What is the best type of container to hold water long-term?

reply to post by berkeleygal

thanks -
that's a good starting point...I'm a newbie to preps but I guess it's never too late

Originally posted by southcrossstar
Do not use any plastic bottle/container, the toxic chemical will release into the water.
Use glass or plain china, however, water kept in still for too long is not good either.

Not strictly true but yes some bottles can leach toxins into water in warm to hot climates.
Food grade plastics kept in a cool dark area, say garage or even under ground should be good to hold water for about a year.

Change water supplies held every year though.

Glass, china or even clay urns / jugs are good as long as they are stored in a place where they are not likely to get broken.

reply to post by Gazrok


Thanks! I figured the larger, office types would work better, but I wanted to hear from someone who is using them for the same thing I am. Thanks for the input. After 3-6 months, do you empty them out and just put water from your sink, or do you go back to Wal-Mart or somewhere and fill them up with "cleaner" water?

reply to post by colec156


Thanks for the tips on the different types of plastic. I'll make sure to look. I was suprised that they broke because it is still cooler down there than outside. But, it was a hot summer. Since another member said he/she had the same problem, now I know it is not a uniqe thing.

The water was located under the stairs under a tarp. Perhaps the tarp had something to do with it as well??

You should get a water purifier, Brita or the Berkey Water purifier and just cycle your tap water thru them. Link to Berkey on the previous page.

Originally posted by Waiting2
reply to post by Gazrok

 

Thanks! I figured the larger, office types would work better, but I wanted to hear from someone who is using them for the same thing I am. Thanks for the input. After 3-6 months, do you empty them out and just put water from your sink, or do you go back to Wal-Mart or somewhere and fill them up with "cleaner" water?

reply to post by berkeleygal


Thanks for your suggestions!

Great idea!

Glass containers are hard to come by. I had saved some of them when you could buy vinegar in glass. And they have water in them now. And yes, it was 12 years old. Still clear and good tasting.
Also had some brown juice bottles and small blue water bottles.
I also had saved milk jugs and chlorox jugs...filled them and hadn't used them...filled in 1998!
Had a chance to use them when our well went out over the holiday week end. (why always on a week end?)
Any way we had wash water and drinking water.
Flushing water tho was scarce.
We used to keep several 5 gal covered buckets on the porch for that.
Guess we will be doing that again. We just caught 50 gallons of rain.

reply to post by Waiting2


I've been saving a few (Tidy Cats) #2 kitty litter containers for emergency purposes. They've got easy-carry handles and are made of heavy/sturdy #2 plastic. Just soak them with water/bleach and rinse well before filling with drinking water. Only use #1 and #2 plastic containers... higher numbers tend to leach unhealthy chemicals into the water.

reply to post by southcrossstar


#1 and #2 plastic containers are the safest if you have nothing else handy.
Second line.

I was looking at getting a 230ltr water butt for the garden, but i found these on ebay the other day...



They hold 1000 litres, some are recycled but you can pay a bit extra for a new one. Just check what they have been storing before you use it for water, some has just had food or juice in them, but i believe they can be used for fuel as well. Google "ibc containers" and you'll find them.

They go for as little as £25 on ebay if the buyer collects. Best thing is, the 1000 litre ones are only 4ft long, and just over 3ft wide and high. Takes up no space at all.

As Gazrok says, recycle the water every few months and you should be fine. I'll maybe use it for the garden plants when i'm nearing renewing it. (Obviously i won't treat with with bleach or chlorine if i'm going to use it on the garden.

CX.

reply to post by colec156



Most "food grade' plastics still contain Bisphenol A (synthetic estrogen that can cause an array of problems including prostate cancer):

en.wikipedia.org...

Polycarbonate containers are the closest thing to glass, the closest thing to a safe bet. They don't need to be recycled, and they're hard to break.

Originally posted by Kailassa
Most water has bacteria or algae in it which will multiply quickly in your hot weather, turning it foul. Once this happens, I'd be wary of drinking it even after using purification tablets.

In that case you just boil the water. Much like food, it either goes rancid, rotten or is powerloaded with bacteria. As long as it isn't rancid/rotten just cook it again, fully, and throw some water on it before you do.

Originally posted by CX
I was looking at getting a 230ltr water butt for the garden, but i found these on ebay the other day...

You can get those 275 gallon water "TOTES" for under $100USD on craigslist. I have 2 of them hooked up to the gutters, but only one is positioned and hooked up to drip irrigation at the moment.

reply to post by CX


I'd never even heard of those before! I'll definitely check into them. Ideally, I was looking for something a little less obvious. (We ARE in the survival forum.) I don't want to announce to everyone, "Hey, come get my water!" Still, that is worth checking into. Thanks!

reply to post by IgnoranceIsntBlisss


I'll have to see if anyone is selling "Totes" in my area on Craigslist. If not, do you know of a reputable site that sells them new so I don't have to worry about what was in them before?

Originally posted by Waiting2
reply to post by CX

 

I'd never even heard of those before! I'll definitely check into them. Ideally, I was looking for something a little less obvious. (We ARE in the survival forum.) I don't want to announce to everyone, "Hey, come get my water!" Still, that is worth checking into. Thanks!

I see what you mean, but if you are that concerned about it being visible, i can't see a problem with either building or buying a wooden structure around it. Maybe hide it with some shrubbery or other plants/bushes. As long as its accessible.

This kind of storage, or a version of it...

www.simplygardenfurniture.co.uk...

CX.

Originally posted by CX
I see what you mean, but if you are that concerned about it being visible, i can't see a problem with either building or buying a wooden structure around it. Maybe hide it with some shrubbery or other plants/bushes. As long as its accessible.

CX.

Hiding it is a good point. Some of the neighbors around me are observant. I like the Totes idea on the outside. It's so big it's not like someone could take it when it's filled. Do you need to create a cement slap underneath it because of the excess weight? We have clay soil here. I'd be afraid it'd be so heavy it would sink underground.

That said, I still need something smaller that I could put in the storm shelter out of sight.

reply to post by Waiting2


Hello waiting,
I would guess that your bottles split open from freezing not from over heating.
I store water in containers marked with the plastic code of (1)

Here is some info on reusing plastic containers.

www.plasticsinfo.org...

reply to post by CX


I like the BillyO Storage Chest idea, but I think I'd probably have the same problem.....wouldn't it make it hotter? Also, I'd worry about termites. Still, I like the idea of some sort of outside storage. I'll have to research more about it. Thanks!

Originally posted by TriggerFish
Hello waiting,
I would guess that your bottles split open from freezing not from over heating.
I store water in containers marked with the plastic code of (1)

Here is some info on reusing plastic containers.

www.plasticsinfo.org...

Good point about the bottles freezing. I totally forgot how cold the winter was. You're right. That probably did it. I'm also thinking they split because they were in boxes (3 to a box) and the boxes were on top of each other.

Somewhere I heard that you should also not keep the water directly on the floor as it can make the water go bad faster. Is that even true?

As for the containers with the plastic code of 1, are those the large bottles that look like water cooler jugs?

Originally posted by Waiting2

my best answer is:




you help preserve that and the water should be good.

1. Store drinking water in carefully cleaned, non-corrosive, tightly covered containers.

2. Store containers in a cool dark place. DO NOT store in direct sunlight. Polyethylene plastics (prepackaged milk and water bottles) are somewhat permeable to hydrocarbon vapors. Keep away from stored gasoline, kerosene, pesticides, or similar substances.

3. Stored tap water should be rotated every 6 months. Prepackaged bottled water should be rotated once a year. Check the pull date on the container. Be sure it didn’t sit on the store’s shelf for a year before you purchased it. Self Serve Bottled Water should be rotated once a year, as long as the water treatment process includes ozonation.

4. Rotate your stored water with the water you use on a regular basis. This practice helps insure you don’t have water stored longer than one year
More/source/link

also:

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.
More/source/link

also keep bleach available to assist with preparing water.

also, human urine exits the body in a sterile condition if the human is healthy. keep panty hose and sand, it can be used to filter and recycle urine if need be. sounds gross, i know. but if someone gets thristy enough.....

*** and yes, bottled water can go bad!!! *** especially if kept in warm areas or where it is exposed to light.

H20,
et