With the really bad drought we are having in Utah this year, it made me realize that I needed to have a plan in place for food and water in case of an emergency. Up until now my emergency plan has always been to get to my parent’s house, because I know they are well prepared. But I can’t always rely on that to be an option. So I set a goal this year to start my food and water storage.
Like most of the great storage tips I have, this one came from my cousin, Elizabeth. I try to model my life after her, because I know she has put in the time and research to find the very best solutions. I wasn't sure where to start until my cousin told me about this company where she bought her water storage containers: www.industrialcontainer.com. That is the main tip from this post. I love the quality and style of the containers that they sell. They have a ton of really great storage containers for a very reasonable price.
I don't have a lot of storage space at my house, so the 55 gallon water barrels were definitely out of the question. Instead, I thought the stackable 5 gallon water barrels were much more reasonable for my living situation. That way, in an emergency, I could easily grab them and put them in the trunk of my car.
I forgot to take pictures of every step of the process as I was filling the barrels. And I don't claim to know the best method for storing water. There are countless blogs and posts out there that discuss different types storage containers, water treatment drops, and ways to make your water last as long as possible. But I will share what I did for storing my water.
Rinse out the storage containers
Add Water Preserver Concentrate to each 5 gallon container
Fill the containers with water using a plastic hose (Note: most garden hoses are lead lined, and you should avoid using them to fill water storage containers.)
Tightly cap the containers
Shake the containers to coat the sides with the Water Preserver
Store the containers in a cool dry place
Write the date you filled the containers on top of each barrel
I am storing mine in a basement storage room. One thing I haven't done yet is place the storage containers on top of 2"x4" wood pieces. I've read that you shouldn't leave the plastic containers sitting directly on top of cement, because it can cause chemicals to leach into the water. If you follow all of these steps the water should last for 5 years!
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