Where to Store Water:
• Store water out of direct sunlight. • Store in a cool, dark, dry area • Do not store directly on concrete floors • Do not store near gasoline, kerosene, pesticides, etc. These substances emit vapors that can permeate plastic and affect water.
Maintaining & Rotating Stored Water:
• Check containers every few months for leakage or other problems. • Rotate unsterilized water every 6 months.
Sterilizing Water:
*You can store hard water straight from the tap.
*Water stored this way should be rotated every 6 months.
-For long-term storage, you can sterilize water as follows. • Use clean, well-rinsed canning jars. • Fill jars with room-temperature hard water, leaving 1" headspace at the top of the jar. • Place new, hot, clean sterilized lids on the jar and screw on tightly. • Place jars into canner in hot water (do not place in boiling water or jars will break). Hot water should cover the jars an inch or two. • Cover canner and bring water to a rolling boil. • Allow water to boil gently but steadily for 20 minutes.
Emergency Sources of Water:
• Hot water tank, pipes, ice cubes, waterbeds • Rainwater, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes • Do not drink flood water or water that is dark or has an odor • As a last resort, you can use water in the reservoir tank of the toilet (not the bowl)
• To minimize the amount of water your body needs, reduce activity and stay cool
Purifying Water:
* The safest way to purify water is to boil it for 3-5 minutes. You can also disinfect it with regular household bleach, but use only clear water. Use 16 drops of bleach (1/4 tsp) per gallon. Stir and let stand for 30 minutes. Water should have a slight bleach odor. If not, repeat dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. Because bleach does lose strength over time, bleach used to purify water should be less than two years old.
AND A WONDERFUL FOOD STORAGE TIP! -- When drinking water from your storage supply pour the water back and forth between two cups (this helps renew the oxygen supply, making the water taste better).
3 comments:
This is also very helpful information. Thanks! What is your source?
I didn't realize that I need to rotate untreated water every 6 months. That's good to know.
Something that I started doing since our Grow Family Prepardeness meeting is storing water in empty juice containers. Since we go through apple juice fairly regularly, I thought I should put those plastic bottles to good use!
P.S. I think I'll start printing off this info and add it to my prepardeness binder. Thanks again!
Great ideas Margaret!
Thanks for letting me know not to store water on cement; that's where I have all my small gallon jugs! (Maybe that's why one of them cracked last year...)
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