Water storage on a budget?

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Buck268

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Nov 5, 2006
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So I've been thinking since its always high on the list of priorities having some potable water around in case of a need arrises would be a good thing. I'm not talking EOTWAWKI or anything, maybe just a sewage emergency/terrorist/bad black out/etc. Something which a couple days of water would make the difference between low stress and having to worry about it.

I won't get into debates on filters and treatments, or even how much is necessary (since this will vary greatly from need to need). I will be looking at low cost/low space options which will suit a single apartment resident in case a need arrises. One of the primary containers which I seem to slowly aggreigate without any other use is old laundry soap plastic bottles. It seems these are typically #2 HDPE plastic which appears to be food/liquid safe and does not leach significant chemicals. Assuming they see a thorough washing with hot dish soap then rinsed extremely well, is there any reason these would not be a good choice to store some personal drinking water? I am currently taste-testing two bottles, cleaned and rinsed and will try out the water in a couple weeks to see if there is any soapy/laundry type taste.
 
I don't believe that you can ever wash the soap out of them.


How about 2 Litre soda pop bottles?
There are LOTS Of them available.
Especially if you drink soda, or know someone who does.

Plus they are clear - you can see that the water is still clean if there is no sediment.

They will also work with that sunlight, sterilize the water system
and
The bottle shape and size is universally recognized as a beverage container.

They have good caps that seal well & you can fit LOTS Of them under the furniture, bed, couch whatever - great for an apartment space.
I tend to keep them in wine boxes 6x per box and in the cellar.

I have 24 gallons stored this way.



I've got some that's 3 years old and it's still good.
No mould, or whatever.

since it's already potable water, it stays good.
You could always add a little bleach if it makes you feel better.
The standard 2 Litre capacity should make the calculation easy.
 
Well color me slow, I never even considered the 2L, guess I was just trying to avoid tossing some perfectly good containers. I'll have to hold onto some from now on- still going with the laundry soap test, though. It'll se interesting to note any tastes after a few weeks.
 
Here is a quote from Homeland Security News and they do mention 2L bottles.

Here is a link to the whole article on emergency water storage. http://www.nationalterroralert.com/safewater/

Containers That Can be Used for Water Storage

Food-grade plastic or glass containers are suitable for storing water. One-, three- and five-gallon water containers can be purchased from most outdoor or hardware stores. Any plastic or glass container that previously held food or beverages such as 2-liter soda bottles or water, juice, punch or milk jugs, also may be used. Stainless steel can be used to store water which has not been or will not be treated with chlorine; chlorine is corrosive to most metals.

55 gal drums, designed specifiacally for water storage can be difficult to transport, if the need arises, but are of a tremendous value in an emergency .When looking for additional food grade containers, the bottom will be stamped with HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene) and coded with the recycle symbol and a “2″ inside. HDPE containers are FDA-approved for food. Containers without these designations aren’t OK because of possible chemical interactions between the water and the plastic.

Clean used containers and lids with hot soapy water. Once the containers have been thoroughly cleaned, rinse them with water and sanitize the containers and lids by rinsing them with a solution of 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Leave the containers wet for two minutes, then rinse them again with water. Remember to remove the paper or plastic lid liners before washing the lids. It is very difficult to effectively remove all residue from many containers, so carefully clean hard-to-reach places like the handles of milk jugs. To sanitize stainless steel containers, place the container in boiling water for 10 minutes. Never use containers that previously held chemicals.
Click to expand...
 
Why not just use the clear/opaque 1 gallon jugs from the supermarket? Here in CA, you can get them already sealed for .89-99 per bottle. Why go through all the effort trying to adapt jugs impregnated with cleansers in them?
 
CWL said:
Why not just use the clear/opaque 1 gallon jugs from the supermarket? Here in CA, you can get them already sealed for .89-99 per bottle. Why go through all the effort trying to adapt jugs impregnated with cleansers in them?
Click to expand...

Exactly what I do and cycle them based roughly on the use by date. I don't believe water goes off that quickly but it's a good guide to ensure its fresh.
 
texas gun person said:
One-, three- and five-gallon water containers can be purchased from most outdoor or hardware stores.
Click to expand...

Thats how I ride. Though one should consider weight vs. mobility too. 5 gallon containers are in some respects "easier" to transport, because you are only moving 1 container instead of 5 individual gallon containers. Conversely, a 5 gallon container weights 40 lbs, versus 8 lbs for one gallon. Hauling around 40 lbs of water with one hand is not groovy, especially in an emergency and while packing other gear. Just something to consider. For home storage, bigger is probably better, though you don't want a 55 gallon drum to split open and lose its contents in your basement either. Choices.
 
The 2 litre and 1 gallon containers are easy to handle
You have to set it up for the weakest person in the family.
Can everyone pour water from a 5 gallon pail without spilling, maybe in the dark or by flashlight?



We also keep about 30 gallons of potable water in 5 gallon pails for toilet flushing
but not "nice" pails that I would want to drink.

we are in the country, water is based on electric power

and we are subject to power failures- sometimes a few hours, once 4 days.
 
TN_KNIFE said:
What about the water heater in your house?
Click to expand...

This. If you're just wanting water storage for the home base, the weater heater isn't often thought of as a resource. One of my favorite ideas is to buy a dead heater with a solid tank and tie it in with the cold water supply.
 
Hot water heater water is NOT that handy or nice.

Bottled water is handy.


Hot water heater water is dirty, rusty, full of sediment.

How do you get it out?
How often do you use the valve to be sure it's not seized or clogged?
The tap is at floor level & not at all handy to get out and into usable containers.


Sure, I would do it if I have to, but for a simple 72 hour kit - its nicer to have bottles, pails, or carboys.
 
proud2deviate said:
One of my favourite ideas is to buy a dead heater with a solid tank and tie it in with the cold water supply.
Click to expand...

Make it a stainless tank and put it in the attic, tie it into your normal water supply & you would still have running cold water for a short time.

You would tend to flush toilets without thinking and it would be gone pretty quickly.
 
12345678910 said:
Hot water heater water is dirty, rusty, full of sediment.

How do you get it out?
How often do you use the valve to be sure it's not seized or clogged?
The tap is at floor level & not at all handy to get out and into usable containers.
Click to expand...


Both of my hot water heaters are raised up on little platforms. :D Connect a water hose and just screw on a squirt gun. Remove when water is needed.

But you are more than right about it being yucky inside of the tanks. Always interesting when I have to replace heating elements to see what they look like.
 
CWL said:
Why not just use the clear/opaque 1 gallon jugs from the supermarket? Here in CA, you can get them already sealed for .89-99 per bottle. Why go through all the effort trying to adapt jugs impregnated with cleansers in them?
Click to expand...

Any drink container that has clear plastic, like the 2L sodapop/coke bottles is fine for long term storage, but don't use the translucent/milky colored/opaque bottles for long term storage of drinking water - that sort of plastic leeches chemicals into the fluids they hold over extended periods of time.

I try to buy a single 1 gal bottle of water (in a clear bottle) every time go to the grocery store. I hardly notice the extra $1-2 added to the bill and then I store them in a spare closet and ore the garage where they won't freeze. They add up in a hurry.
 
I don't think I have ever seen a gallon of water in a clear container, just the opaque ones. They are HDPE and I thought those were safe and don't leech chemicals. Where did you get the info that opaque are bad?
 
I usually have to look harder to find the clear plastic water containers in the store - the milky colored ones are more common, BUT now that you got me thinking about WHERE DID I hear that..kaint recall...and now that I read the following:

http://www.medicinenet.com/plastic/article.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/plastic/page2.htm
http://www.snvplastics.com/articles/Danger_Plastic_Bottles_Ahead.php

I'm thinking I need to do some more research and read the bottoms of plastic containers. Thanks for calling me on that FL biker, I think I learned something new again...
 
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