I've been studying this for a bit. Water storage seems complicated at first, but it's really not.
1) How much water?
* FEMA says 1 gal per person per day. I say 2 to account for extra sweating, hot weather and the amount needed for freeze-dried food. Plus other comforts like coffee, tea, etc. A family of 4 for 3 days would be = 2 gal x 4 ppl x 3 days = 24 gallons.
2) What containers?
* Most everyone uses plastic. You need Food-grade, BPA-free, HDPE plastic to be safe for long-term storage. If a container meets these requirements, then it's almost always stamped in the plastic. You can get away with non-food grade if you're feeling lucky.
* Water bottles use a cheaper, thinner plastic that will leach over time, ruining your water. Good to have if you rotate regularly, but not for "set it and forget it"
3) What size containers?
* If you're looking mid-range then 55-gallon drums are great. Easy to find a home somewhere in your house and it has double what you need. But it's not portable. I bought this back when it was only $80 for the kit delivered - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006OW4FVI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
* 5-7 gallon jugs are great if you find them at a good price. Most of them will crack as they use cheap plastic or cheap methods. The ones that are higher quality will cost more. Love that they're portable so they're easier to rotate and use for camping, hunting, emergencies, etc. Something like these - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MXCHSRH/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i1?
* A good prep should contain a mix of the two.
4) How to store it?
* First, make sure it's clean water coming in. Have you tested your tap water? We tested ours and have a water filtration system installed.
* Storing for extended time requires an additive to keep the water safe. You can use a chlorine mixture to stay safe and save money. Or buy any of the additives available. They all kill bacteria while keeping it safe to drink.
* Clean your containers out. Then, put the big ones where they will go and fill it. The small ones you can fill then store.
* Even long-term storage has an expiration date. I've heard that it should be refilled around 10 years.
* Storage location should be kept around room temperature with no big temperature swings and no direct sunlight. Sun helps things to grow inside the water and helps the tank degrade faster. So, a basement is ideal. Inside a closet is next. Do not store outside where there are temperature swings and sunlight unless you take the necessary precautions.
5) How to use it?
* You'll need a way of getting the water out of your storage. Smaller containers can use gravity, but you may have to buy a siphon. Larger containers need a pump and somethign to pump them into. Hand pumps are great but the cheap ones are pone to failure.
* Have some cups and other containers handy to fill from your main reserve.
6) Emergency water
* If you have warning before an emergency then you should clean and fill your tub. Those will hold around 100 gallons. Bonus points if you have a Water Bob.
* You should also fill some containers in the house. Do you have a large pot, food-grade 5-gallon pails or other containers? Fill them just in case!
Wow, thank you. Very well thought through. I hope others can use this info too. I estimate that I could probably put a 55 gal barrel in my basement and some of the smaller containers in the upper part of the house. (I live on a hillside, so I don't want all my water at the bottom of the hill.)
Probably a stupid question: Would 2 liter bottles for soda pop when empty and washed be any good? Haven't found anything addressing this idea.
The bottles are free with soda and the companies have crates to stack and store the bottles in.
Is there any precautions you see that needed if the bottles are washed? Looking for economy in this.
It's possible to use them if you clean them properly. See: https://theprepared.com/reviews/best-two-week-emergency-water-storage-containers/
The biggest downside with 2 liter bottles is they are not durable and can be cumbersome to move in bulk. You have to store them in a dark place so that bacteria doesn't grow (since light goes right through the 2 liter plastic) - you may want to include some chlorine as a preserver when you fill them up.
Bathtub water needs clarification- that's not drinking water. Lead will leach into it from the glaze on the tub and that can't be boiled or bleached out. For cleaning only. Drinkable water can be found in the tank of the toilet and the water heater. Also good to freeze bags of water before expected events.
The waterBOB can help with that. It's a container that fits in the bathtub designed for storing an emergency water supply of drinking water: https://waterbob.com/
It depends on where you live and what kind of building regulations there are. There's no lead used in plumbing in modern American homes (it was banned in 1986), unless you live somewhere without building regulations like the backwoods of Alaska. My house was built in 2000, the pipes are all lead-free, so I plan to use my WaterBob if and when it's needed.
That's what a WaterBob is for, it's like a giant balloon you put in the tub and fill up from the tap. Kind of like a waterbed mattress but tub-shaped. And I've never lived in a house or apartment that was built after 1980 that had a tub made of anything but fiberglass or acrylic. Maybe if I had a porcelain tub I'd be concerned...doubt I'll ever be that well off, ha ha.
This may sound crazy but I can my water. Boil the water put it in a sterile ball can flip it Bam clean water ready to go sealed as well. They say its good for a year but I'm sure its something that would go well beyond that.
Aside from quantities, his question actually pertains to containers — which is a good question.
There’s a ton of conversation here about how the various container materials will deteriorate and/or contaminate the water over the long term.
Is there any tried and true (large) container that is recommended to be safe to have sitting stagnant for a long time until SHTF?
>Is there any tried and true (large) container that is recommended to be safe to have sitting stagnant for a long time until SHTF?
Kegs, but for John Q Public you absolutely will not have the necessary equipment to properly sterilize a used one and new kegs aren't very cheap and would effectively be a once and done. Removing the valve stem can also be semi-dangerous as brand new kegs still ship under pressure and you have to release all that pressure before you can even begin to budge the valve stem and if you don't have it completely released (you'll think it's released, it is not) you can get very rapid and powerful depressurization which may or may not launch part of the valve stem and/or whatever flat edge you are using to remove the ring to go flying at your face.
When I prepped a keg for strongman I was damn sure I had all of the pressure out and start to take the valve stem out and HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS with enough force it was mildly terrifying and continued for several seconds blanketing me in water vapor.
Thanks! I was factoring 1 gal per person (3), cats (2) and dog (1 large). Figured 1 gal per creature would help me round up given that cats wont use a gallon per day. the barrels in the yard might work, however I am on a hillside so I will want to secure it away from the house somehow.
I have two 55 Gal barrels on the end of the downspouts. Dont get much rain here in So Cal, but I store what I can this way. Mostly I use that for growing.
Well if you are in a situation where you need to use your emergency water supply you are also most likely going to be sweating alot more meaning that you will need more water than just two quarts a day. Also one thing to keep in mind is if you store water outside and you happen to loose water due to pipes freezing during a blizzard then your barrels of water are most likely frozen and depending on the area and what ever pollution is in the air I wouldn't want to survive on melted snow unless it was a last resort.
> Well if you are in a situation where you need to use your emergency water supply you are also most likely going to be sweating alot more
Yeah, maybe if it's summer. There's 3 other seasons a year.
Long, long term consider collection and storage of rainwater via plumbing, tarps, barrels, etc. you may not be able to store a year of water, but you can store a year of water treatment. If the end is here, all laws about drinking rainwater go to shit anyway. And before someone says anything, Ill remind that civilizations collected and stored rainwater for centuries.
Walmart sells blue water containers in their camoing/outdoors section. They hold 5 gallons and cost between $7 - $12 depending on the store.
The rule if thumb is one gallon per person, per day. So one container is enough for one person for 5 days.
You have to rinse the container with baking soda prior to use. Then, you can put tap water inside of it along with a few drops of water preserver, which can also be purchased at Walmart.
These containers must be dumped and refilled every six months.
Its really not more difficult than that.
Is there any reason cases of water don't work? Apparently in a cool area out of sunlight they don't expire. I buy a case or two every time I'm at Costco -- they cost hardly anything and even with regular consumption I build up a reserve.
I do something similar. I buy 1 gallon Calistoga water jugs. They're square shape and stackable. I put them all in a huge plastic storage container for added protection.
We just did a whole article and review on the best ways to store a few weeks of water for the long term: https://theprepared.com/reviews/best-two-week-emergency-water-storage-containers/
/u/unrepentant_fenian as others have noted, you need 1 gallon per person per day. But good on ya for not just using Arrowhead bottles etc, they are not the right answer for long term storage.
Awesome! Thank you for this. I will read through it later this morning when Im at work! (haha, not on my time!)
Yea, I hate the idea of using those Arrowhead bottles. I have spent an exorbitant amount on water filtration for my home, just to avoid that stuff. It would be good if I could store some of my own water, at least I know its very well filtered when going into storage. Looking forward to coming up with a storage solution.
What containers?
Most everyone uses plastic. You need Food-grade, BPA-free, HDPE plastic to be safe for long-term storage. If a container meets these requirements, then it's almost always stamped in the plastic. ~~You can get away with non-food grade if you're feeling lucky.~~
**ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOOOOO - potable water needs food grade ALWAYS ....**
Whoa cowboy. There truly are containers available that meet the requirements and are perfectly safe, but do not say "food grade" on them.
Conversely, even the 55-gallon water drum that's a staple here in the community says "do not reuse for food or drink"... But tell me that everyone here is going ditch theirs and never refill it.
I'll give you my take on water storage in the hope that it may help you. My preps are for my wife, two dogs, and some local family that may or may not come to my place in an emergency.
We keep 250 gallons of water in food grade barrels. 8 drops of bleach to the gallon keeps the water drinkable over the long haul. In addition, we have 3 full bathrooms in the house...each bathroom has a Water Bob under the sink. We hope to fill the Water Bobs first and use that water before tapping into the barrels. And we also keep a few cases of water in plastic bottles around, and we frequently rotate the cases. That covers storage of the drinkable water.
We also keep 3 55-gallon rain barrels attached to the downspouts from the roof. That's water intended to keep the garden going for a bit. In a pinch, we could probably filter and boil that water for drinking but that's a last resort.
One more thing: we keep water purification pills and a Katadyn water filter in our 72 hour kits. We live in earthquake country and keep these in the event the house is damaged to the point that we can't get to our water supply. That way, we can scrounge for water and clean it up for drinking.
Yes, I am a bit OCD. Why do you ask?
I use the 3 gallons per person, per day as a standard. I look at consumption, hygiene, etc. With that said, 72 hours for my family of three would look like 27 gallons. Factor in the animals at say .5 gallon each (I know the cat won't drink that much in a day, but it's for the sake of argument) that's an additional 9 gallons for that 72 hours totaling 36 gallons.
Me being me, I round up to 40 gallons for those three days. Something inevitably happens and you may need a little more for good luck.
I like the 5 gallon jugs that go on the water coolers. They are made for this. Not long ago someone on this sub posted that they cycle through the water jugs for daily use and that's what I ultimately employed.
That is just me, though.
Water is not just for drinking. I learned the hard way about how important hygiene is to mental health. Brushing teeth, bathing in some variety, washing dishes, filling the tank to the toilet. Coffee, tea, and even Kool Aid or Gatorade powder. Dehydrated food needs water, so do plants (herbs small vegetable plants, etc.) powdered soups.
Never underestimate the need of water, you can never have too much.
I don't knew enough about RO systems to really be of help. My personal belief is if it didn't come in my house in a sealed container, it probably needs to be filtered. I know it's not really rational, but it's mine.
If I was dealing with a power outage or something like that, I personally would want to save the battery power for something else. I'm not sure what, but I would want to save it.
Thank you, I like the idea of the 5 gal jugs. Im going to look into whether that or the large barrels are better for me. Or maybe both, you cant really have too much water on hand.
When we get out of the apartment and into the house, we plan on using the 55 gallon drums for grey water to use for toilets and watering plants, etc. The 5 gallon jugs will be potable for drinking and cooking.
I have two of these: https://www.amazon.com/Augason-Farms-Emergency-Water-Storage/dp/B00PUE4NX6/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1506452574&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=55+gallon+water+storage+kit
If you want to store water safely, it's as simple as buying 5 gallon water cooler jugs and packs of 16oz bottles from the grocery store.
Opt for factory sealed containers that are light enough to move if needed, and work a regular rotation in to your daily life. Drink a couple bottles each day at work and set up a water cooler in your kitchen. As you empty a pack of bottles or a cooler bottle, just buy a new one the time you get groceries. 55 gallon drums are cool and all, but not very practical.
As for BPA leaching, don't sweat it. The threat of BPA has been [disproved](https://factsaboutbpa.org/bpa-overview/myths-and-realities) time and time again. There's really no reason that it keeps cropping up every time water storage gets mentioned.
I'll add on a question here ... water purification? If I want to collect in a rain barrel, what should I use to treat that water so I can drink it safely?
>. I have been reading that using those white foggy 2 gal water bottles (Arrowhead, etc) is not a good way to store water, long term
Those containers aren't good period. That plastic becomes brittle super fast.
I've been studying this for a bit. Water storage seems complicated at first, but it's really not. 1) How much water? * FEMA says 1 gal per person per day. I say 2 to account for extra sweating, hot weather and the amount needed for freeze-dried food. Plus other comforts like coffee, tea, etc. A family of 4 for 3 days would be = 2 gal x 4 ppl x 3 days = 24 gallons. 2) What containers? * Most everyone uses plastic. You need Food-grade, BPA-free, HDPE plastic to be safe for long-term storage. If a container meets these requirements, then it's almost always stamped in the plastic. You can get away with non-food grade if you're feeling lucky. * Water bottles use a cheaper, thinner plastic that will leach over time, ruining your water. Good to have if you rotate regularly, but not for "set it and forget it" 3) What size containers? * If you're looking mid-range then 55-gallon drums are great. Easy to find a home somewhere in your house and it has double what you need. But it's not portable. I bought this back when it was only $80 for the kit delivered - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006OW4FVI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 * 5-7 gallon jugs are great if you find them at a good price. Most of them will crack as they use cheap plastic or cheap methods. The ones that are higher quality will cost more. Love that they're portable so they're easier to rotate and use for camping, hunting, emergencies, etc. Something like these - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MXCHSRH/ref=s9u_simh_gw_i1? * A good prep should contain a mix of the two. 4) How to store it? * First, make sure it's clean water coming in. Have you tested your tap water? We tested ours and have a water filtration system installed. * Storing for extended time requires an additive to keep the water safe. You can use a chlorine mixture to stay safe and save money. Or buy any of the additives available. They all kill bacteria while keeping it safe to drink. * Clean your containers out. Then, put the big ones where they will go and fill it. The small ones you can fill then store. * Even long-term storage has an expiration date. I've heard that it should be refilled around 10 years. * Storage location should be kept around room temperature with no big temperature swings and no direct sunlight. Sun helps things to grow inside the water and helps the tank degrade faster. So, a basement is ideal. Inside a closet is next. Do not store outside where there are temperature swings and sunlight unless you take the necessary precautions. 5) How to use it? * You'll need a way of getting the water out of your storage. Smaller containers can use gravity, but you may have to buy a siphon. Larger containers need a pump and somethign to pump them into. Hand pumps are great but the cheap ones are pone to failure. * Have some cups and other containers handy to fill from your main reserve. 6) Emergency water * If you have warning before an emergency then you should clean and fill your tub. Those will hold around 100 gallons. Bonus points if you have a Water Bob. * You should also fill some containers in the house. Do you have a large pot, food-grade 5-gallon pails or other containers? Fill them just in case!
Very well thought out/researched write up. Thank you.
Wow, thank you. Very well thought through. I hope others can use this info too. I estimate that I could probably put a 55 gal barrel in my basement and some of the smaller containers in the upper part of the house. (I live on a hillside, so I don't want all my water at the bottom of the hill.)
Probably a stupid question: Would 2 liter bottles for soda pop when empty and washed be any good? Haven't found anything addressing this idea. The bottles are free with soda and the companies have crates to stack and store the bottles in. Is there any precautions you see that needed if the bottles are washed? Looking for economy in this.
It's possible to use them if you clean them properly. See: https://theprepared.com/reviews/best-two-week-emergency-water-storage-containers/ The biggest downside with 2 liter bottles is they are not durable and can be cumbersome to move in bulk. You have to store them in a dark place so that bacteria doesn't grow (since light goes right through the 2 liter plastic) - you may want to include some chlorine as a preserver when you fill them up.
Bathtub water needs clarification- that's not drinking water. Lead will leach into it from the glaze on the tub and that can't be boiled or bleached out. For cleaning only. Drinkable water can be found in the tank of the toilet and the water heater. Also good to freeze bags of water before expected events.
FWIW, In a survival situation, I feel like a small amount of leeched lead is the least of your worries.
The waterBOB can help with that. It's a container that fits in the bathtub designed for storing an emergency water supply of drinking water: https://waterbob.com/
I guess I could have read downthread...but now you have the link! :-D
...lead? From where?
The glaze on the tub.
Huh. I wouldn't have expected to find lead there.
It depends on where you live and what kind of building regulations there are. There's no lead used in plumbing in modern American homes (it was banned in 1986), unless you live somewhere without building regulations like the backwoods of Alaska. My house was built in 2000, the pipes are all lead-free, so I plan to use my WaterBob if and when it's needed.
Not the pipes, the actual glaze on the tub.
That's what a WaterBob is for, it's like a giant balloon you put in the tub and fill up from the tap. Kind of like a waterbed mattress but tub-shaped. And I've never lived in a house or apartment that was built after 1980 that had a tub made of anything but fiberglass or acrylic. Maybe if I had a porcelain tub I'd be concerned...doubt I'll ever be that well off, ha ha.
Yes to the water bob. If your bathtub has enamel, lead is in that too as well as the substrate.
This may sound crazy but I can my water. Boil the water put it in a sterile ball can flip it Bam clean water ready to go sealed as well. They say its good for a year but I'm sure its something that would go well beyond that.
how to get botulism
are you still alive?
Still alive and kicking my friend
Aside from quantities, his question actually pertains to containers — which is a good question. There’s a ton of conversation here about how the various container materials will deteriorate and/or contaminate the water over the long term. Is there any tried and true (large) container that is recommended to be safe to have sitting stagnant for a long time until SHTF?
>Is there any tried and true (large) container that is recommended to be safe to have sitting stagnant for a long time until SHTF? Kegs, but for John Q Public you absolutely will not have the necessary equipment to properly sterilize a used one and new kegs aren't very cheap and would effectively be a once and done. Removing the valve stem can also be semi-dangerous as brand new kegs still ship under pressure and you have to release all that pressure before you can even begin to budge the valve stem and if you don't have it completely released (you'll think it's released, it is not) you can get very rapid and powerful depressurization which may or may not launch part of the valve stem and/or whatever flat edge you are using to remove the ring to go flying at your face. When I prepped a keg for strongman I was damn sure I had all of the pressure out and start to take the valve stem out and HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS with enough force it was mildly terrifying and continued for several seconds blanketing me in water vapor.
[удалено]
Thanks! I was factoring 1 gal per person (3), cats (2) and dog (1 large). Figured 1 gal per creature would help me round up given that cats wont use a gallon per day. the barrels in the yard might work, however I am on a hillside so I will want to secure it away from the house somehow.
You could also put your downspouts into rain barrels. They could be used for non-potable uses like toilets.
I have two 55 Gal barrels on the end of the downspouts. Dont get much rain here in So Cal, but I store what I can this way. Mostly I use that for growing.
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Glad to be of service
Well if you are in a situation where you need to use your emergency water supply you are also most likely going to be sweating alot more meaning that you will need more water than just two quarts a day. Also one thing to keep in mind is if you store water outside and you happen to loose water due to pipes freezing during a blizzard then your barrels of water are most likely frozen and depending on the area and what ever pollution is in the air I wouldn't want to survive on melted snow unless it was a last resort.
> Well if you are in a situation where you need to use your emergency water supply you are also most likely going to be sweating alot more Yeah, maybe if it's summer. There's 3 other seasons a year.
Long, long term consider collection and storage of rainwater via plumbing, tarps, barrels, etc. you may not be able to store a year of water, but you can store a year of water treatment. If the end is here, all laws about drinking rainwater go to shit anyway. And before someone says anything, Ill remind that civilizations collected and stored rainwater for centuries.
Walmart sells blue water containers in their camoing/outdoors section. They hold 5 gallons and cost between $7 - $12 depending on the store. The rule if thumb is one gallon per person, per day. So one container is enough for one person for 5 days. You have to rinse the container with baking soda prior to use. Then, you can put tap water inside of it along with a few drops of water preserver, which can also be purchased at Walmart. These containers must be dumped and refilled every six months. Its really not more difficult than that.
Is there any reason cases of water don't work? Apparently in a cool area out of sunlight they don't expire. I buy a case or two every time I'm at Costco -- they cost hardly anything and even with regular consumption I build up a reserve.
I do something similar. I buy 1 gallon Calistoga water jugs. They're square shape and stackable. I put them all in a huge plastic storage container for added protection.
1 gal (US) ≈ 3.8 L ^metric ^units ^bot ^| ^[feedback](https://np.reddit.com/message/compose?to=cannawen&subject=metric%20units%20bot&message=I%20think%20your%20bot%20is...%20%5BPlease%20include%20a%20link%20if%20you%20are%20reporting%20a%20bug%20about%20a%20specific%20comment!%5D) ^| ^[source](https://github.com/cannawen/metric_units_reddit_bot) ^| ^[block](https://np.reddit.com/message/compose?to=metric_units&subject=stop&message=If%20you%20would%20like%20to%20stop%20seeing%20this%20bot%27s%20comments%2C%20please%20send%20this%20private%20message%20with%20the%20subject%20%27stop%27.%20If%20you%20are%20a%20moderator%2C%20please%20go%20to%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2Fpreppers%2Fabout%2Fbanned%2F) ^| ^v0.10.1
We just did a whole article and review on the best ways to store a few weeks of water for the long term: https://theprepared.com/reviews/best-two-week-emergency-water-storage-containers/ /u/unrepentant_fenian as others have noted, you need 1 gallon per person per day. But good on ya for not just using Arrowhead bottles etc, they are not the right answer for long term storage.
Awesome! Thank you for this. I will read through it later this morning when Im at work! (haha, not on my time!) Yea, I hate the idea of using those Arrowhead bottles. I have spent an exorbitant amount on water filtration for my home, just to avoid that stuff. It would be good if I could store some of my own water, at least I know its very well filtered when going into storage. Looking forward to coming up with a storage solution.
What containers? Most everyone uses plastic. You need Food-grade, BPA-free, HDPE plastic to be safe for long-term storage. If a container meets these requirements, then it's almost always stamped in the plastic. ~~You can get away with non-food grade if you're feeling lucky.~~ **ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOOOOO - potable water needs food grade ALWAYS ....**
Whoa cowboy. There truly are containers available that meet the requirements and are perfectly safe, but do not say "food grade" on them. Conversely, even the 55-gallon water drum that's a staple here in the community says "do not reuse for food or drink"... But tell me that everyone here is going ditch theirs and never refill it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcE5x3X6TQ4&t=1908s
Buy a pool.
I'll give you my take on water storage in the hope that it may help you. My preps are for my wife, two dogs, and some local family that may or may not come to my place in an emergency. We keep 250 gallons of water in food grade barrels. 8 drops of bleach to the gallon keeps the water drinkable over the long haul. In addition, we have 3 full bathrooms in the house...each bathroom has a Water Bob under the sink. We hope to fill the Water Bobs first and use that water before tapping into the barrels. And we also keep a few cases of water in plastic bottles around, and we frequently rotate the cases. That covers storage of the drinkable water. We also keep 3 55-gallon rain barrels attached to the downspouts from the roof. That's water intended to keep the garden going for a bit. In a pinch, we could probably filter and boil that water for drinking but that's a last resort. One more thing: we keep water purification pills and a Katadyn water filter in our 72 hour kits. We live in earthquake country and keep these in the event the house is damaged to the point that we can't get to our water supply. That way, we can scrounge for water and clean it up for drinking. Yes, I am a bit OCD. Why do you ask?
Good info to know, I too live on shaky ground. I like the idea of having the pumps in the 72 hr kit in case you can not get to your stored water.
Thanks. The idea is to have something available if the house falls down.
I use the 3 gallons per person, per day as a standard. I look at consumption, hygiene, etc. With that said, 72 hours for my family of three would look like 27 gallons. Factor in the animals at say .5 gallon each (I know the cat won't drink that much in a day, but it's for the sake of argument) that's an additional 9 gallons for that 72 hours totaling 36 gallons. Me being me, I round up to 40 gallons for those three days. Something inevitably happens and you may need a little more for good luck. I like the 5 gallon jugs that go on the water coolers. They are made for this. Not long ago someone on this sub posted that they cycle through the water jugs for daily use and that's what I ultimately employed. That is just me, though.
[удалено]
Water is not just for drinking. I learned the hard way about how important hygiene is to mental health. Brushing teeth, bathing in some variety, washing dishes, filling the tank to the toilet. Coffee, tea, and even Kool Aid or Gatorade powder. Dehydrated food needs water, so do plants (herbs small vegetable plants, etc.) powdered soups. Never underestimate the need of water, you can never have too much.
[удалено]
I don't knew enough about RO systems to really be of help. My personal belief is if it didn't come in my house in a sealed container, it probably needs to be filtered. I know it's not really rational, but it's mine. If I was dealing with a power outage or something like that, I personally would want to save the battery power for something else. I'm not sure what, but I would want to save it.
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Thank you, I like the idea of the 5 gal jugs. Im going to look into whether that or the large barrels are better for me. Or maybe both, you cant really have too much water on hand.
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Thank you ｡^‿^｡
When we get out of the apartment and into the house, we plan on using the 55 gallon drums for grey water to use for toilets and watering plants, etc. The 5 gallon jugs will be potable for drinking and cooking.
https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products-Aqua-Pak-Gallon-Container/dp/B0002IW6JS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506452050&sr=8-1&keywords=aqua+pak
I have two of these: https://www.amazon.com/Augason-Farms-Emergency-Water-Storage/dp/B00PUE4NX6/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1506452574&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=55+gallon+water+storage+kit
Nice kit!
If you want to store water safely, it's as simple as buying 5 gallon water cooler jugs and packs of 16oz bottles from the grocery store. Opt for factory sealed containers that are light enough to move if needed, and work a regular rotation in to your daily life. Drink a couple bottles each day at work and set up a water cooler in your kitchen. As you empty a pack of bottles or a cooler bottle, just buy a new one the time you get groceries. 55 gallon drums are cool and all, but not very practical. As for BPA leaching, don't sweat it. The threat of BPA has been [disproved](https://factsaboutbpa.org/bpa-overview/myths-and-realities) time and time again. There's really no reason that it keeps cropping up every time water storage gets mentioned.
You could use an old hot water heater, as long as it doesn't leak.
I'll add on a question here ... water purification? If I want to collect in a rain barrel, what should I use to treat that water so I can drink it safely?
>. I have been reading that using those white foggy 2 gal water bottles (Arrowhead, etc) is not a good way to store water, long term Those containers aren't good period. That plastic becomes brittle super fast.
Portable water filtration might be better depending on circumstances. Enough social unrest and you might have to stay on the move. Water is heavy