9 Water Storage Secrets
Your best chance of survival in a real crisis lies in your ability to prepare for anything that is thrown your way. And regardless of what happens (be it terrorist, natural disaster, or revolution) you had better have a good supply of water on hand. Here are some quick tips on storing water:
- Use multiple sizes of containers: You’re going to want to store a good quantity of water, probably enough to last you and your family for drinking and some washing for at least 30 days. But don’t store it all in large containers. Keep in mind that water is heavy and that some folks in your family may not be able to safely handle a larger container. Plus, you may need to be mobile, so make sure you have several different sizes for water storage.
- Choose food grade barrels: Most folks choose blue, polyethylene plastic water storage barrels for large quantities. These will differentiate your water from other items like fuel, and won’t taint your water with toxins.
- Clean your containers: Dilute 1 teaspoon of bleach in about 1 gallon of water and wash the insides, lids and lips if your water containers before filling them with water. Never store water in something that has been used to store other materials.
- Label and date containers: This is more important than you think. Remember that it might not be you that has to access the water in an emergency. Mark the fill date and make it clear what is in the container, and the source (tap, filtered, ground water etc.).
- Store water in a proper place: Keep your water out of sunlight, which can promote algae and bacteria growth. Store it in a cool dark place away from other chemicals. Make sure you use airtight lids.
- Secure your water: Make sure you store it in an area where it won’t get tipped over or knocked over in an earth quake. Avoid high places and places that might be hard to access if there were a natural disaster. Keep it locked away if you think looting is a possibility.
- Don’t let it freeze: This is the one most people forget about. Freezing not only means your water could be useless, but it will probably break its storage container if it freezes solid.
- Use filters: You may need to filter your water before you store it. You should also have a plan for filtering water in an emergency in case your water becomes contaminated or you have to leave it behind.
- Replace your water yearly: If you properly seal and store your water it should last for years. But proper storage can be difficult, especially for large quantities. Dump your water, wash the containers, and replace it once a year.
These few little items can keep you alive in a crisis, make water a priority for your survival plan.
76 Comments
Sodium hypochlorite is what the ingredients is in my lemon scented dollar store bleach bottle. As far as re using this bottle for emergency drinking water, does this sound ok to those who may be more knowledgable about this?
My wife and I have been making emergency preparedness plans for our home and have been wondering how to handle water storage. I like that you mention finding a place to store the water where mold and bacteria won’t grow. We’ll be sure to store it in a cool, dark place away from other chemicals like you suggested. Thanks for the tips!
When I replace my water storage I use the old water to do laundry. I use water from my dehumidifiers to water plants. Milk jugs do not hold up well for long term water storage. Do not put water in plastic containers on concrete they will absorb the taste of the cement.
If you have a chlorine based swimming pool, you can use the water for anything as long as it is in normal running operation. When electricity goes off, continue using the water for all uses as long as you keep a $20 plastic dispenser full of 3″ chlorine tabs (buy both of them at the pool store; tabs are about $90/40lbs and last about 6 months) floating on the surface. You may have to adjust the floater’s dispensing rate or even have two such floaters going to stay ahead of any algae, but that volume of water will be available for a long, long time. You can even drink it, especially if you leave the dipping container sit open for awhile to allow excess chlorine to escape (and filter, if visibly dirty.) As such, my 33,000 gallon pool would probably last our needs at least 2-3 years with only minor attention (unless impacted by radiation fallout.)
I can buy 275 gal tanks, are they safe to store water if they had citrus cleaner in them????
In 1950 a group of us were stranded at sea in a disabled motor whale boat for two days. The boat had been built in 1942 complete with oak cask of water under the floorboards. “It was crawling and it stunk, but of all the drinks I’ve drunk” No one got sick. Jon
Some more storage tips:
1. Some municipal water treatment plants sell their empty water treatment chemical barrels…rinse very well before use for storage.
2. 5 gallon water storage containers should be refilled yearly…rinse with hot water and 1/2 cup unscented bleach , let stand, empty and refil with tap water. Add 1/2 tsp bleach. Seal with aluminum foil and screw cap tightly.
3. Don’t forget water gardens and old wells as sources of emergency water. Filter and treat water before use.
how dose freezing water harm it?
It don’t hurt it you will just have to thaw it to use.
From the article freezing cracks the plastic container making it useless.
My husband and I use distilled water for our CPAP and BiPAP machines, so I use these containers to fill with tap water for emergencies. Is there any need to do anything else to the supply? I have about 150 containers.
When I lived in California Bay Area 15 years or so ago, the Disaster Preparedness Team there suggested never throwing away a chlorine bleach bottle, preferably gallon size, but to rinse it and fill it with water for emergency storage. The thought was that in addition to being a relatively strong bottle, some chlorine would remain in the plastic to help prevent bacteria growth. I continue to do this, and I have used this stored water when there is a power outage meaning out well pump doesn’t work.
Does anyone steam distill and store?
Glass containers seem to me to be best. 750 ml glass wine bottles with screw tops are very handy.
How long do you leave water in the sun stored in soda bottles to purify it?
Here’s the quick and dirty version: http://www.patriotheadquarters.com/1-weird-water-…fication-trick/
The CDC has an in-depth article on the SODIS process here: http://www.cdc.gov/safewater/solardisinfection.html
when I enlarged my home had a 40 gal LPG water heater added a 40 gal electric water heater, so if power goes out , can still have hot water using LPG. Water enters LP tank then to electric tank, can cut off either tank and other will supply water, also could use electric tank water for drinking or cooking or washing if gas runs out before electric back comes on.
Been working on designing a water storage for my garden. I use drip system for each row, total rows 30 x 100 ft. Using the 250 gal tanks with 8 stacked 2 high on a 4 ft high platform, piped in parallel with valves for each, should be able to collect water in at least 2 tanks will using 4 tanks for drip watering and cleaning 2 tanks. Problem is do not want to hold this water to long (not know how long is to long for this) so plan on using 2 tanks for watering layer chickens between rains. Looking for good water tanks now, so for what I have found is not normal NPT fittings. Do not want to make fittings for this. Yes I know 1 exit valve on tank is normal but I have seen 4 different thread styles used with plastic valves. And yes if I find the need I can make my fitting been pipefitter for 45 yrs
I too collect rainwater to use on my garden during dry spells. The tanks available around here are 300 galloon food grade tanks. I only have four at this time but plan to add more as money allows. The four I have were all purchased at different times but there has not been a problem with fittings as all have valves with 2″ threads on them. I might add they are fairly easy to find here as there are half a dozen food processing plants within 30 miles of my house and all receive their seasonings in the tanks.
What about storing water in clean disenfected plastic 2 liter pop bottles? Is the plastic any stronger or safer than the plastic in regular gallon size water jugs or milk jugs?
These pop bottles will likely be my means of purifying water after my initial water stash is depleted should the shtf. (Thanks Frank, for telling us how to solar purify water!)
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I have been filtering and storing Chlorinated water in sterilized milk Jugs and sealing them with tape for years. After 2 years or so I use the water on plants when the dry season hits. I will probably have 100 to 150 gallons on hand at all times.
I use 1 gallon bleach bottles for water storage as opposed to plastic milk containers because they are much more durable and have handles to carry them. When I use one the first time,I will drain all the bleach out, but don’t rinse as the residual bleach will act as disinfectant, than store in an area away from the sunlight. For stacking, I place a plywood layer between each tier to distribute the weight. I found a bottle that I forgot about that was 8 years old, ran it through a filter and it was fine.
Just a reminder to the folks in the North West or locations were we get a lot of moss on our roofs. We use chemicals to kill the moss so be sure you don’t collect the rainwater for drinking if using these chemicals.
Thank you, Frank, for providing this helpful info and thank you, all those that have shared life saving info. I will start doing many of these water-saving tips. Preparedness is key.
Recycle your old water heater. My gas unit burner & thermastat finally gave out, but the 40gal container was still good. The old unit was moved close on top of some cement blocks. Plumber then constructed a manifold. Water source is sent to the input of old tank, leaves and routed to input of new tank. Output heated water serves house. I had a bypass valve installed across the old tank. just in case it finally c4racks. But I now have an additional 40 gallons of always fresh water.
That is inspired! I think I’ll give a call to a plumber buddy of mine to see if I can get an old tank the next time he installs a new one for someone.
We had something like this and our old house. I our case it was a tank used as a preheated that was left in place next to an old gravity feed furnace. I have also seen a second water heater used as a stealth gun safe… Just saying.
I use gallon glass bottles…only have 3 of them though…and I add one teaspoon of colloidal silver in each bottle to prevent any bacteria. I date them and change the water every 6 months. I have quick access to about 2 more gallons if the SHTF! Also a creek within a mile.
Thanks for all your information Frank!
I use my empty milk jugs for part of my water storage. I clean each jug when its empty, and then fill with filtered tap water. These Jugs are then labeled on the handles and slid under my beds for storage. Very handy for transport and use. We are also storing larger quantities elsewhere but this is my inside “stash” of water.
Jennifer, I do the same for water storage for many years. I sanitize and filter the water for different size milk jugs (prefer the screw caps), leaving sufficient air space and keep them in my freezer in the garage. They serve multi-purposes.
1. Ready water supply, just requires thawing.
2. They fill the empty air spaces in freezer so it doesn’t labor so hard when opening door in my hot climate.
3. Keeps freezer cold in event of power outage.
4. Available ice and water supply for coolers when day camping or road trips.
I have giant breed dogs and maintaining water supply in a desert climate has always been a concern.This is just an easy solution and the jugs are turned over as my freezer level raises and lowers. I use a freezer marker pen to date the jugs.
Caution! I’ve heard milk jugs (and similar) are actually bio-degradable and will deteriorate with time. Watch closely for “leakers” which might indicate they need to be replaced. Of course, I could be repeating bad info. Anyone more knowledgeable on this issue?
My experience with milk jugs and one gallon water jugs is that they do leak within 12 to 15 months. This was a slow leak which was not discovered immediately and eventually created issues with mold and mildew. They were stored in an unplugged, upright freezer in a dry and cool area. Won’t go that route again.
That’s great been-there-done-that advice!
Here in SV, the tap water is safe to use but not tasty… I use the big 5 gal & smaller & buy from the “Pure Water” store. Labeling is good idea. I’ll start using ‘grease pencil’ or crayon.
Your information on the water is invaluable. Thank you.
HOW ABOUT PLACES TO FIND WATER IN THE SMALL CITIES. I USE GLACIER WATER. I GALLON PLASTIC CONTAINERS. I KEEP MY STOCK PILE AT 10 GALLONS AND ROTATE THEM . I USE THE WATER MACHINES. THE SAME PURIFIED WATER THAT GLACIER HAS AND THERE OWN WATER FILL UP CENTERS. I USUALLY WILL BUY NEW JUGS AFTER ABOUT 10 USES’S. THEN I HAVE A VERY HIGH GRADE WATER PURIFIER. 1000 GALLONS OF FILTERED WATER . 99.9 % OF ALL BACTERIA AND PATHOGENS ARE FILTERED.
I would like to take a moment to thank you for your time and efforts. I get lots of emails and it is good to open yours. Lots of wisdom. v/r James
good idea to mention a solar still made with a thin sheet of plastic.
Cool tip thanks!
Don’t keep water, stored in plastic containers, directly on concrete floors. Place cardboard or some other material on the floor first. Ingredients contained in the concrete will eventually filter into the water, otherwise.
hi if free water dot fill all the way up so more room
Thank you Frank, Glad to see that you are finally taking emails. It has been very difficult to contact you since I purchased the Solar and windmill pack. Too bad you don’t give people access to speaking with you. It would make all of the information better. Were you aware that there is a website dedicated to complaints about you? I was very disheartened to see and read it after I had already bought your system. I was pleased with the product that I received, however your website for the windmill and solar system is confusing and it causes people to wind up purchasing the product twice. That is what happened to me as well as several other people. After reading their horror stories on how it was next to impossible to be reimbursed for their second accidental order, I just decided to not even bother trying. I guess that is why I do not buy anything else from your site, as it is confusing the way you have it set up. Too much flash and bang going on when it just has to be simple. You use scare tactics the same way our president is using them. Too bad.
Bleach is a good disinfectant but everyone should consider Hyrogen Peroxide for disinfectanting containers, fresh fruit, cutting boards, purifying water, as-well-as for cuts, etc. Food Grade H2O2 can be purchased in 40% concentration and is much cheaper in the long run than the 2-3% medical grade from the pharmacy. Of course you will have to cut the concentration down with water.
40% H2O2 can also be taken internally by adding 2-3 drops to 8 ounces of water 2-3 times a day. You will do well to work up to as many as 10-15 drops. It does have a unique flaver that can be hidden by also adding a couple of dropps of lemon juice. It will prevent/heal desease too.
Thanks for the info
Yes, Hydrogen Peroxide is a great disinfectant! I rarely use bleach as it is so harsh and the odor is strong. I find that sometimes stored water that has been kept in containers treated with bleach will have a bad taste to it also.
I use Hydrogen Peroxide for all of my disinfecting and cleaning needs around the house from fresh produce to laundry, counter tops, storage containers, coolers, etc…
Something to keep in mind though, is the shelf life of these products. Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) typically has a shelf life of at least a year if the bottle is unopened, but only lasts 30-45 days once the seal has been broken. As soon as you expose the peroxide solution to air, it starts to react to form water. Also, if you contaminate the bottle (e.g., by dipping a swab or finger into the bottle), you can expect the effectiveness of the remaining liquid to be compromised. So, if you have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide that has been sitting in your medicine cabinet for a few years, it would be a good idea to replace it. If you’ve opened the bottle at any point, its efficacy is long-gone.
Chlorine bleach DOES expire and DOES go bad!
If you are keeping chlorine bleach on hand for an emergency situation, you need to be aware of this expiration problem and you need to be refreshing your bleach supply every 3 months or so.
Chlorine dissipates rapidly, and if you have an aquarium you understand this. Tap water will kill fish in aquarium if you use it fresh. But if you boil the water or you simply let tap water sit on the counter for a day or two, the chlorine disappears.
Chlorine from the store is usually 5% to 6% sodium hypochlorite mixed in water. Its chemical formula is NaClO. With time, the NaClO releases the oxygen and a bottle of bleach turns into a bottle of salt water.
How long does it take? Less than a year in many cases – about 3 months if using the bleach as a disinfectant – After this time, bleach will be begin to degrade at a rate of 20% each year until totally degraded to salt and water. Storing at temperatures much higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit could cause the bleach to lose its effectiveness and degrade more rapidly. However, if you require 6% sodium hypochlorite, you should change your supply every 3 months especially if the bottle of bleach is kept in a garage that gets warm in the summer.
Another alternative to water purification is Pool Shock (Calcium Hypochlorite.)
Using granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water is a two step process.
To make a stock of chlorine solution (do not drink this!) dissolve 1 heaping teaspoon (about one-quarter of an ounce) of
high-test (78%) granular calcium hypochlorite for each two gallons (eight liters) of water.
To disinfect water add one part of the chlorine solution to 100 parts water to be treated. (8 drops per gallon – double if water is cloudy)
Let the mixture sit for at least on-half hour before drinking.
Be sure to obtain the dry granular calcium hypochlorite since once it is made into a liquid solution it will begin to degrade and eventually become useless as a disinfecting agent. This also means you should make your treated water in small batches, for example – enough for a few weeks at a time at most.
Another plus for using calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water for emergency use is that a little goes a very long way.
A 1-pound bag of calcium hypochlorite in granular form typically costs only a few dollars and can be obtained in any swimming pool supply section of your hardware store or online. This amount will treat up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water, which is enough for a family of four for some six or seven years at a gallon per day per person!
Calcium hypochlorite will store for a long period of time and remain effective as a chemical drinking water treatment. So get rid of the household bleach and buy a can of Calcium hypochlorite for your disaster emergency water disinfection needs. It lasts far longer and treats far more water that the traditional chlorine bleach water disinfection treatment.
Do you know if this also affects acidity in water? Our well water is acidic.
Missy, your information about tap water for an aquarium is not accurate. i’m not sure where you live, and in your area you may need to boil the water or let it set out for a few days prior to putting it in your aquarium, but i have been using water straight from my tap for several years now for my aquarium and have never had a problem. when it comes to that or if you are concerned about it whether it be for drinking or for an aquarium, is that you have a water test done, and i recommend having this done if you haven’t had it done in a long time. I would also recommend that you have a second test done after you get the tresults from the 1st test to either verify or dissuade the results. For day to day storage, I have bought several cases of water in the 24=32 bottle per case packs whenever i can catch them onsale at one of your local groceries or brick stores. i continue to add as time goes. i also have two large storage tanks that i have in my basement, one for secondary drinking/cooking, and then the 2nd marked for hygiene purposes. I highly recommend not forgetting to have a 2nd tank that is marked and used only for this purpose. This will help you by being able to better track and monitor your usage of hygiene water vs drinking/cooking water. hope this helps. thanks for all the good information Frank.
Also make sure you have the ability to retrieve it out of the container. Having appropriate spouts, nozzles, food grade hoses, siphons, and appropriate sealing compounds/gaskets to prevent leaking. Having large amounts of water and no way to get it out is demoralizing.
Thank you for reminding everyone about that.
I agree that storing water in containers that you can manage to move or carry around is important. I once filled a 55 gal container with water in my house and after a few weeks realized that I need to move the container out of the way. I had a really hard time draining it and not spilling water everywhere. I had to duct tape a garden hose to the spigot and run it outside. What a mess. I think the 5 gallon containers are a way better option even if they are more expensive.
One thing that gets overlooked when it comes to emergency water supply. I took an emergency preparedness class a couple of years ago and the instructor surprised us when she asked, “where can you find a water source?” Everyone in the class was amazed at the answer. Your hot water heater is an emergency source of 40 gallons! Many people are swapping out their hot water heaters for the “instant hot” type water heaters, but in an emergency, these types do not.”store” water. So keep this in mind, especially in an emergency when water has been cut off, our possible contamination, you have a source right in your own home. Take precaution to sterilize if necessary.
Thank you so much for what your are doing. I forgot about changing stored water every year. Will change now.
In your article you said: Don’t let it freeze: “Freezing not only means your water could be useless…”. I guess I don’t understand. What happens to the water if it is allowed to freeze that makes it not usable?
Thanks in advance!
I too have been told that freezing tap water for 24-48 hours will “kill” any unwanted content and that setting the container (I am using sprink water containers I buy at the supermarket) in sunlight for another 24-48 hours will assure that any and all contaminants will be neutralized.
Plaase comment.
1. There are many bacteria and other contaminants that will survive freezing.
2. Freezing will likely crack the container.
3. Sunlight may have some beneficial effect (assuming the container itself doesn’t block the UV rays) BUT I would recommend cleaning the container with peroxide and filling the container with FILTERED tap water (or purified bottled water). Use a quality filter, like PUR or BRITA.
4. Be sure any spring water or well water is tested by the provider – they should be able to provide an MSDS (material safety data sheet) showing test results.
Frank,
Do we need to add a few drops of chlorine in order to store water for a year?
-Victor
That will depend on your water source. If you choose a sanitized vessel and most city water (it’s already chlorinated) then, no, adding additional chlorine isn’t necessary. If you use well water, then it’s a reasonable consideration.
Good advice. Is there any way you could put a “Print” link with the articles. Worth keeping. Thanks.
Storing water is essential to every plan. When we lived in the city, we hid 55 gallon drums in the bushes. But remember… There may come a time when you need to flea the city. Water is very HEAVY to carry. When you map out an emergency EXIT plan, make sure your route follows water sources. Buy a Kadadyn portable water filter or something like it. Every emergency plan should include one. It should be first on your list to buy, You must have water to live. Great article! Thanks Frank.
Hi ,
What about those small blivets one can buy for water emergency cases?
Dave, how do you refill the box wine bags?
It would be considerable trouble to thoroughly clean wine box/valve seems to me. Wine, mead, beer or other fermented beverages could contain unwanted chemicals. But if cleaned well, wine boxes would be just dandy for water dispensers.
I have never investigated how to remove the valve to refill the container. I have refilled the 2.5 gallon water bottles that I bought from the grocery store, though, When using those, I don’t puncture the top so room air can’t get in the container so easily (yes, I know it comes in through the valve, but somehow it seems safer that the air can’t get in all the time.)
I have “pulled” and replaced the valves numerous times in the past with absolutely no problems for projects. This is a great idea and I’m sad that I haven’t thought about it. To do multiple boxes, I would devise a holding device that could be held by a strong shop vise as it takes a lot of pressure to remove/replaced the valve. Be sure to use the last few drops of wine as a lubricant when removing valve by twisting while pulling. When replacing, also lubricate valve with the fresh water.
Be cognizant that if the valve has any impurities on it when replacing, it could leak. By storing the box, valve up, it will only leak until the valve level is not compromised. Good luck.
Hi thanks for the free tips ususally we have to buy every little piece of advice and its nice to do that for free unbelievable!!!
VERY GOOD INFORMATION. Thank you, I will follow your recommendations.
One never knows and we always need to “be prepared”
Its better to “prevent than be sorry”
“Its better to be safe than sorry”
I also use and have ALKALINE WATER which is “live” healthy water.
I have many gallons of water frozen in jugs in my deep freeze. I understand that after melting, setting it in the sunlight will restore it to its former nutritional value – is that true?? Or am I all wet on that?
Thanks, Mike
I’ve been purchasing 4 gal. Pre-filled water cooler containers like (Poland spring etc.) They’re surprisingly inexpensive. The water is already filtered and the container is sealed. It’s also fairly strong material. I store them in a cool dry area in my home floor to ceiling by using sheets of plywood between layers. I band each layer together, 16 at a time with 1” cargo straps for stability. each layer is 64gal. the footprint is a little over 3’x3′ and i go 5 layers high. each stack will last my small family 80 days and they are fairly mobile if need be.
Re: Replace your water yearly. That is absolutely wasteful! Water does not have a shelf life. Yes, it might taste a little funny after years, but it’s because of lack of oxygen. Just pour back and forth between 2 containers to oxygenate. Even if water becomes “bad” in some way (bacteria, algae, etc.) a good filtration/purification system will render the water useable – even if you only use it for grey water. Water is ALWAYS water – it can never “rot” like food. Don’t ever waste water by dumping it once a year!
Thank you!!!!!! I agree
Plastic milk jugs are not a good option for long term or drinking water. The plastic used breaks down easy and holds the milk product in the plastic which can be harmful to drink later. They are great however for the water you may need to flush toilets, sterilize to wash dishes or animals. It doesn’t seem to effect them like it does us. But still won’t last ad long as others
True it won’t go bad to where you need to just throw it out, but to stay freshest for human consumption it’s great to rotate. But instead of dumping try watering your lawn, garden or save it for flushing toilets. A good filtration system could save you water in an emergency
This is true. The fats in the milk leach into the plastic and back out into the water which will render the water unsafe for consumption .
Smart Meter do you have a picture of this unit how does it work?
I have been recycling box wine bags and filling them with water. I checked with manufactur and they stated the bags were made from polyethylene. No bad plastic. The bags hold 5 liters.
I store my water barrels in my greenhouse. Water looses heat slowly, and this helps keep the greenhouse warm. I’ve not had a problem with algae, but I do rotate the water every year.
IN CLEANING YOUR WATER STORAGE CONTAINERS, USE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, EVERCLEAR, OR SILVER COLLOID TO CLEAN AND DISINFECT THE CONTAINER, RATHER THAN BLEACH. CLOROX BLEACH HAS BEEN PROVEN BY SOME TO BE CARCINOGENIC.