Storing drinking water
 

Scored some brand new 45 gallon food grade drums and am seeking advice on what and how much I should add to the drinking water to store it.

Re: Storing drinking water
 

Nothing. Some people will say add bleach but its a carcenogen and I wouldn't want to drink it. Get yourself a good filter like Aquarain and filter it as you use it.

Re: Storing drinking water
 

As long as you have running water simply change the water every two months.......nothing more.

Re: Storing drinking water
 

These aren't very satisfactory... I'll be curious to see what others come up with...

http://emd.wa.gov/5-prog/prgms/pubed/water.htm
http://waltonfeed.com/self/water.html
http://www.cityofbranson.org/images/...%20Storage.PDF
http://www.aquatechnology.net/Emergency_Storage.html
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question201.htm

I would be interested to know more about the "ION" product at the second link...

Re: Storing drinking water
 

Thanks for your thoughts. Anyone tried "Aerobic Stabalized Oxygen?"

Re: Storing drinking water
 

...and what about Silver? :hmmmm: :dontknow:

Re: Storing drinking water
 

http://www.millennium-ark.net/News_F...ter_Pure2.html

Above is a pretty comprehensive outline of emergency water storage/treatment.


Below is a fair assessment of water treatment tabs, etc., which serve a purpose in some situations ...

http://outside.away.com/outside/2003..._bugs_die.html

Re: Storing drinking water
 

Oooohh silver is perfect, just drop a round in each bucket and you'd be good to go.:elefant:

Re: Storing drinking water
 

It's too elegant, isn't it? :D

FYI, Yoo-Hoo in bottles and cans both keep forever, though bottled Yoo-Hoo won't taste like the can after a few years. It also have protein and vitamins and minerals. I wouldn't live exclusively on it, but if you like it and I do it's not bad stuff to keep around.

If I just wanted to store some water and forget about it, I'd buy the largest glass containers I could, pad them well, fill them and drop some silver rounds in. Plastic will, over a long period of time, break down. You can always filter water, but it stinks to have your tanks break open. Otherwise I'd just dump the old water and get fresh water periodically as long as the system works. I'd also consider looking for some old copper water tanks like they use on boats. Copper keeps the germs and algae down, too. Pennies?

Re: Storing drinking water
 

Copper is poisonous too...

Re: Storing drinking water
 

You know, I keep hearing that, but there have to be some qualifications to that statement because I know copper is widely used in piping in homes for drinking water and also in the construction of water storage tanks. I have no scientific data on it, but I wonder if copper's ability to kill off algae and stuff is what gives it the reputation but it is otherwise fairly harmless to humans? I don't know.

Re: Storing drinking water
 

D,
Allow me to give you some minor advice. FILL UP just ONE of those containers with water. Then try and move it.

Water weighs about seven lbs PER gallon. Times 45 equals 315 lbs. So you better NOT be planning to move it. AND it better be supported from the bottom and you should make sure that air circulates under it as well. I use 2 by 4's underneath MY 15 gallon water cubes. They still weigh 105 lbs each, which I CAN move with a two wheel dolly. ONE cube at a time. I'm considering making some 'moving dollies' that have four wheels. I will be making sure that each wheel can handle 100 lbs each.

Just food for thought.

Re: Storing drinking water
 

Some scientists are looking into some really cool water treatment involving oyster shells:

http://news.ufl.edu/2004/06/30/oyster-tip/

As always, do your own due dilligence.

Re: Storing drinking water
 

These barrels are stored in large steel racks like a winery. No possibility of falling over in an earthquake and easy to empty and refill. No need to move em. Just don't want to have to worry about water short term in a big shaker. My hands will be full with other stuff.

Re: Storing drinking water
 

Bleach is simple. Look for advice on this, but a drop for a gallon or two works.

I used colloidal silver in dromedary-type bags and it works wonderfully. A dropper per gallon keeps the bag and tube clean, full or empty, and tastes fresh. You can read the arguments about whether it's good for you or not on Colloidal pages here, but it's hard to believe it won't be better than chlorine.

Any colloidal would probably work for this, but you might get more milage from ASAP high-grade (forget the name, too lazy to look). It's also rated lab-safe for killing ultra-resistant spores/microbes like anthrax, and you can always dilute (with distilled water only) to make a standard PPM mix.

One thing though: Your water is going to taste like plastic. And the plastic esters are not necessarily good for you. There are studies that relate them to hormones (estrogen for instance). Maybe you need water but that's something to keep in mind.

How about a 300 gal stock tank buried like a backyard cistern. They're about $300US for 300gal, and would have less surface per gal. Lids are man-sized, but you will need a backhoe. Or the old fashioned concrete-parged cistern in the basement? Save the barrels for grains or such. Just a thought.

TS

Re: Storing drinking water
 

Thanks to one and all for your thoughts and ideas. Much to consider.:beer: