Can I store tap water in one gallon spring water jugs?

Originally posted by mushninja
How long can I store plain tap water in used water jugs without treatment, other than maybe boiling before filling the jugs? I would feel better knowing I had a 60-90 day supply of water laying around. If I could store a few months worth of water at a time I could just rotate the stock and refill once a week I'm thinkin...anyone in the know?

[edit on 19-3-2009 by Northern Raider]

When wondering weather or not drinking out of plastic beverage bottles that have been sitting a year would be healthy or not, I say this.

If you are in a survival frame of mind drinking any type of water is better than no water at all. You can always drop chlorine bleach into the water to kill the bugs. One gallon of bleach, will decontaminate more than a hundred gallons of water. As for the plastic taste of the water? Not too bad. I'm sure eating a meal at mcdonalds would be more harmful.

Good luck filling all those bottles. And look online for how many drops of bleach to use per liter or gallon.

This may help.

How to use Clorox Bleach for:
Emergency Water Purification
.
Boiling Is Best
Short of using a very high-quality water filter, this is the most reliable method for killing microbes and parasites. Bring water to a rolling boil and keep it simmering for at least several minutes. Add one minute of boiling to the initial 10 minutes for every 1,000 feet above sea level. Cover the pot to shorten boiling time and conserve fuel.
Liquid Clorox Bleach
In an emergency, think of this (one gallon of Regular Clorox Bleach) as 3,800 gallons of drinking water.
When the tap water stops flowing, Regular Clorox Bleach isn't just a laundry-aid, it's a lifesaver. Use it to purify water, and you'll have something to drink.
It's the same in any natural disaster. As the shock wears off and the days wear on, the biggest demand is for drinking water. Time after time, relief crews hand out free Clorox Bleach with simple instructions: use it to kill bacteria in your water and you'll have purified water to drink. Here's how: (Store these directions with your emergency bottle of Clorox Bleach.)
First let water stand until particles settle. Pour the clear water into an uncontaminated container and add Regular Clorox Bleach per the chart.* Mix well. Wait 30 min. Water should have a slight bleach odor. If not, repeat dose. Wait 15 min. Sniff again. Keep an eyedropper taped to your emergency bottle of Clorox Bleach, since purifying small amounts of water requires only a few drops. See chart* suggestions for storage bottle replacement.
Don't pour purified water into contaminated containers. To sanitize water jugs first, see instructions** at right.
Without water and electricity, even everyday tasks are tough. In lieu of steaming hot water, sanitize dishes with a little Clorox Bleach. Just follow the directions below to keep dishes clean.
Whether you use Clorox Bleach in an emergency or for everyday chores, it's always an environmentally sound choice. After its work is done, Clorox Bleach breaks down to little more than salt and water, which is good news anytime.
*Ratio of Clorox Bleach to Water for Purification
2 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per quart of water
8 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per gallon of water
1/2 teaspoon Regular Clorox Bleach per five gallons of water
If water is cloudy, double the recommended dosages of Clorox Bleach.
(Only use Regular Clorox Bleach (not Fresh Scent or Lemon Fresh). To insure that Clorox Bleach is at its full strength, replace your storage bottle every three months.)
**(Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution)
Mix 1 tablespoon Regular Clorox Bleach with one gallon of water. Always wash and rinse items first, then let each item soak in Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution for 2 minutes. Drain and air dry.

reply to post by mushninja


I have been using my left over jugs but here is some tips....first boil the water for at least 10 minutes...REMOVE from pan to one sterilized with bleach...let cool add to container and add appropriate amount of bleach to sterilize allow to vent out bleach... replace water in jugs at 30 day intervals. If you have any springs near you they are the BEST place to get water and clean it for storage.

Just buy yourself a bunch of unopened 5-gallon "water cooler" bottles. They are cheep and easily stored.

Originally posted by RKWWWW
If properly done, water can be stored for 5 years or more. The one gallon jugs you are considering are perfect for this if they are food grade plastic (and they should be) . The following site will tell you how to store water:
www.fcs.uga.edu...
[edit on 19-3-2009 by RKWWWW]

how about 50 years www.oxy4life.com ?

I saved myself the trouble. Bought some mineral water containers with the good stuff in them!



The attached rope is for hauling them up into the loft

Already sealed up they'll be good for years. Once I'm ready to use, a few drops of bleach and they're good to go

reply to post by ANNED


Correct answer mostly, yes you can store water for about years as long as you use a cap of bleach per gallon and you boil before drinking it... There are numerous websites that will give you the ratios and recipes...

Hey guys I just wanted to say this thread was very helpful to me.

I'm not a city boy by no means, but the thought of tap water stored in used water jugs being unsafe never crossed my mine.

I live in tornado ally and keep 5 5 gallon army water jugs in my basement. They have been down there for about 3 weeks now. If it wasn't for your expertise I might have been stuck in my cellar with non drinkable water.

Good job guys.

Originally posted by sbsion

Originally posted by RKWWWW
If properly done, water can be stored for 5 years or more. The one gallon jugs you are considering are perfect for this if they are food grade plastic (and they should be) . The following site will tell you how to store water:
www.fcs.uga.edu...
[edit on 19-3-2009 by RKWWWW]

how about 50 years www.oxy4life.com ?

Good site. Thanks.

Use a small amount of bleach (chlorox) to kill bacteria, other pathogens in water, and prevent algae growth. One cap full per 35 gallons. Yes, I know caps are different sizes. That small amount won't hurt you at all.

As longs as there's a source of power, it's trivial to build a centrifugal 'filtration' system for large amounts of water to get large particles out of it such as mud, sticks, etc... Several would be needed since one will be down for cleaning and maintenance.

It's not as bleak as some would make it out to be as far as water is concerned. The hardest part will be finding enough water to begin with.

Food, well... if it gets that bad, get used to the taste of rats, pidgeons, dogs, and cats.

Bleach works great, and so does boiling, but there are other products out there on the market now that doesn't leave your water smelling like chlorine, nor tasting like it.
When hiking I use a 2 fold approach to water, depending on the quality. Water with nasties floating in it or cow contaminated water- giardia suspect or worse, I use a regular water filter- Katydyn in my instance, as I'm a solo hiker, and then Aqua Mira drops to finish it off,killing any leftover nasties in the water. First of course, I use a bandana or similar item to filter the biggest particles out, so they don't clog up my filter. Clearer water, such as that that comes from springs and clear mountain streams, I usually just treat with Aqua Mira.
Another trick to clear glacier water with lots of silt in it, is to put in a pinch of alum and that will clear your silty water quickly. Then you can filter and use your water much faster, instead of having to wait all day or all nite for the silt to settle to the bottom.
Do some research on this newer chemical for water treatment- even the military uses it now, as it's light and effective, leaves no nasty aftertaste, and leaves your water ready to drink in 15 minutes, a bit longer if it's really cold water- such as that you may get from glacier fed streams. It comes as a 2 part solution or tablets. The 2 part solution comes in 1 oz or 2 oz bottles, treating 30 and 60 gallons respectively, for a reasonable price- around 12 dollars for the smaller bottles, 16 for the larger.

Just another solution to the problem at hand. It also keeps the water from becoming "stale" as it sits. Aqua Mira needs no special storage, and is perfect for a BOB, at a light weight of 3 oz total weight for the 2 1 oz bottles with mixing cap. The 2 oz bottles would be perfect for your 55 gallon drums.

Just my 2 cents.

Soul Sista