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Water must be the most underestimated survival supply. Store as much as you can. FULL CONTANIERS PLEASE! You dont get a SHTF notice. Ever. So an empty container of any kind is just that.
Notice in the article below how important it is to know how to treat water and have the nescesary tools and knowledge.
Pool shock as a long term water purification supply, but most of all a good water filter such as the Berkey, sold by our sponsor, Directive 21.
Notice how things are rarely black and white. If lukcy, you'll have some sort of water, but you'll need to treat it well.
Huge water pipe breach imperils region
Fiasco leaves 2 million Bay Staters high and dry
FerFAL
16 comments:
How do you keep water for long term? Foil bags sealed in 5 gallon buckets? Under ground tank?
FerFal,
Today, I bought 4 gallon jugs of sprinf water for 74 cents (USD) each. I plan on storing much, much more. I also have about 20 gallon of tap water stored in used milk jugs for washing(tap water stored like this becomes non-potable).
Good to see you writing about this much-underemphasized topic. Keep up the good work!
-James
I keep it in 5 liter bottles, in a dry place covered with black plastic so as to avoid algea formation. I also have several 1.5 soda plastic bottles rinsed and refilled with water. I rotate it once a year becuase it pics up plastic taste. Notice that a lot of the water needs in a 0 water situaiton will include things such as washing the dishes, flushing toilets, washing clothes, bathing and hadn washing.
FerFAL
The plastic jerry cans you guys have up there are terrific and much cheaper than what they cost here.
FerFAL
I live near Boston in one of the towns that has its own local water supply, so we weren't affected directly. I've been giving out my bottled stash to friends and family, which is a good way to rotate the supply and make sure I restock with fresh water anyway.
I didn't really think about how interconnected the water supply was before this, but now I see a benefit to local sourcing - it would be nice if our power and other essentials were protected from large-scale network disruptions as well.
Question - I have several 2 liter soda bottles filled with water in the freezer. Do those need to be rotated? I am still in the process of filling up my freezer, and it helps keep the freezer from working too hard. My BF doesn't hassle me about my 'prepping' (beginning stages, really) because he views this as an energy saver.
I live in the Boston area, and I can say that things are just fine. Some restaurants are affected, but otherwise, everything is normal.
But even in this situation, the shelves were cleared of water virtually immediately. The internet and SMS have made information transmission instantaneous, so in any real disaster situation, do not count on being able to go to the store in time. By the time I even knew about the problem, it would have been too late to buy water.
Luckily, I have stored water. Not much, but 15 gallons, which is enough for two people for one week. The Poland Spring 5 gal jugs are ideal. I have 4, of which three are filled. I rotate once a month, so that each jug is filled with water for three months, then left dry for one month, and then filled with fresh water. Simple, fast.
The nice thing about this little water problem is now I've convinced my wife to significantly expand the emergency prep budget
after two hurricanes that shut off
water for a total of 16 days, i have a week's supply of DRINKable (potable) water in storage.
here's what i've learned:
1. use cleaned 2-liter soft drink bottles. don't use milk jugs. jugs
deteriorate (split in the bottom)
in six months. soft drink bottles
are TOUGH!
2. store as much as you can. then
more. when you run out of storage space, ask your neighbor. mine
let me place 108 2-liter bottles
in his crawl space.
3. backup. my water supply is
delivered by an electric pump
from my well. i have 2 generators
(one gas, one propane powered)
which are able to drive the pump.
finally, the one thing i don't
have is an extra pump for my well. that's next on the list.
If you use a good quality bottle, clean and disinfect it, add some bleach and store it away from the light, water will keep for an amazingly long time. I have water I put up in 2 liter soda bottles (both green and clear) in 2000 that sat, forgotten, in a shed in cardboard cartons of twelve bottles each. I opened a few to test this year and, as far as tests indicate (A friend who works of the local college and is also a survivalist did a standard assay for biologicals), it is still safe to drink.
You should rotate more often but with proper care and attention to cleanliness you can store water for longer than most people think.
My initial prepping efforts consisted of about 15 gallons of drinking water and little else. I put this supply to the test several months ago when I had a severe sinus infection and was therefore becoming dehydrated due to the mucus and low-level fever. It seemed to be as good a time as any to determine how long this water would last, so I exclusively drank from my stores instead of the tap.
The result? It was almost gone after a week. It made me realize that in the event of a minor disaster like the one in Boston, the initial 15 gallons would probably be adequate...but ONLY if there were no other factors, such as a sinus infection or other illness.
Since then, I've upgraded my storage a little to 25 gallons, 15 of which are in the sturdy blue Coleman containers. A filter like the Berkey is next on the list.
Here's a link to get outfitted nicely for water.
http://www.bayteccontainers.com/waterbarrels.html?gclid=CKWw9pedvKECFd1n5QodcVYf-A
I spent around $600 and got heavy duty food grade barrels. 6 15 gallon, 2 55 gallon and a 55 gallon rain catcher system. Maybe leave that out and save $150. Also got a couple hand pumps and their treatment solution. You might be able to do this free or cheap at a soda pop bottling plant. Filled them with filtered tap water from a good Multipure filter. Have a Daulton(similar to a Berkey) for re filtering
from barrels.
Saving the money and using free soda bottles is best, but
I kept procrastinating on it. Rationalized that since I'm spending 5 times more on something 2nd in importance, ammo; that this was justified. Now it's done. If I have to plan C it real fast to another hemisphere, I guess I will lose them. I reckon I'll lose the ammo too.
If you have a constant source of water, like a stream....cant you just get like a berkey? and bypass all this storing 108 pop bottles in your neighbors crawl space?
-J
Actually after meditating on it some, I would recommend this 55 gallon rain barrel for most people. My buying smaller barrels was to fit a crawl space i have. One big one for the kitchen and one for near the bathroom.
http://www.bayteccontainers.com/rec55galopto.html
All the barrels are very heavy duty. but this one is especially heavy. It also has a very heavy duty full top lid and the lock ring is thick and solid. Very easy to keep this one clean with the wide mouth, If you had just three of these. You would be in good shape for a few weeks for a small family.
I did this all over a year ago and everything is fine with the water. I don't think we need to drain them and refill, but maybe i will to be on the safe side.
I originally was going to buy 25 cases of 4 of typical one gallon jugs,($3.25 a case) from our restaurant supply wholesaler, but someone as well warned me that they won't store well and crack on their own within a year.
The Berkey used with a stream will work. also boil it. But you're still going to have to store some water inside in case something prevents you from getting to the stream.
Also this Doulton
http://www.jmccanneyscience.com/SecWebOrderPg.htm
is like a Berkey, but check out the nice filter candles you can get for the Doulton.(2000 gallons) I'm pretty sure they can be used on the Berkey too. Here's a good deal.
http://www.filtervalue.com/p-738-7-doulton-imperial-super-sterasy-candle-water-filter-element-w9121302.aspx
Rotating water is the way to go if storage space is limited, yet one may treat water as it is being stored or after it is stored. Should water be stored for an extended time and passed your expiration date, it is still water and can be treated. If space is no problem, perhaps not rotating the supply and using your time to add to it is a better way. Having a means to treat water, and the more options and variety of techniques, allows one to take advantage of water sources previously not considered. This means one has access to more water and often at a lower cost. For example, with the right equipment, one can drink from a mud puddle in the road. Using a 55 gallon drum liner or extra large and super heavy duty 3mil plastic Contractor's bag available a hardware stores, one can store relatively clean water in different sized trash cans or simply a hole in the ground. Because of the chemicals that may be present in the non food grade plastic bags, the water can be considered non potable, yet unusual methods can allow one to extend their drinkable supply for very little cost using existing containers found anywhere. Even a strong or reinforced cardboard or wood box can serve in an emergency.
*Water chlorinated at the tap should store for 2 years in a dark cool place.
*The least expensive container price per gallon is usually about $1.00.
*Non fat plastic milk jugs are safe containers for potable water. These degrade in the sun, yet are generally durable for a period of 1 year and cost little to sanitize. Add a few ounces of bleach fill, with water and let stand for 24 hours and rinse several times.
* Figure 2 gallons per day per a physically active person in hot weather. 1/2 gallon per day can sustain life in cool climates. People will beg for food, but kill for water.
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Continued...
*For those who may become homeless, one can survive 3 minutes without air, 3 weeks without food, and 3 days without water.
*In cold environments, never drink cold water or eat snow. It will lower one's core body tempature and risk hypotherma. To melt large quantities, start a fire and shovel snow into a large metal container, such as a glavanized tub.
* 'Field expediant' water filters can be constructed to filter water from clean sources such as a running stream, using using a pop bottle, charcol from a fire, sand, gravel, and a piece of cloth or clothing.
*The ability to start a fire to boil water in any climate condition can be a difficult skill to acquire. Always carry dry tinder.
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Continued....part 3
* Livestock such as a horse or cow require at least 5 gallons per day in warm weather.
* The plastic 55 gallon drums found in the U.S. are a good way to store large amounts of water. Use drums weather blue, or white often contained fruit juice concentrate and cannot be cleaned sufficiently to store potable water. Used barrels run around $50 and new ones cost about $70. These are an excellent way to store water long term and only the plastic plugs degrade in the sun and only after many years. The cost per gallon competes with gallon sized bottle water. Bottled water stacks well when left in their original cases.
* In freezing temperatures, containers filled to the brim will split or break. Store bought water should be partly emptied to allow for the expansion of freezing water. As a UV method of sterilization may have been used, bottle water may become contaminated once opened. Add bleach or fill with tap water or treat as it is used.
*Learn how to use a siphon. When a mechanical or electric 12 volt pumps break, the garden hose can be an effective means and even when your 55 gallon drum is not elevated. Smaller diameter hose can make the process easier.
*Learn how to handle and transport larger amounts water from public or open sources. A 12 volt DC pump designed for RV's can be an effective means. These cost about $100. Take advantage of pumps designed for solar power. In rural areas, a solar 'slow pump' ($500) can pump from generally accessible water or cistern, and push it over a great distance and up to 900gallons per day. A temporary disruption of service can cause the loss of garden and your neighbors may thank you.
*Be creative and adapt. Think like a pumber and act like 'Mc Giver'. There are too many good ways of solving a water related problem to mention.
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