Tips From The Coop

How to Store 8 Tons of Water in a Little Box

Water Filters!!!

Many of you may have a water filter in your camping box that will filter up to 300 gallons of water. All you need is a creek or a rain storm and you have 2500 pounds of water in an 8 oz box.

Now some perspective… we store food and water primarily to protect our family against things like job loss, or short term food shortages. If I was out of a job for 6 months, I may be using my food storage, but probably not heading down to the Mill creek every morning for water to filter.

Water filters would come into play during a much more serious disaster. A few years ago we ran into a deal on the internet to by a used British Berkefeld high capacity water filter. These filters are used by the Red Cross in ventures around the world and use gravity to filter over 2000 gallons or water…that is over 8 tons of water.

Though I don’t recommend every family having such a filter, it is something to think about as a group. Organizing water solutions at a neighborhood level is wisdom.

Tips From The Coop

Water, Water Everywhere

Now that you have your 14 gallons or water per person stored, here are some tips about how to get to the water in the plumbing system of your home as a source of addition water storage.

Nearly every home has a hot water heater that stores between 40 and 80 gallon of water. Here is what you need to know…

The process of heating water forces out sediments that are naturally carried in water. As a result your water heater is gradually filling up with sediment. To flush out this sediment simply attach a hose to the faucet-looking valve located at the bottom of the water heater and open the valve using the hose to direct the water to a nearby drain or bucket. At first the water may be cloudy or even ‘muddy’ (these sediment are completely safe). Continue flushing until the water is clear…once a year ought to do.

Why? A clean water heater is more efficient (saves you money), stores more water (not sediment) and when you need to use the water as an emergency supply you will have clean, not muddy water.

Note… City water systems in the past have become contaminated for various reasons, usually for short periods of time (a few days), so storing water in separate containers is still crucial.

Second Note…You may have hear those advocating using water from the toilet tank in an emergency. First, there is a very large different between the tank and the bowl of the toilet. This water is potable, but do not use if you have ever put in your tank those “make my toilet smell better” chemicals. Last resort on this one!!!

Tips From The Coop

Water…the Most Precious

Water is an absolutely crucial part of your family’s preparedness. It is generally recommended to store 14 gallons per person.

How is this number calculated? Can I store more or less?

One gallon of water a day is enough water to supply basic needs; half for hygiene, the other half for drinking and food prep. Storing a year’s supply of water using these guidelines, a family of 4 would have to store 1500 gallons, or 6 tons of water. It is very impractical, especially considering the fact that this would only supply basic needs.

Many organizations, including the Church, recommend a two week supply of water resulting in 14 gallons of water per person in your household.

If you have the space I would recommend storing more. It is an unusual paradigm, water is the cheapest item to store, the most vital item for life, but may be the most forgotten storage item.

The next few posts on “Tips From the Coop” will be geared toward understanding other ways to store water without having a swimming pool in the basement.

The Thirst Quencher

It doesn't take me long to feel slightly panicked when I think about not having access to water. I drink A LOT of water! I carry around a mug I was given at the hospital after having my children and just refill it all day long. I usually know it is time to have another kid when my mug breaks...but that is a story for another day.

I usually buy a flat of water every time I go to Costco and every year or so will buy or seriously consider buying a new water container (sometimes big, sometimes small). It gives me peace of mind.

The one great thing about storing water is that it is CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP! Bottled water doesn't cost much, and storage containers don't really cost that much either...especially when you just recycle your soda pop or juice containers. Click HERE for tips on how to clean your bottles.

The other nice thing about water storage is that it can handle severe temperature fluctuations...it doesn't always have to be in a cool place. So you can store some of your water in the garage or other areas of your home that may be subject to heat. It is actually a good idea to store water in various places in your home so that if one area was inaccessible for any reason, you would always have access to water.

Want additional info?

LDS Church-Provident Living

FEMA

image courtesy of Kidipede

Water Purification and Rotation

BIG THANKS to Julia for her awesome questions! I really appreciate it! One question she asked was, "for the enormous blue water barrel that i bought, should i be adding some bleach to it? and how often should it be emptied/refilled?"

First of all, water storage is SO important. If you refer to the Church's Home Storage Pamphlet," All Is Safely Gathered In", water storage is the second most important thing after storing a 3-month's supply of food you eat everyday. The minimum storage requirement is 14 gallons per person (a two week supply). I store as much water as I can.

If you are putting your water into food grade containers...such as the enormous 50 gallon blue water barrel, and your water comes from a chlorinated municipal source (ours does), there is no need to purify it further. If you were getting your water from a well, or you weren't certain your water was clean, you would want to add some bleach to it. The ratio is 1/8 teaspoon of bleach to every gallon of water and only regular bleach should be used.

In regards to rotation, I like to rotate my water every year (summer is a great time because you can use the old water for your garden). I have tasted water that was stored longer than that...probably 2-3 years and it was fine. I was hesitant to drink it, but it really tasted good.

For a few additional tips, click HERE.

image courtesy of a.k.a. green's blog

A few more tips...

Thank you for the comments you made on "Water Storage". One of the good things about blogs is the ease in which we can share valuable information with one another!

Here are a few more water storage tips...

• If you have treated, municipal water, you do not need to put bleach into your water storage. Municipal water has already been chlorinated, so there is no need to add more.
• Unless you are storing your water in place where it could become frozen, fill your water containers to the top. Air is an enemy to long term water storage...so leave as little air space as possible.
• Make sure your water containers are not in direct contact with concrete. Have them sitting on wood or even a piece of cardboard.
• When possible, store your water in containers with limited or no access to light. The most optimal environment for water and food storage is a space that is cool and dark.

If you are interested in re-using pop or juice bottles to store your water. The following information might be helpful...

STORING WATER IN RECYCLED BOTTLES
In general, there are three types of recycled bottles which will work for water storage: 2 liter pop bottles, plastic juice containers, and gallon bleach containers. These can be reincarnated as "water jugs."
Unless punctured, these containers will hold water for years if necessary.
Gallon size milk plastic containers are not recommended except for an extreme emergency, when nothing else is available, as they are porous and degrade in sunlight - by law!

CLEANING JUICE BOTTLES
Rinse each 2 liter, half gallon or gallon juice container after use. Fill three quarters full of clean water, add a quarter teaspoon of dishwasher detergent, then shake vigorously and let soak. Shake several times more, then empty and rinse thoroughly with fresh water until completely rinsed and clean.
Refill with fresh tap water, adding 4 drops of chlorine bleach per gallon (2 drops of bleach for 2 liter or ½ gallon). Cap tightly. Store upright in a sturdy box. These water containers will now store for years.

Water Storage

OK, so let's talk water containers. There are many to choose from and we cannot possibly discuss each one, but there are a few general things you will want to look for and consider.

• One great way to store water is in empty soda pop or juice containers. The plastic is thick enough to store water for a good long time. My mom currently has water stored in these types of containers and has had them for a least ten years. And the best part...they didn't cost you any extra money!







• Make sure the containers you are using have the PETE logo on the bottom. That way you will know they are safe to use for the relatively long term.

• 55 gallon water barrels. If you don't already have one of these, you have probably heard of them. They are a fantastic way to store water if you have the space. I have a couple of these and when we were moving a couple of years ago we had to empty one out in order to get it up the stairs. We decided to give it a little taste test...and low and behold, it was quite tasty. Three years in a big, blue container and VERY drinkable. One reason for this is the blue color of the container keeps the light out (which is an enemy to water storage).
  
  
  
  


• Another thing I use...5 gallon water jugs. These things are great because they keep the light out like the 55 gallon barrels but they are very portable. The ones I store have a handy little handle (as you can see in the picture) and a special spigot I purchased which makes accessing water very simple. They are also nice if you are needing to grab water and go...in case of an emergency. They are really easy to store upstairs in a closet or anywhere else you might store 72 hour kits.












So, where might you get something like this? Macey's recently had the 55 gallon water barrel on sale for $39. That price is phenomenal! I have purchased my water storage containers at Industrial Container and Supply. They have consistently had the best prices and have a large selection. They are located in Utah but their website says they ship all over (you will need to check if they mail to personal residences). Their site does not list prices, so call for more information. Click HERE to get to their website. As a side note...they also have great prices on 4, 5 and 6 gallon storage buckets and lids. But we will talk more about that in a later post.


Next...we will finish discussing water storage and what you will want to know before you store.

Step #1...Water

We have all sorts of insurance...health, life, car, disability. It gives us peace of mind in case something devastating happens. We should also have food insurance...that is what food storage is. Insurance that you and your children will nutritionally have what they need, if crisis strikes. With it comes peace of mind, and hey, its the cheapest insurance out there!

Our first step in what to store is...WATER.

The Church guidelines for water storage is 14 gallons of water per person. That equals out to be a two week storage of water. One thing to consider is that is only drinking water. We use water in many other ways, cooking, cleaning, etc...so if possible, you will want to store more water than that.

So, how do I go about it? Well, let's start easy. Purchase bottled water. If you are a member of a warehouse club, a case of bottled water (35 bottles) is around $4.00. You can also often find it on sale at any grocery store...i.e. Smiths is currently selling a 24 pack of Dasani water bottles for $2.99. By slowly stocking up on water this way, you will be surprised how easy and inexpensive you are able to build up your storage.

Another good reason to stock up on water bottles is this type of water storage is the most easily accessed. Have you ever had your water turned off unexpectedly due to construction? For some reason that always seem to happen to me and it always reminds me how important and convenient water bottles are.

One things to remember...look at the expiration date on your water bottles! Because the bottles are so thin, they cannot store indefinitely and will eventually breakdown, so you will want to rotate them.

I read an article not too long ago about the importance of storing food and water and in it was an experience I think pertains to this post...
"Craig Israelsen, an associate professor in the school of family life at Brigham Young University...recently had the opportunity to live off the food in his pantry. In his home ward, the bishop encouraged willing members to test their reserves by living off the food and water stored in their home for one week. The experience taught Israelsen the importance of water.
What we learned is that you have to have a lot of water stored--and that's just for drinking,"he said. Water storage is the immediate need in an emergency."

Up next....water barrels and other containers.