How much extra water do you have stored?

Feel free to comment after you vote.  Especially you liverpool, we need to know how much you have and where you have it.     

I'm the one that voted not a drop. I have 6-55 gallon drums with liners waiting for the last minute to fill them up. Plus two brand new trash cans to catch rain water for washing clothes, dishes and sink baths.

Water Sources

How to Store Water
Store your water in thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers. Never use a container that has held toxic substances. Plastic containers, such as soft drink bottles, are best. You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums.

Seal water containers tightly, label them and store in a cool, dark place. Rotate water every six months.

Emergency Outdoor Water Sources
If you need to find water outside your home, you can use these sources. Be sure to treat the water according to the instructions on page 3 before drinking it.

• Rainwater
• Streams, rivers and other moving bodies of water
• Ponds and lakes
• Natural springs

Avoid water with floating material, an odor or dark color. Use saltwater only if you distill it first. You should not drink flood water.

Hidden Water Sources in Your Home
If a disaster catches you without a stored supply of clean water, you can use the water in your hot-water tank, pipes and ice cubes. As a last resort, you can use water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl).

Do you know the location of your incoming water valve? You'll need to shut it off to stop contaminated water from entering your home if you hear reports of broken water or sewage lines.

To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the faucet in your house at the highest level. A small amount of water will trickle out. Then obtain water from the lowest faucet in the house.

To use the water in your hot-water tank, be sure the electricity or gas is off, and open the drain at the bottom of the tank. Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake valve and turning on a hot-water faucet. Do not turn on the gas or electricity when the tank is empty.

Three Ways to Treat Water
In addition to having a bad odor and taste, contaminated water can contain microorganisms that cause diseases such as dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis. You should treat all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene.

There are many ways to treat water. None is perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods.

Two easy treatment methods are outlined below. These measures will kill most microbes but will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals. Before treating, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom, or strain them through layers of paper towel or clean cloth.

Boiling: Boiling is the safest method of treating water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.

Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.

Disinfection: You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, colorsafe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.

Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.

The only agent used to treat water should be household liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used.

While the two methods described above will kill most microbes in water, distillation will remove microbes that resist these methods, and heavy metals, salts and most other chemicals.

Distillation: Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt and other impurities. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.

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We probably have about 20 gallons in gallons and some cases of bottled water, but would also increase this as soon as things start heating up again. We also have a pool that holds 12,000 gallons of water, we keep it running year round, so we would have access to that. I also have several water containers to fill and a 55 gallon barrel, it is called a "rain barrel" food safe, has a screw off top and a spigot at the bottom, paid $29.99 at Atwoods, I am not sure if Atwoods is only  chain in Oklahoma or if it is other places, I do not remember seeing it in other states we lived in.

Your pool water might not last long without the weekly pool guy coming around, so I'm sure you all already have extra chlorine saved as well.  I think it takes around a gal a month.  

Albert wrote: I like the idea of having a couple empty 55 gal drums on hand.  I believe they cost under $50.00 each, but I'm not quite sure.  If anyone would like to suggest where to buy water storage drums online, fill free to post a link.  Or better yet, Happycamper use to work out discounts with these online suppliers.  If anyone is interested in getting the members here a discount on buying drums, feel free to negotiate on our behalf.  Maybe someone can get us a 10 - 20% discount if we give them our exclusive business.   Or possibly a group buy..

Well, if anyone is in the Los Angeles area I got a lead. I'm doing some work for a guy and spotted a few blue plastic 55 gallon drums. They were used to store apple juice so they are food grade. I picked up a couple for my family and I. Just wash them out a few times and they're good for storage. They're cheap too, $25 a piece and I could probably deliver them to you if you aren't too far from the San Fernando Valley. Local offer only though, otherwise with the price of gas it's cost prohibitive.

The job is almost over with, so if you're interested we gotta move fast.

Not sure how many people that helps though, everyone on this site seems to be scattered across the globe.

I don't know where to get cheap drums, I got mine from a factory, a local electric power cable manufacturer. They had their plastic pelets that they make the wire insulation shipped in them, and just give them to their employees. I do have a link to a company that sell them but I thought they wanted too much. I did buy my drum liners from there.

55 gallon barrels are cheapest (69.95)I think at MREDepot. The Emergency Essentials site called Beprepared, is 89.95. I have ordered from both companies and the customer service is great. Does anyone know if MRE still gives us a discount?

I voted at 10 gallons... but I have more containers on standby and access to a well 10 yards from the front door and a Lake 1 mile away. (not to mention living about 20 miles from the largest freshwater lake in the world.)

I have been wondering about keeping the well pump virus free if neighbors come and use it during the night etc. The only thing I can come up with would be to build a small building around it and lock it with a sign for people to leave their containers at the end of the driveway for us to fill up.

There's no way of concealing the pump from the road as it is next to a large red barn and has a windmill attached!

Albert wrote: Your pool water might not last long without the weekly pool guy coming around, so I'm sure you all already have extra chlorine saved as well.  I think it takes around a gal a month.

I have about 60 gallons and a Big Berkey now, I live about 1/2 mile from a small river ( I live in urban Denver soo I have to pass 100's of house to get to it) I need to get a kids pull wagon to haul stuff in.

I went with "Mountain Mist" water. They come in 5-gal jugs made of thick plastic. Good for 6 months. I rotate and keep around 12 in the garage. D

I have a pool and I am the "pool girl".    Plus I have access to a several ponds and lakes.

BoJingles wrote: <FONT style=": #222222">I figure the city water supply will still be working. If anything does happen then I can start saving water.

That's a dangerous bet BoJingles. I have a well with a lake across the street and I still have four 55 gallon barrels with water, I rotate the water out/in around six months. I want to be securing the property not filling jugs if a disaster strikes. JMHO
    

  I got my 55 gallon drums from rural king, they were five dollars. They were used for grape juice from a factory.  Clean them out and waiting like the rest before I fill them.