# water storage in used drums?



## Spayth (May 10, 2013)

I have the opportunity to buy as many as 40ish 30 gallon plastic barrels for 5 dollars each. The labels on the drums say they at one time had car wash soap in them.. do y'all think they could be cleaned well enough to make them safe for water storage? I could run the water thru a berkey before drinking if it'll help. Thoughts anyone?


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## eddy_dvyvan (May 8, 2012)

Yep. Give them a rinse.
Fill them up and add a little bleach. Taste test

Not a bad price either. Maybe ask for a discount if you buy a heap


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

It might be fine for flushing toilets or possibly laundry but I wouldn't use it for potable water.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

I have a bunch that were used for the same purpose, paid same price. I have rinsed them several times and don't detect any traces of residual soap. I use them to haul water out to my BOL, which is used for bathing, washing, watering plants and mixing concrete. I really doubt the water from them is harmful to drink. I have not yet simply because I bring a big cooler of ice water out with me to drink from. If I needed to do so, I would run some through a Brita pitcher first.


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## Cabowabo (Nov 6, 2012)

you could use it for Animal water storage. Have Gutters that run to it. As long as you keep it elevated gravity would take care of the water pressure to keep animals watered.


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

both water and food poly storage containers need to be manufactured from scratch, with that purpose intent .... virgin plastics, special chems, uncontaminated equipment and sanitary conditions are necessary .... easily costs 2-3 times the price of a regular use container .... 

your soap barrels were not good for potable water coming out of the factory .... add all kinds of chems permanently etched into the plastics ..... 

I wouldn't use them for anything that could send chems into your food chain ....


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

No to drinking water storage.


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## GrinnanBarrett (Aug 31, 2012)

NO WAY. I have worked with chemicals for years and never ever use a barrel that has stored cleaning chemicals. Plastic absorbs the chemicals that are stored in it and it never goes away no matter how much you clean it. The chemist I trained under was a Phd from MIT. If the barrel was from Kraft and used for food flavoring then use it but remember it will always leave the water smelling like Cucumber or whatever the flavor it held originally. 

USE ONLY FOOD GRADE CONTAINERS. GB


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## cazetofamo (Mar 18, 2012)

Yea, should be safe, just rinse a few times and rinse with bleach. Taste test. You got a great deal! Just hope you have the place to put them all


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

My take is that I wouldn't use them for drinking water. The reason is twofold: I have no way of knowing if the container is food grade if it didn't previously have food in it, and I don't know the chemical makeup of the soap and its effect on the drum. I don't think regular old suds would be a problem, but chances are it wasn't Ivory in those barrels - who knows what was? Truth be told, I don't know the difference between food grade and non-food grade (from a chemical, technical point of view). But when it comes to drinking water for me and my family, why take chances? That's just me. 

Would I find other uses for them? Heck yes! First thing that comes to mind is to cut one in half, and I'd have two outdoor washing tubs.


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## eddy_dvyvan (May 8, 2012)

Many years ago I used to work at a plastic manufacturer. Food grade contrainers and non food grade came off the same production line with the only difference being price due to the fact it includes testing/accreditation/liability fees.

And for me the risk is so small that id rather have water on hand than get desprate and drink from some of the rivers around here in an emergency. When your thristy enough you would be surprised what your willing to drink.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

eddy_dvyvan said:


> And for me the risk is so small that I'd rather have water on hand than get desperate and drink from some of the rivers around here in an emergency. When your thirsty enough you would be surprised what your willing to drink.


I have to agree with that.
And really, they had soap in them. Soap generally is considered non-toxic, even if it does taste bad. The EPA would have a cow if the stuff that goes to car washes was really all that bad.

How can you tell if the soap is gone? Pour some water between buckets. No suds = rinsed well. My blue drums that had car wash soap in them don't smell soapy at all, an no suds from the water. I'd drink water from them without any worries whatsoever.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

eddy and Linc, I see both of your points. I think my point of view is influenced by the fact that I can easily get food grade barrels (had flavoring syrups in them) for the same cost as the soap barrels. You're right, in a crisis situation I probably wouldn't think twice about water in a non-food grade soap barrel, especially since I would probably try to filter and boil it anyway. But I'm not in a crisis situation yet, so I'd do my best to have as safe a storage as possible. Especially since the cost is the same (that may not be the case for the OP).

eddy, thanks for the info on manufacturing. I've definitely wondered about that.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

goshengirl said:


> I can easily get food grade barrels (had flavoring syrups in them) for the same cost as the soap barrels.


Good on you! I also have some that are food grade, they held white vinegar or molasses and came from a bread bakery.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Spayth said:


> I have the opportunity to buy as many as 40ish 30 gallon plastic barrels for 5 dollars each. The labels on the drums say they at one time had car wash soap in them.. do y'all think they could be cleaned well enough to make them safe for water storage? I could run the water thru a berkey before drinking if it'll help. Thoughts anyone?


Definitely, you lucky prepper!!!

*Just hope you have the place to put them all *

I have (20) 30 gallons in the garage --stacked 2 high for two years.


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## hwmonkey (Oct 8, 2012)

Plastic is ALWAYS stamped with the grade of plastic used. Read the plastic. Do not mess with anything that is not type 2 or 5 [IMHO]. While this does not guarantee anything, it helps you understand what you are buying. Here is an excerpt from a website about plastic...

Types Of Plastic

In the United States, the following codes represent the seven categories of plastic used in nearly all plastic containers and product packaging:
1 - PET PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) is a clear, tough polymer with exceptional gas and moisture barrier properties. PET's ability to contain carbon dioxide (carbonation) makes it ideal for use in soft drink bottles.

Examples: Soft drink bottles, detergent bottles

2 - HDPE HDPE (high density polyethylene) is used in milk, juice and water containers in order to take advantage of its excellent protective barrier properties. Its chemical resistance properties also make it well suited for items such as containers for household chemicals and detergents. Most five gallon food buckets are made from HDPE.

Examples: Milk bottles, shopping bags

3 - V Vinyl (polyvinyl chloride, or PVC) provides excellent clarity, puncture resistance and cling. As a film, vinyl can breathe just the right amount, making it ideal for packaging fresh meats that require oxygen to ensure a bright red surface while maintaining an acceptable shelf life.

Examples: Plastic food wrap, shrink wrap, garden hoses, shoe soles

4 - LDPE LDPE (low density polyethylene) offers clarity and flexibility. It is used to make bottles that require flexibility. To take advantage of its strength and toughness in film form, it is used to produce grocery bags and garbage bags, shrink and stretch film, and coating for milk cartons.

Examples: Squeeze bottles, dry cleaning bags

5 - PP PP (polypropylene) has high tensile strength, making it ideal for use in caps and lids that have to hold tightly on to threaded openings. Because of its high melting point, polypropylene can be hot-filled with products designed to cool in bottles, including ketchup and syrup. It is also used for products that need to be incubated, such as yogurt. Many Cambo, Tupperware and Rubbermaid food storage containers are made from PP.

Examples: Bottle caps, take-out food containers, drinking straws

6 - PS PS (polystyrene), in its crystalline form, is a colorless plastic that can be clear and hard. It can also be foamed to provide exceptional insulation properties. Foamed or expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used for products such as meat trays, egg cartons and coffee cups. It is also used for packaging and protecting appliances, electronics and other sensitive products.

Examples: Plastic foam, packing peanuts, coat hangers

7 - Other Other denotes plastics made from other types of resin or from several resins mixed together. These usually cannot be recycled.

Another important type of plastic is polycarbonate, a clear shatter-resistant material used in restaurant food storage containers and the Rubbermaid Premier line of stain-resistant home food storage containers.

Why do we need different types of plastics, anyway? This excerpt from the American Plastics Council website explains it well.

"Copper, silver and aluminum are all metals, yet each has unique properties. You wouldn't make a car out of silver or a beer can out of copper because the properties of these metals are not chemically or physically able to create the most effective final product. Likewise, while plastics are all related, each resin has attributes that make it best suited to a particular application. Plastics make this possible because as a material family they are so versatile."

Not All HDPE Containers Are Food Grade

There is a common misconception that all containers made of white plastic or HDPE plastic bearing the HDPE "2" plastic symbol symbol are food grade containers. This is not true.

If you are considering the purchase of a container from some place other than a kitchen or restaurant supply store, and the container is not clearly labeled as "food safe" or being made of food grade plastic, then you should assume that it is not food grade and you should not brine in it-unless you line it with a food grade plastic bag.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Just got an ad from the local ranch store. It has 55 gallon food grade barrels with bottom spigots installed for $33 each.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

hiwall said:


> Just got an ad from the local ranch store. It has 55 gallon food grade barrels with bottom spigots installed for $33 each.


SWEET! :2thumb: Wish your local ranch store was in Ohio.


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