.


I would do it, personally. I picked up a super cheap wine rack two years ago. I'll take a pic of it for you layer if you want, but it's just 1x2's bolted together and I think we will eventually hang it in a side room out of the way.


----------



## InWyo

For large amounts of water, the best way I store water is three 1500 gallon underground poly storage tanks. (Made just for that purpose) My well pumps into the storage tanks which has a float switch in it to shut well down when tanks are full. Has overflow in event switch fails. I am constantly drawing out of the tanks for daily use using a gravity feed system. Always fresh clean water which I am guessing gets cycled once a week or so in the winter and almost daily in the summer (lawn and garden use). My float switch kicks well on after tanks drop to about 1/2 full so always a reserve. It might be wise if using this system to use an addition switch lower in tank to sound an alarm or light to make you aware if the pump fails to turn on or has a problem. Have used this present system for 20 years and it is "almost" worry free. I never give it a second thought as to having water on hand. If just storing water, large poly water tanks that you can cycle water through would work great. The cooler the better and 100% dark. Keeps the algae from growing. They make them from 5 to 2500 gallons and several designs can be buried.


----------



## Coastal

I just bought 2 of these for $150 each all they had was wine in them and were already cleaned and rinsed but I bleached the crap out of them and rinsed again. I filled with city water which has chloramines in it, and now I have 630 gallons of water stacked and stored in my shop.


----------



## ZoomZoom

InWyo said:


> For large amounts of water, the best way I store water is three 1500 gallon underground poly storage tanks.
> ...
> 
> Always fresh clean water which I am guessing gets cycled once a week or so in the winter and almost daily in the summer (lawn and garden use).


You go through 4500 gallons a week in the winter and that same amount per day in the summer?!?!? 

Our family doesn't use that in a month.


----------



## weedygarden

I just looked for an article that would support what I heard a few months ago. Before we had warm running water, the average American used an average of 3 gallons of water per day. Now we average 100 gallons per person per day.


----------



## HomegrownGal

I have a broken water line. I fill 12-16 gallon jugs at my daughter's house twice weekly. This allows 1-2 toilet flushes daily (I work full time and live alone), water for 19 guineas, 6 house finches, a cat, 5 nigerian dwarfs, modest sink bath and coffee! Lol! I have become very conservative!


Sent from my iPhone using Survival Forum


----------



## Wellrounded

ZoomZoom said:


> You go through 4500 gallons a week in the winter and that same amount per day in the summer?!?!?
> 
> Our family doesn't use that in a month.


We'd use that easily here. Not much of it is used in the house (our main house tank is 5000 gallons and that fills from roof runoff) it all goes on the garden. Our main well storage tank is 25000 gallons and I can use that in 2 days to water all the gardens and orchard.


----------



## LincTex

Wellrounded said:


> Our main well storage tank is 25000 gallons and I can use that in 2 days to water all the gardens and orchard.


Holy crap! 
What are the costs involved with the procuring, pumping, storing, and irrigating all that water?


----------



## musketjim

My wife has to use a nasal flush a couple times a day so we always have some distilled water in the house, when the jugs are empty I fill them with water and store them out back where they freeze and stay out of the way for 9 months of the year. When they thaw, I use them to water the chickens and turkeys. I then bleach and rinse them out and fill them up again in time to freeze. I've usually got 15-20 gallons put aside. Not a lot but I also have a generator to run our pump and we can always melt snow or go to our nearby lake when icefishing to procure more.


----------



## Wellrounded

LincTex said:


> Holy crap!
> What are the costs involved with the procuring, pumping, storing, and irrigating all that water?


We water about once per week from October until April unless we have enough rain.

It takes about 5 days to refill the tank if I drain it, costs about $6.00 per day to run. Electricity costs here are very high.

We don't drain the tank though, we run the pump while irrigating to maintain the storage at maximum.

The tank was poured (it's concrete) in about 1974. It sits 35 yards above the gardens so water pressure is great. We will have to buy a liner for it in the future because of its age, should cost about $1500 and extend the tanks life by another 20 years.

Water is one of the farms biggest costs but also has the greatest productive rewards.


----------



## InWyo

ZoomZoom said:


> You go through 4500 gallons a week in the winter and that same amount per day in the summer?!?!?
> 
> Our family doesn't use that in a month.


You probably don't live in the high desert and don't have up to 250 head of cattle watering off of a pipeline either. Cattle in hot weather can drink as much as 40 to 50 gal a day. Less in the winter but they still drink a plenty. Garden, small lawn, and livestock in the summer use a lot of water.


----------



## ZoomZoom

InWyo said:


> You probably don't live in the high desert and don't have up to 250 head of cattle watering off of a pipeline either.


You made it clear now and it's all good.

There was no mention of desert or cattle in your first post which is what drew my attention on the amount used.


----------



## BillS

dutch9mm said:


> You don't need the bleach If the waters clean already


No, you need chlorine to prevent bacteria growth. The bleach lasts 6 months.

http://www.ready.gov/water


----------



## BillS

I talked about this last March so I think it's worth repeating:

We bought about 1500 one gallon water jugs. As long as they're kept sealed and out of the sunlight they're good indefinitely. We bought cinder blocks and 4'x8' sheets of plywood to hold the jugs. They're 4 or 5 layers high in our basement and hold 512 gallons each. We have 3 in the basement. Once in awhile I'll take one out and try it. The water jugs are at least two years old and the water still tastes as fresh as when I bought it.


----------



## cantinawest

*Update: neighbors getting prepared*

Since we bought our first 250 gallon water tank last summer we have gotten a few of our neighbors interested and committed to storing water as well, and we were able to help four of them get some of the same easy to move(when empty) easy to rotate tanks with the two spigots this last weekend at a really great price

Two neighbors got two tanks (total of 500 gal.)and another got one tank.
Were saving to get our second tank soon.

Now we have about four more people in our neighborhood who also want to get some of these same water storage tanks.

I think if those who have them now talk with their neighbors we may have our whole neighborhood stocked with new 250 gal water tanks within a year.

That would be a good thing


----------



## goshengirl

cantinawest said:


> That would be a good thing


Indeed it would. Do you have a link to info on what you bought? I appreciate positive first-hand experience.


----------



## cantinawest

Yes, these are the tanks that we bought.

We got them on a bulk order so we were able to get them for less than they show listed on the site, and we had someone who brought down a trailer with about 40 tanks on it so that saved us a bit.
We paid $345.00 per 250 gal tank

Even then, this company's regular price for the tank is quite good compared to what I have seen other tanks being sold for.

http://rockwellwater.com/?action=features


----------



## goshengirl

Thanks, cantina, I appreciate it.


----------



## LincTex

cantinawest said:


> We paid $345.00 per 250 gal tank


These are near you:

https://stgeorge.craigslist.org/hsh/4381978430.html

https://stgeorge.craigslist.org/bfd/4368234196.html

https://stgeorge.craigslist.org/for/4367858079.html

https://stgeorge.craigslist.org/grd/4361493874.html

https://stgeorge.craigslist.org/tls/4346757042.html


----------



## cantinawest

Thanks for the links on craigslist.

I usually keep an eye on cragslist to see what is available.
Some of those are good deals for sure.

My issue has been ease of storage without taking up lots of room inside the garage or house.

Those tanks in the listing are quite wide, but if it comes down to it, they would work for the intended purpose, to store water.

Maybe once I get our yard done up where I can maybe put a tank like that into the ground, just at surface level, I would use a round, wide tank like that one.

We saw a lot of those tanks in use on the Navajo reservation by almost everyone on the reservation. That is the principal means of transporting and storing water for daily use there.


----------



## kappydell

Red Dunes, you can indeed use any food container. The only trouble with milk jugs is that they get brittle & spring leaks with time (in my experience they only last about a year) so you would have to rotate the containers as well as the water. I have used empty bleach bottles, they are very tough, last a long time, and the only thing leaching into the water from them would be...(drum roll)....bleach, which I use to disinfect anway. I think that the bleach bottle would add a small margin of safety in keeping the water disinfected longer while in storage. (Bleach bottle trick courtesy of my mother who kept water that way in the fallout shelter/storage cellar during the 50s & 60s.) 
Soda bottles are also tougher than milk bottles, and last much longer since they are designed to withstand the pressures of carbonization & the acid erosion from the acids in the sodas they store. They are also easier to handle for children & smaller women and solve the problem (for me anyway) of water rationing - you simply give each person their alloted amount for drinking, bottle by bottle, and let them pace themselves. Even children can understand that and go with it. With a barrel size container, it is too easy to take a little more...and more...and more....and suddenly you have run out, unless someone plays the water-miser.


----------



## LincTex

cantinawest said:


> ...tanks in the listing are quite wide, but if it comes down to it, they would work for the intended purpose, to store water.
> That is the principal means of transporting and storing water for daily use there.


They work great for attic storage, since the weight is spread over a larger area.

They still need to be sitting on plywood, and over a load bearing wall.


----------



## GaryS

Several one gallon containers in the pantry for quick access; two 65 gal tanks of already treated potable water in the garage, and 11,000 gallons in a cement pond behind the house.


----------



## cantinawest

*Four more neighbors have water tanks now*

Just helped four more people in our neighborhood to obtain the 250 gallon water tanks that we have been acquiring through a local purchasing group.

Now I just need to get about 85 more homes in our neighborhood to do the same thing and that will make it much better for everyone all around when the time comes for needing to have and use our water storage capabilities


----------



## cantinawest

*Update: water tanks for the neighbors*

Well, after all is said and done, we have been able to get another 6 water tanks (250 gallon) into the homes of more of people in our neighborhood.

I think that is total of 14 tanks all together since we started admonishing our neighbors that it would be a wise thing to do.

I think that it's a pretty good start.


----------



## zimmy

RedDunes, you should be able to fine all the plastic containers you need in the local recycling dumpsters.


----------



## ARDon

I water storage 48 single gals stored in clean milk jugs stored in milk crates, 4 55gal blue drums stored in a shop, plus I have the ESP Water Purification "Outback" is a gravity-powered OB-25NF is a four stage gravity powered water purification system. It has a 2 gallon upper and a 5 gallon lower chamber. The purified water is delivered through a spigot in the lower chamber. It has a production rate of up to 6 - 12 gallons per day.
The OB-25NF effectively removes bacteria at >99.9999%, cysts at >99.99% _and virus at >99.99%_. The system's final stage - a mixed media filter - removes unwanted organic matter, pesticides, herbicides and many other unwanted contaminates. I plan on running all my water their this system stored & non stored water.

many say milk jugs dont hold up, I beg the differ, I have some that are 7 yrs w/o leaking. The key is to use actual milk crates and turn the handle towards the outer side of the crate. The side walls of the crate supports the sides of the jugs(its weakest point). I was told this by the milk distributor.


----------



## 21601mom

Old thread alert!

I purchased several 30 gallon barrels for water storage. In reading (on the Internet) about storing water, I saw some comments about not storing those barrels directly on concrete. After searching our forum I wasn't able to locate posts about this, but I thought I read something here about a year ago. Apologies if I missed these posts-sometimes searching in the app doesn't produce all results (or maybe it's my search terms).

So my question-is there a need to store these on boards/pallets or can I place them directly on the concrete floor? Thanks in advance!


----------



## popcorn590

Been gone for a while just doing things with a few medical things going on, all is as well as can be expected now.
I used pallets to put the 55 gallon ones on and those are on dirt. I also use vinegar bottles when empty and do a rinse then fill to the liquid level, seran wrap the top and screw the cap down, I also do the same with mouth wash bottles, Non-scented clorox bottles, and when I get juice bottles, just a drop or two of clorox, after washing them out and sealing the way explained works well. When we go to thrift stores we buy the olde plastic 5 gallon water bottles, but it needs (I beleive a teaspoon of clorox, Check that out to be sure). Ready made water containers that are purchased by all of us and are now life saving re-usable. Popcorn590


----------



## gmoneylucky

Been trying to find a solution myself and just read this thread. I've found a few simple economical solutions to store water. I am not comfortable storing water in thin walled plastic containers as the plastic itself degrades and breaks down into the water. Who knows what chemicals that unleashes. The three solutions I've found to work for me are rain barrels (about two), bob water bags for short term storage during emergencies (two), and the best solution is PVC storage. I've read somewhere about stacking and making a PVC wall that holds a ton of water and doesn't take up much space since it can stand agains a wall and you can make it as big as you want. I've tapped the bottom cap to install a spigot to attach a hose with a pump to easily pump water out.


----------



## crabapple

This site says that clean water is easy:
http://www.preparednesspro.com/myths-and-facts-of-water-storage


----------



## oskizzle

I use Intermediate Bulk Containers, or IBC's.

If you buy them brand new, they are pretty expensive. Buying them used from Craigslist is how I got mine, they were $25 a piece.

Make sure that you know what was in them prior to buying them, the ones I purchased had baby food ingredients.


----------



## offgridcooker

oskizzle said:


> I use Intermediate Bulk Containers, or IBC's.
> 
> If you buy them brand new, they are pretty expensive. Buying them used from Craigslist is how I got mine, they were $25 a piece.
> 
> Make sure that you know what was in them prior to buying them, the ones I purchased had baby food ingredients.


$25 is a great deal, a guy near me, trades in used IBCs and he gets $70 each for cleaned up and repaired containers. 
He ships them out by the trick load.
I have one under my deck, with two down spouts feeding it.


----------



## readytogo

How to Store Water for Drinking or Cooking ?
There are many guidelines on this subject but I rather buy water commercially purified for as long as I can and have a good filter for emergency situations.

http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/water/drought/how-to-store-water-for-drinking-or-cooking

https://www.ready.gov/water


----------



## jimLE

the PVC idea is a good one,seeing how it can be built to the persons location and needs..but my only 2 concerns,are the cemented connections and spigot.on they well wear out eventually..


----------



## cantinawest

*Emptied blue water barrels for first time in...*

Just Emptied our six blue 35 and 55 gal. water barrels for first time in about five years.

We gave the back lawn a good watering.
These barrels were always stored on the north side of the house.

I had not rotated this water for some time since we have two 250 Gal tanks of water we rotate more often and easily, and which we are using as our principal drinking water.

The water in the blue barrels we figured could be used for washing, bathing, and cooking as is, and if needed we could drink it as well after refreshing it, retreating with bleach or boiling it first. Thus we never went to the hassle of rotating the blue barrels of water as often.
Since we needed to move them, now was as good a time as any.


----------



## jimLE

RedDunesPrepper said:


> You actually buy them for 69 cents? Where you I find these for dirt cheap?


i've bought 1 gallon jugs of spring water,and distilled water from wal mart for 68 or 69 cents each


----------



## smaj100

Question for everyone. I'm adding a pressure booster pump for the house. Our well pump does great but with the level of filtration silt, sand and iron in our water by the time the water gets through the filters pressure sucks.

I am planning on installing the booster after the filters. My question is would it help at all if I assembled something like the attached photo to give a little storage in front of the booster? It'll only hold about 10 gallons, but that should help on everything but taking a shower.

will it work? Any problems?


----------



## Caribou

smaj100 said:


> Question for everyone. I'm adding a pressure booster pump for the house. Our well pump does great but with the level of filtration silt, sand and iron in our water by the time the water gets through the filters pressure sucks.
> 
> I am planning on installing the booster after the filters. My question is would it help at all if I assembled something like the attached photo to give a little storage in front of the booster? It'll only hold about 10 gallons, but that should help on everything but taking a shower.
> 
> will it work? Any problems?


I doubt that you will be happy with the results. I don't believe that 4" PVC is built to take higher pressures that you could potentially see.

I would use something like this before and/or after the secondary pump. This would do a far better job of feeding your pump. For about twice the price you can get three or four times the capacity. If you have trouble keeping water flowing to the pressure pump then put it before. If you want to reduce the number of cycles saving your pump and reducing energy costs put it after. It would also do a better job of feeding your shower. Put them on both sides to accomplish both.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Water-Worker-20-Gal-Pressurized-Well-Tank-HT20B/202846482

I would like to put a few of these in my crawl space to increase my capacity and reduce the number of cycle on my pump.


----------



## LastOutlaw

This is what I'm using...stores 12,000 gallons.


----------



## tmttactical

LastOutlaw said:


> This is what I'm using...stores 12,000 gallons.


 Info please, Link or MFG / model. Thanks.


----------



## smaj100

tmttactical said:


> Info please, Link or MFG / model. Thanks.


http://www.intexcorp.com/28361eh.html

Intex, 24'x12'x52" $1200 msrp. We just replaced the liner in our 18x52" it lasted 5 yrs of hard use, and 1.5 yrs being stored outside in the weather. I think we picked our ABG pool up on clearance years ago for $499 or something like that. Calculator shows approx 8k gallons of usable water storage.


----------



## LastOutlaw

Mine is the intex 32x16 pool.
I bought it on Amazon.
Was about $1200.00 complete.

http://www.amazon.com/Intex-Ultra-Frame-Rectangular-Swimming/dp/B00BTLI4XY

We also have a well and a generac 12k genset that runs on propane or gasoline. (power goes out here a lot for no reason whatsoever)


----------

