Water storage is a cinch. But I have some ideas I'd like to share on the subject. As a preparer and someone who lives in an arid climate with very little rainfall and the current drought conditions throughout the United States, water storage is an important and relevant topic. I recommend everyone use some sort of water storage system.
Bottled Water
The easiest way to store water may be the store bought bottled water. Bottled water is an 11 billion a year industry. When I was little we always drank from the tap and I thought water was free, then I lived in a place where we used well water and never thought twice about buying bottled water. Now the average bottle of water costs about $3, from the tap about one cent. In the late 70's glass Perrier bottles were a special drink but due to plastic bottling techniques the market exploded around 1987 and now just about everyone drinks water from a bottle. Even tap users often use filters. Of course most travelers will use bottled water because some countries have water that contains more bacteria. Sickness from water causes around 3.5 million deaths a year, a staggering statistic and just another reason many prefer bottled water. Reasonably, bottled water has less bacteria than tap and depending on plumbing less metals from piping. Also, chlorine used to disinfect water, varies in levels and there is still debate over the added Florine content in water. Of course, a down side is the pollution caused by countless plastic bottles, even with recycling programs in place.
The easiest way to store water may be the store bought bottled water. Bottled water is an 11 billion a year industry. When I was little we always drank from the tap and I thought water was free, then I lived in a place where we used well water and never thought twice about buying bottled water. Now the average bottle of water costs about $3, from the tap about one cent. In the late 70's glass Perrier bottles were a special drink but due to plastic bottling techniques the market exploded around 1987 and now just about everyone drinks water from a bottle. Even tap users often use filters. Of course most travelers will use bottled water because some countries have water that contains more bacteria. Sickness from water causes around 3.5 million deaths a year, a staggering statistic and just another reason many prefer bottled water. Reasonably, bottled water has less bacteria than tap and depending on plumbing less metals from piping. Also, chlorine used to disinfect water, varies in levels and there is still debate over the added Florine content in water. Of course, a down side is the pollution caused by countless plastic bottles, even with recycling programs in place.
Anyway, I still recommend bottled water, not just for everyday drinking, but for long term water storage and bug out bags. Having a case or two of bottled water around is a great idea and it should keep for a very long time if stored properly. Now, I say stored properly, dark cool places are the best, basements and refrigerators ideally. The water shouldn't ever go bad, but the plastic can degrade contaminating the water. Even so I recommend rotating out your bottles with use.
From Wikipedia:
Bottled water is often stored as part of an emergency kit in case of natural disaster. Commonly, disaster management experts recommend storing 1-US-gallon (3.8 L) of water per person, per day.[5] This amount is intended to include water for drinking and cooking as well as water for hand washing, washing dishes, and personal hygiene. Factory-sealed containers of water have an indefinite shelf life, as long as they remain unopened and undamaged.[6] The sell-by date
is voluntarily and individually set by manufacturers to indicate the
length of time that they believe the water will taste and smell fresh,
rather than to indicate any issue of contamination or food safety.
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| Nalgene Bottle with Cup |
Reusable Water Bottles
If you are worried about pollution, then the reusable water bottle is the way to go and even if you don't use it everyday, I, again, recommend having at least one or two on hand. Like many, I like the Nalgene brand bottle. It has markings on the side for volume and is BPA free. (Most new bottles are now bpa free) 2012. Another reason I like the Nalgene brand is because you can buy a titanium camping cup and with just a little duct tape, always useful, it will fit snugly under the bottom of your bottle. The second water bottle I would recommend is a metal one. Why metal? Because in an emergency you can use it to boil water in to decontaminate your drinking water. Remember to wash out your bottles after use.
Portable water storage
Another reason to use water bottles is they are portable. One of the most important things to bring with you in the event of an evacuation emergency is portable water. Unfortunately, water is heavy and difficult to transport. Even carring two full Liter bottles can be cumbersome. Nevertheless, I recommend you try to carry 3 liters to a gallon. Those of you that have a Bug Out Bag will know that finding places to put your water can be a pain. Many choose to attach bottles to the outside with carabiners. The most convenient way to carry water with you that I have seen so far are water hydration pouches. Often called Camelbaks due to the popularity of the brand. The military uses these now, especially for soldiers fighting in desert climates. Many soldiers have pouches that attach via Molle straps to the back of their tactical vests so they have access to water when they need it. Many backpacks are made to include a special place to attach a hydration bladder.
Large container - Long term storage
Here's a little trick I use to store a larger amount of water. I buy the 20 lb Tidy Cat brand cat litter for my cat and after the large plastic bottle is empty I wash it out thoroughly, soap and water, dry. I then fill up the bottle with tap water or filtered water and then add 20 drops of normal bleach, non-scented, no additives. Two drops per quart holding 10 quarts or 8 drops per gallon, holding 2.6 gallons. If unused, it's a good idea to change out the water once every year even if stored properly and filter and/or agitate/shake water before use. Rationed, this water will last about 3 days per jug for one person. I currently have 3 jugs lasting me around 9 days. Not a huge amount of water, but a good start for short term emergencies.
Otherwise, you can purchase larger containers for a longer storage time.
FYI - You already have large capacity water storage in your home. Sinks, bathtubs, the back of toilets, washing machines and hot water heaters can be filled up with water in an emergency, often allowing you to store hundreds of gallons of water, but you may have limited time to do so.
UPDATE:
cheaperthandirt.com sells a "WaterBOB" Emergency Drinking Water Storage system, made by WaySafe Florida, essentially this is a 100 gallon bladder for use in your bathtub. This is great to have and store in your bathroom.
As suggested by a reader: myfoodstorage.com sell 5 gallon Mylar bags stored inside a box as an emergency water storage alternative.
Rain Barrels, Water Coolers and Hand Pump Wells
Rain barrels are a great way to collect water during an emergency, figuring that rain will be available at some point. Check your local government, as some regions do not allow you to even collect rainwater due to water rights. If you do have water rights on your property you may want to look into digging a hand pump well on your land. Hand pump wells are not seen as frequently these days, but in a survival situation you would be able to access the water beneath you as most drinking water comes from deep within the ground, not rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Lastly, if you are concerned about your daily drinking water you can look into getting a water cooler for your house. This can cost around $130 a year or more but you may be able to store large 5 gallon jugs of water at home.
Remember you may have to filter or disinfect your drinking water yourself. Two is one and one is none, so have multiple ways to do both. (For more information see Water: Filtering and Purifying) Currently, you count on others to provide water to stores or clean your water to send to your pipes, being responsible is being prepared and water is the most important survival need.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92222327
http://water.org/water-crisis/water-facts/water/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottled_water
Seriously, all those people with huge caches of food storage that don't think that they need water to reconstitute that food storage are nuts. I've got a few 55 gallon drums, but need more. I actually found a new alternative to the options you listed above. I think its a new product or something but I found these 5 gallon mylar bags that you store in a cardboard box over at myfoodstorage.com. seems pretty legit and fairly portable. here is the link if anyone wants to check them out :
ReplyDeletehttp://www.myfoodstorage.com/other-products-1/water-filters-kits-and-storage/5-gallon-water-box.html
At only $10.50 each, thats a pretty dang goo deal.
$10.50 for a 5 gallon bag, not too bad. Thanks for the tip. It says on the site to change the water out every year if you are not using water treatment drops, otherwise good for 4 years. good to know. For everyone else its called the MyFoodStorage Waterbox. Just follow the link above.
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