Storing Water for SHTF Scenario
- MGBs' Blog
- Nov 6, 2022
- 2 min read
Contributions from tribe members Patrick , KUCHERA & Kaleb F
There is so much information out on the web when it comes to storing water for long term survival. The problem is the majority of info covers where to store water. Should you store the water in plastic bottles, glass bottles, canning jars, plastic containers, barrels, or tanks. The debate rages online on which storage method is the best. We'll leave that one for the internet crusaders. What's arguably more important is how you treat the water regardless of the storage method you choose.
How Should I Treat Water for Long Term Storage?
Patrick is a certified water treatment operator & specialist in the state of CA.
He says, be sure that the water you are treating is drinking-quality water to begin with. To treat water for storage, use liquid household chlorine bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use bleach with soaps or scents added. Add the bleach according to the table below, using a clean, uncontaminated medicine dropper.
4 drops bleach per quart or liter container of water
8 drops bleach per 2-quart, 2-liter, or ½ gallon container of water
16 drops bleach, or 1/4 teaspoon, per gallon or 4-liter container of water
When treating larger quantities of water, use the following table to convert drops to standard measuring units.
8 drops = 1/8 teaspoon
16 drops = 1/4 teaspoon
32 drops = ½ teaspoon
64 drops = 1 teaspoon
192 drops = 1 Tablespoon
384 drops = 1/8 cup which is equal to 2 Tablespoons
Stir the water and allow it to stand for 30 minutes. Chlorine should be detectable by odor after the 30 minute waiting period. If the water does not smell like chlorine at that point, repeat the dose and let it stand another 15 minutes. Place caps on containers and attach labels describing the contents and when each was prepared.
Water stored in metal containers should not be treated, prior to storage, with chlorine since the chlorine compound is corrosive to most metals. Therefore, only very pure water should be stored in metal containers.
Tribe Member KUCHERA suggests this kit
16 in 1 Drinking Water Test Kit |High Sensitivity Test Strips detect pH, Hardness, Chlorine, Lead, Iron, Copper, Nitrate, Nitrite | Home Water Purity Test Strips for Aquarium, Pool, Well & Tap Water
Tribe Member Kaleb adds given the fact liquid bleach breaks down in a short time, you can store pool shock and make your own bleach as needed. Here is article about it. Make sure the pool shock is Calcium Hypochlorite. This is what Clorox said about how long bleach is good for. "The active ingredient in liquid bleach, sodium hypochlorite, is very sensitive to high heat and freezing, but under normal home storage conditions, it should still perform well for nine to twelve months."
Marine Gun Builder adds some additional tips to keep in mind:
Sun and air are the enemy of water storage shelf life. The containers should be air tight and kept in a dark cool place. While this article specifically concerns storage, you should always have a Lifestraw on hand for every member of your tribe and combustion tools in case you need to boil water.
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At my business, I have one of those water coolers that you put the 5 gallon jugs on and they bring me way more jugs than I need so I’ve been storing them up probably got about a couple dozen of them. They are sealed 5 gallon  thick plastic jugs do I need to do anything to them since they have never been opened?
If using pre-bottled water and transferring it to storage containers, would you recommend treating it? For example, I purchase spring water and store it in plastic Jerry cans. Also, when we travel to the coast, there are places to pump natural spring water. Would you treat that, too?
I have a well. And am going to get a couple spike pumps.