There are a lot of options out there when trying to decide how to store your water. Regardless of the method you choose, water is extremely important and your water storage needs to match your food storage. Your method of water storage will depend on your living arrangements, and should be tailored to your location and housing situation.
First there is the water barrel. Available in sizes from 15 – 55 gallons, these are pretty easy to store and are very versatile. *Note: One thing to consider is that water weighs almost 8.5 pounds per gallon. A 55 gallon drum filled would weigh over 450 pounds. Make sure they’re supported on a sturdy surface. The best thing to do is get the barrels used. Syrup at cola bottling plants come in these containers, as well as other food related liquids. You can get these for free sometimes if you talk to the right person, they usually throw them out. If you can’t find free ones my local Rural King sells them used for $12. Check locally but if all else fails you can always order offline.
If you get creative you can find places around the house to hind them in plain sight. One of these in the living room with a piece of plywood on top (cut in a circle) with a sheet draped over it would look like a regular table. On the Preparedness Pro Facebook Page there is a photo posted of using them to create a bed with wood on top of the barrels then the mattress and sheets. I’ve also heard of people using them for a computer desk. It would make them easy to get to if they were in the living room or bedroom. Just make sure you have a good hand pump to get the water out.
There is a company that makes a product called the Water Bob. It is a large plastic bag designed to fit in a bathtub. The bag is made of strong, and safe plastic with a hole to fill it with. The idea is that in the event of an emergency, you put it in the bathtub and can fill it with up to 100 gallons of water. This is a great product, and for the price it’s great to have in the closet. They fold down into a small box to there’s no problem storing them. The only problem is see is if you wake up with no water at all then you can’t fill them up. This would be great to have along with your existing water storage just to give you a few extra gallons in the event you might need it.
At most Wal-Mart’s you can purchase these 7 gallon Reliance water containers. They’re blue containers that come with a pour spout and a convenient carrying handle. They usually run around $12 each and I have quite a few of these full of water. They are great quality and are a great way to store water in small amounts. Even if you have all your water in 55 gallon barrels you can keep a few of these to transport water. They will sit on a table and you can use the included spout to pour water with ease.
I talked about this in my post about “Free Water Storage” but I will mention it again. If you drink a lot of juice (and you should) then you’re going to end up with a lot of empty jugs. Juice bottles are perfect because they are easy to clean, just wash and fill with tap water. These will store for years and is a great way to add just that much more water to your water storage without costing you any additional money.
One thing to also remember is that your hot water heater is essentially a tank full of water. In an emergency this can also be tapped into for drinking and cooking. Most hot water heaters have a valve and nozzle at the bottom for draining. It would be a good idea to have an attachment with a hose on hand so you could dispense the water without risking a spill.
There are also larger water storage solutions available if you have the space. You can get containers from 100 to 300 gallons or more. If you have a barn, or garage with the space this might not be a bad idea. Just make sure you have a way to transport the water into your house for use.
There are probably a few things I missed but this should give you an idea on how to store your water. Water is more important than having food. You can go 3 weeks without food but won’t last 3 days without water.
9 comments
Wendy
September 15, 2009 at 1:46 am (UTC 0)
Another option is a cistern for those people who don't have a lot space. A simple concrete tank (like those used as septic tanks) buried in the ground could be used as a water cachement system (used in conjunction with rain spouts, for instance). With a hand pump or a simple bucket/pulley system the water would be accessible.
The bonus with this sort of system, especially for people who live in climates with below freezing temperatures is that it won't freeze like a rain barrel, thereby ensuring access to emergency water year round.
YeOldFurt
September 15, 2009 at 3:38 pm (UTC 0)
Matt,
This is a VERY good post and VERY useful. I personally will look into some of these options.
Thanks,
YeOldFurt
matthiasj
September 16, 2009 at 5:06 pm (UTC 0)
Great tip Wendy, rain barrels would be at risk of freezing in the winter.
Thanks a lot YOF. Water storage is extremely important.
MT_serval
September 17, 2009 at 4:14 am (UTC 0)
I like Wendy's idea for a cistern. We lost a few water containers last year when we had -10F for several days running last Winter. I'm going to check into getting a cistern.
Great article here. I had never heard of the Water Bob, looks good, I forsee one in my inventory soon.
One other water storage option: the Hippo Water Roller. Holds 24 gallons of water and comes with a roller assembly which makes moving the load around much easier. Stackable unit. Here's the link: http://www.hipporoller.org/product.html
Currently only available from South Africa but I'm sure some smart entrepreneur here will design a similar unit.
MT_Serval
Montana Preppers Network
matthiasj
September 17, 2009 at 2:32 pm (UTC 0)
One thing you can do MT is not completely fill up your outdoor containers in the winter. That way if they freeze then there will be room for expansion. This is why it's important to keep at least some in the home to drink if the outdoor stores have frozen over.
plastic-mart.com
September 23, 2009 at 3:50 am (UTC 0)
What a great blog, a lot of great info. , I would just like to add a thanks from our crew at http://www.plastic- mart.com for all the support. Water is almost as good as gold and our water tanks and rain barrels make great piggy banks.
Anonymous
November 20, 2009 at 1:36 pm (UTC 0)
The Water Bob would also come in handy to provide bathroom water, especially if drinking and cooking water was already taken care of. A pitcher or two should allow one to use the sink and toilet to dispose of used water and waste, and no floorspace would be used by this water storage.
Wayne Bennett
June 7, 2010 at 4:00 am (UTC 0)
You have some great ideas, but be careful of USED barrels. Coke syrup and juice concentrates cannot be removed from the plastic imbedded in the plastic. The result is a mold/hair like growth in under a year. This why these barrels cannot be re-used by the origional user and are given away for free.
I would suggest a new barrel and adding a product called water preserver for a sterile 5 yr. life shelf. EPA approved for long term water storage.
large plastic pots
December 4, 2010 at 8:29 pm (UTC 0)
That's the great article! I just pass 'n read it, two thumbs up!