Newbie Water Question

Hello all, I want to store water for longterm (5years).

Should this be done in plastic or cart board ??

Cart board water example: http://q.gs/EwGVZ

Also does there have to be a certain temperature to be maintained? Cold?

 

Every 6 months?
Do you use plastic or do you use things like metal?

I want to be able to store it longterm without toot much maintenance

 

Good morning Henkys,

Welcome to the forum. Had missed your initial post(s).

Could not access the provided link.

Besides plastic leeching into the stored water, plastic breaks easy enough. That wind storm sent the tree directly over your water inventory... and et cetra.

For long term storage - over 1 season here in eastern Virginia - I use US military steel 5 gallon cans with a special "paint" on inside. Forgot specifics of this "paint".

From experience, long term storage is best using distilled water. Although no minerals in it, regular survival foods address this. Regular water can have minor materials in it that's best to avoid.

Recommend you think of a storage length shorter than 5 years. Much changes in even 3 years.

Water is critical...even more so than food. Maintenance/inspection is required at relatively frequent intervals. Think - Safety -.

 

But how do you conserve rainwater?
It cannot be sealed as the rain needs to be able to pour in, so bacteria can do so too?

 

Hi Henkys. Some more details would help, like how much water do you want to store? 5 years worth, or just that the water doesn't require rotation/maintenance for 5 years? Does it all have to be potable or are you including water for bathing/washing/flushing too? Do you use tap water for drinking/cooking now or do you buy bottled water for that?

If you use bottled water for drinking currently then just buying an extra case each time until you reach your target amount then rotating and replacing what you use is one option. If you have the storage space then plastic 55-gal drums is another, many restaurants buy soda pop syrup in 55 gal drums and there's usually a source locally for empty ones. Just clean, disinfect, and fill. Check Tractor Supply for hand pumps designed for use with these drums, or raise them above ground level and use a hose to siphon the water out. These drums have many uses actually, I use them for rainwater collection after a couple modifications, for compost tumblers, and for fuel storage (some are the same HDPE plastic type and grade as 5 gal gasoline cans). We use rain barrels off the gutter downspouts for watering the garden and trees, but if needed could be for washing or flushing, or drinking after filtration/purification.