Drinking water storage

[BAMAboy18]

As I'm on a 1000' deep well, no way to manually pump from that depth. I need water storage ASAP. Local food grade barrels seem like they're getting bought up as quickly as they're listed, I'm bugging the crap out of a couple of guys calling them, I suppose I could drive 100 miles.
So... I have 4-55 gal. drums that came with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide inside.
I can't seem to find a definitive answer weather they would be safe to drink from, but I'm about 98 percent sure it would be acceptable. All I read is "if you wouldn't drink what was stored in them..."
Having been in the pool business for 38 years, I'm pretty savvy to water chemistry. Though peroxide is an acceptable water sanitizer, it's not ideal as it is expensive & has a shorter effective life. People allergic to chlorine use it in their pools.
Pretty sure I'd be okay, I use it regularly for mouthwash, I've even heard of folks that will regularly ingest small amounts. Just thought I'd ask here for opinions.

 

[DustBun]

I have WaterBrick's. For me, space is an issue. Round items have a lot of wasted floor space. Water weighs 8.34 lbs/gallon and it is easier for me to move these 3.5 gallon containers, if needed, than a 55 gallon, or even the smaller 15 gallon barrels. The downside to the WaterBrick's is they are more expensive, cost/gallon. I also use Scepter 5 Gallon Water Containers and stack them in a vertical cube.

For water treatment I use 7C's Water Preserver. They advertise that it will keep the water good for 5 years. However, I change out my water every year and add this. I also have unscented bleach on standby.

In regards to your question about hydrogen peroxide, I have attached the Army Water Operations manual. They do not mention using hydrogen peroxide. I am not knowledgeable enough to advise either. Water is something I won't take chances with in my preps.

 

[HiDesertELR]

As I'm on a 1000' deep well, no way to manually pump from that depth. I need water storage ASAP. Local food grade barrels seem like they're getting bought up as quickly as they're listed, I'm bugging the crap out of a couple of guys calling them, I suppose I could drive 100 miles.
So... I have 4-55 gal. drums that came with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide inside.
I can't seem to find a definitive answer weather they would be safe to drink from, but I'm about 98 percent sure it would be acceptable. All I read is "if you wouldn't drink what was stored in them..."
Having been in the pool business for 38 years, I'm pretty savvy to water chemistry. Though peroxide is an acceptable water sanitizer, it's not ideal as it is expensive & has a shorter effective life. People allergic to chlorine use it in their pools.
Pretty sure I'd be okay, I use it regularly for mouthwash, I've even heard of folks that will regularly ingest small amounts. Just thought I'd ask here for opinions.

Craigslist... IBC Totes.

IBC tote. Like New. Food Grade 275 gallon tank with steel cage -...

These Food Grade totes have been used one time by a company that makes candy. They contained either corn syrup or molasses. They are cleaned out, like new and ready to be put in service. Great for...

chattanooga.craigslist.org

 

[BAMAboy18]

Craigslist... IBC Totes.

While a viable option, not optimal for storage. Needs to be out of the sun, I can fit 3 drums inside my pump house immediately, then build a stack- rack and move inside a storage building.

 

[db2000]

As I'm on a 1000' deep well, no way to manually pump from that depth. I need water storage ASAP. Local food grade barrels seem like they're getting bought up as quickly as they're listed, I'm bugging the crap out of a couple of guys calling them, I suppose I could drive 100 miles.
So... I have 4-55 gal. drums that came with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide inside.
I can't seem to find a definitive answer weather they would be safe to drink from, but I'm about 98 percent sure it would be acceptable. All I read is "if you wouldn't drink what was stored in them..."
Having been in the pool business for 38 years, I'm pretty savvy to water chemistry. Though peroxide is an acceptable water sanitizer, it's not ideal as it is expensive & has a shorter effective life. People allergic to chlorine use it in their pools.
Pretty sure I'd be okay, I use it regularly for mouthwash, I've even heard of folks that will regularly ingest small amounts. Just thought I'd ask here for opinions.

If you mean the drums once stored 3% peroxide but are empty now and you want to store water in them, then yes they are completely safe. I’d rinse them out obviously but the remaining residue is going to turn to water and O2 anyway.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

As I'm on a 1000' deep well, no way to manually pump from that depth. I need water storage ASAP. Local food grade barrels seem like they're getting bought up as quickly as they're listed, I'm bugging the crap out of a couple of guys calling them, I suppose I could drive 100 miles.
So... I have 4-55 gal. drums that came with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide inside.
I can't seem to find a definitive answer weather they would be safe to drink from, but I'm about 98 percent sure it would be acceptable. All I read is "if you wouldn't drink what was stored in them..."
Having been in the pool business for 38 years, I'm pretty savvy to water chemistry. Though peroxide is an acceptable water sanitizer, it's not ideal as it is expensive & has a shorter effective life. People allergic to chlorine use it in their pools.
Pretty sure I'd be okay, I use it regularly for mouthwash, I've even heard of folks that will regularly ingest small amounts. Just thought I'd ask here for opinions.

I'd go get these.

3 Water tanks 1 large 120gal+ 2 smaller - farm & garden - by owner -...

3 water tanks for sale, all have small holes. Could be used for smokers or grills or some other project. Price is for the whole lot.

dothan.craigslist.org

500 gallon water tank - farm & garden - by owner - sale

6’x4’ round water tank. Holds water.

dothan.craigslist.org

 

[forrestgump01]

You might consider one of the plastic underground water / septic tank .
Find you a Septic guy that installs these and a brand new 500 gal tank cost you about $700
Problem with storing in totes or drums is being outside in winter .
For storing water , a tank/ cistern in the ground is the way to go.

I'm seeing these tanks now out out in front of home depot and Lowes, but they want twice what you can get them for .

 

[MadDuner]

I run 4 of the 275 gallon IBC totes, stacked 2-high and wrapped in heavy black plastic to keep the sun out.
So far, so good.

 

[IkeEng]

As I'm on a 1000' deep well, no way to manually pump from that depth. I need water storage ASAP. Local food grade barrels seem like they're getting bought up as quickly as they're listed, I'm bugging the crap out of a couple of guys calling them, I suppose I could drive 100 miles.
So... I have 4-55 gal. drums that came with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide inside.
I can't seem to find a definitive answer weather they would be safe to drink from, but I'm about 98 percent sure it would be acceptable.

I work for a company that manufacturers water test analysis kits. Some of our test are made for the food and beverage industry. Several of those test are for H2O2 in rinse water. Food processing plants and bottling companies and several other industries use H2O2 to sterilize the containers and their equipment. Rinsed well enough I wouldn't worry about the H2O2 in the drum. Some 3% H2O2 is shipped in food grade drums, but not all.

Some drums can have epoxy coatings inside them that would make them not suitable for drinking water storage. Uncoated or painted drums that are non-food grade wont be suitable for long term storage.

I'm not sure what your urgency is, but unless your well pump is failing, it's almost easier to get a generator that puts out enough amperage for your well pump than it is to store and keep enough drinkable water.

 

[Jumper]

If you mean the drums once stored 3% peroxide but are empty now and you want to store water in them, then yes they are completely safe. I’d rinse them out obviously but the remaining residue is going to turn to water and O2 anyway.

100% agree. And you can be certain that there's no biologic contaminant in them. Its a good option for storing water.

 

[Waorani]

1000' deep well in south Alabama? You buy a county water tower or something?

 

[BAMAboy18]

1000' deep well in south Alabama? You buy a county water tower or something?

Our land is parallel to the Pea river = very sandy, if not deep enough they're susceptible to cave in. I put in a county water meter on the other end of my property for a rental property. That ran $1,700, which is way cheaper than a deep well. I do have a spring that runs year round through the middle of my land, not that I'd want to drink from it, but crystal clear.

 

[chevy_man]

Our land is parallel to the Pea river = very sandy, if not deep enough they're susceptible to cave in. I put in a county water meter on the other end of my property for a rental property. That ran $1,700, which is way cheaper than a deep well. I do have a spring that runs year round through the middle of my land, not that I'd want to drink from it, but crystal clear.

I think I'd be getting the spring water tested and just stock up on filters. Hell of a lot easier and cheaper.

 

[S197]

I work for a company that manufacturers water test analysis kits. Some of our test are made for the food and beverage industry. Several of those test are for H2O2 in rinse water. Food processing plants and bottling companies and several other industries use H2O2 to sterilize the containers and their equipment. Rinsed well enough I wouldn't worry about the H2O2 in the drum. Some 3% H2O2 is shipped in food grade drums, but not all.

Some drums can have epoxy coatings inside them that would make them not suitable for drinking water storage. Uncoated or painted drums that are non-food grade wont be suitable for long term storage.

I'm not sure what your urgency is, but unless your well pump is failing, it's almost easier to get a generator that puts out enough amperage for your well pump than it is to store and keep enough drinkable water.

But there is a difference between washing a container with h202 and using a container that stored h202

 

[eflyguy]

I have no personal knowledge of the mechanics, but in places such as Bermuda, they collect rainwater from the roofs - there is no public water supply. No idea what the white stuff is on the tiles or how they purify it. A friend of mine in AUS also only has rain water (although his roof was not white.)

So you might investigate the systems used in places like that for storage and sanitization/filtration.

 

[TurboTrout]

DIY Watermaker - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

Does anyone know of good plans for building a 12 volt watermaker ?

www.cruisersforum.com

Depends on how independent you want to be

 

[theLBC]

i don't even have space for a significant number of bricks. luckily there are lots of boats nearby if i was dying of thirst.

 

[NoDopes]

Reverse osmosis filter for drinking. Toilet, clothes, etc, use the creek water as is.

 

[lonegunman762x51]

Last year we installed a 3,000 gallon cistern on our well. It used a variable speed pump in the cistern to pump water and the well pump fills the cistern at a lower rate over a longer period of time to reduce pressure on the aquifer around our house. The winner is that we have water for fire fighting and drinking and it all can easily be powered along with everything else by my stand-by generator.

Wood heat and a 100 yds of free fire zone are also nice.

 

[UNRL Ghandi]

I do have a spring that runs year round through the middle of my land, not that I'd want to drink from it, but crystal clear.

I live in a 120 year old farmhouse that pulls all our water from our spring. We run our water through an ultraviolet filter system for daily use, but if you're looking for emergency use drinking water, my suggestion is get a Berkey water purifier and just dump your spring water in it as you need it. If you get the big one it's 6 gallons. If you have a reliable spring you don't necessarily need to store a bunch of water. Your ability to purify it is probably more important than storing it.

I used to drink water straight from a garden hose growing up and I'm still alive.

 

[Inifinty]

I live in a 120 year old farmhouse that pulls all our water from our spring. We run our water through an ultraviolet filter system for daily use, but if you're looking for emergency use drinking water, my suggestion is get a Berkey water purifier and just dump your spring water in it as you need it. If you get the big one it's 6 gallons. If you have a reliable spring you don't necessarily need to store a bunch of water. Your ability to purify it is probably more important than storing it.

I used to drink water straight from a garden hose growing up and I'm still alive.

Having a couple millbank bags and sawyer filters that are washable to prefilter ground water might help to prolong the life of a Berkey or similar.

 

[UNRL Ghandi]

Having a couple millbank bags and sawyer filters that are washable to prefilter ground water might help to prolong the life of a Berkey or similar.

Yep for sure. Running the Crown Berkey with 8 black filters should get you somewhere in the range of 20k-24k gallons of water before needing replaced. If you're pulling water from a clean spring you're going to max out the lifespan of the filters and any prefilter will help. That amount of water is enough for 20 people drinking 1 gallon a day for 3 years.

If you have a water source on your property or can set up rain water collection to purify later, the Berkey or something like it seems a much better solution than trying to store massive water supplies and chemically treat them long term. Plus if you have to bugout you can pack up your purifiers and take them with you.

I have 3 Berkeys (two are still in the boxes as backups), extra black filters, and a Noah Water Systems The Trekker pump/purifier that hooks up to a Bluetti portable solar generator. I can purify something like 100k+ gallons off grid. I do have several 7 gallon water storage containers and a 180 gallon tank that is on standby if needed.

 

[Jgunner]

If it were me, i would bury a 1500+ gallon tank. I have a above ground 2500 gallon and if you are water conscious it lasts a really long time. Its designed to not grow algae, bpa free and will cleanly keep water in it for years. But it cannot be buried. Septic tank style can be buried but no idea if they are safe for drinking water, or at least ideal.

I am about to do a rain water collection setup and going to use septic tanks, gotta find one that isn’t stupid money though. All these tanks doubled in price in the last 2 years, very frustrating.

 

[BAMAboy18]

I do have a gravity filter, I just ordered 4 new black Berkey elements for it. My spring is 150 yds down a thick wooded hill. Across the road is a 100 acre peanut/cotton field, I worry about what they spray on it, even from our well.

 

[Makinchips208]

Rinse what you have and fill them up for Easter. A bird in hand is worth 2 in a bush.
If you find something better next week or month you can improve your situation.

 

[Brasscow]

How about solar, batteries and an inverter and then you can pump whenever you feel like it? Can do other stuff with that too.

 

[Fig]

I keep 25,000 gallons in my saltwater pool. It has the same salinity as Gatoraid.

I can also repurpose my still for water, but that would truly mean the apocalypse was upon us.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

A couple years ago I bought two 450 gal water storage tanks from rural king. I use them to collect rainwater and when it's dry in July I have them connected to soaker hoses that irrigate the garden. I have run the water from them through the Berkey filter and it tasted fine.
The tanks from rural king were only a few hundred dollars. But I have not seen them there in a year and a half.

 

[eca7891]

I can also repurpose my still for water,

This guy has the plan.

Lol

 

[chevy_man]

I keep 25,000 gallons in my saltwater pool. It has the same salinity as Gatoraid.

I can also repurpose my still for water, but that would truly mean the apocalypse was upon us.

Hmm, I may need to make a new still for survival purposes.

Anyone have any mash recipes for fire water?

 

[Snuby642]

100% rye

 

[SouthFork]

How about solar, batteries and an inverter and then you can pump whenever you feel like it? Can do other stuff with that too.

I have done that on a cabin. Solar that recharges the batteries, it Runs the well pump great but Its only pumping from 150feet. Pumping from 1000 feet would take a lot of power. It could be done but there is some big upfront costs. Storage is your main key once the well pump kicks on it’s going to be drawing down the batteries like mad. You want a large battery bank and then somewhere to store water

 

[Brasscow]

I have done that on a cabin. Solar that recharges the batteries, it Runs the well pump great but Its only pumping from 150feet. Pumping from 1000 feet would take a lot of power. It could be done but there is some big upfront costs. Storage is your main key once the well pump kicks on it’s going to be drawing down the batteries like mad. You want a large battery bank and then somewhere to store water

1000’ might be a 5kw pump to pump 10gpm into 60psi.

80gallon pressure tank might hold 25gal water.

Inverter: $1500 (Link)
Batteries: $3500 (Link)
Panels: $1500 (Link)

Could pump 1600gal per day with that easily. Can just lay the panels on the ground or lean them against the side of the house if you had to. Could also keep your freezers running and power up essentials if you only need a couple hundred gallons like a normal family. I rounded up the prices for shipping/misc.

Less sexy than a new precision rifle and scope setup but a similar amount of money.

 

[Dough300]

I used to store water in 4-55 gallon plastic drums in my garage. I built a rack out of concrete blocks and 2x6's so I could store the barrels on their side and stack them 2 barrels high. Each barrel had it's own brass hose bib type faucet screwed into the bung cap. Changed out water every year or so. Never a drip from any of them. A few months ago I was able to replace the 4 barrels with a single 250 gallon vertical tank that takes up less space than the plastic drums.

 

[Steve_In_29]

If you are on a well why not something like this?

I just upgraded my setup after our pump died on our 580' well.

Dual power (solar/grid) well pump, 2500 gallon tank (sunk about 2 feet into ground), solar rack, (8) 250W panels and all plumbing/wiring.

Only using 4 panels to direct power the well pump and the other four will be to keep batteries charged for jet pump setup.

Well pump fills the 2500gal tank that the jet pump pulls from to fill the pressure tank. Jet pump also keeps system pessurized if usage gets ahead of the pressure tank.

Closest filter looks black as it is a carbon block element.

 

[Naaman]

What a bout using whatever you can find, and then running that through a filter like a Berkey or Aqua Rain when it's time to get a drink?

 

[Steve_In_29]

What a bout using whatever you can find, and then running that through a filter like a Berkey or Aqua Rain when it's time to get a drink?

Those don't filter out everything that might harm you. So care must be taken for what the storage container used to hold.

 

[BAMAboy18]

I ended up buying a new generator. Gathering materials and finalizing my design for a wood smoke gasifier. Plan is to mount everything on it's own trailer. I've also been buying necessary electrical components, I already have the new meter base I'll start with that will incorporate a transfer mechanism. Then work out from there.

 

[Steve_In_29]

I ended up buying a new generator. Gathering materials and finalizing my design for a wood smoke gasifier. Plan is to mount everything on it's own trailer. I've also been buying necessary electrical components, I already have the new meter base I'll start with that will incorporate a transfer mechanism. Then work out from there.

Does your well system incorporate a pressure tank?

You are going to hate having to start the generator every time you want to flush a toilet or use the sink.

Or are you looking to use the genset to power the whole house along with your well. Thus having it run 24/7 if grid goes down?

 

[BAMAboy18]

Does your well system incorporate a pressure tank?

You are going to hate having to start the generator every time you want to flush a toilet or use the sink.

Or are you looking to use the genset to power the whole house along with your well. Thus having it run 24/7 if grid goes down?

Yes on pressure tank, not sure of the gallons, but it's 2.5' diameter & 6' tall. My generator won't run everything, I'll have to rotate circuits. I will still have water storage, I'm up to 5-55 gallon drums. I do have an older Onan genset in an old motorhome, but have no knowledge of it's actual condition, need to cut it out and investigate. Always too much to do, working 12hr nights isn't really conducive with expediting my plans, I get with it every chance I get though. I still worry about things going south and getting caught with my pants down. I'm the type to keep stockpiling resources (while it's obtainable) so at least I'll have "stuff" to work with if I get stuck at home. I didn't plant a garden this year but we do have a greenhouse, tiller and a stock pile of seeds and fertilizer. Many many irons ready to be put in the proverbial fire. Prices aren't helping either

 

[Jgunner]

While a viable option, not optimal for storage. Needs to be out of the sun, I can fit 3 drums inside my pump house immediately, then build a stack- rack and move inside a storage building.

They have a metal cage, if you are careful you can tek screw wood around them to dress them up and block uv.

Not sure where you are, but it may cost a lot, but places deliver from all over the country. I suggest a 2500 gallon or bigger if you are serious about storage. It may seem like a lot. But its not. 2 years ago 2500 were 900 at home depot, now 3200 for the same tank.

 

[Steve_In_29]

They have a metal cage, if you are careful you can tek screw wood around them to dress them up and block uv.

Not sure where you are, but it may cost a lot, but places deliver from all over the country. I suggest a 2500 gallon or bigger if you are serious about storage. It may seem like a lot. But its not. 2 years ago 2500 were 900 at home depot, now 3200 for the same tank.

I think you reversed a couple numbers.

Last month I paid $2,194 out the door after my 10% discount and sales tax for a 2500gal tank from Home Depot.

But yes 2 years ago they were selling for $999 there.

 

[W54/XM-388]

Having a large water tank up a bit high, that you pump water into and then it feeds everything from there is a pretty nice solution.
It works really well when power and / or water is intermittent.
In an off grid situation, that would let you pump up water during the prime daylight solar time and then use it all day and night.

That was pretty much how all that windmill water pump stuff used to work for shallower wells back in the days before electricity.

 

[Steve_In_29]

Having a large water tank up a bit high, that you pump water into and then it feeds everything from there is a pretty nice solution.
It works really well when power and / or water is intermittent.
In an off grid situation, that would let you pump up water during the prime daylight solar time and then use it all day and night.

That was pretty much how all that windmill water pump stuff used to work for shallower wells back in the days before electricity.

Yes that is indeed the optimum setup and one many people can use but unfortunately for me our house sits on the very highest point of our property. So we need to use a pump to pressurize our system.

By the way, those windmills aren't just for shallow wells. My well guy works on windmills as well and he services one that pulls from 1000 feet down and two others from 900 feet. Granted the 1000 footer has a blade diameter of 24 feet and a long stroke gearbox to accomplish the work.

 

[Jgunner]

I think you reversed a couple numbers.

Last month I paid $2,194 out the door after my 10% discount and sales tax for a 2500gal tank from Home Depot.

But yes 2 years ago they were selling for $999 there.

I guess it's by area where they get you. I was in phx az.

 

[Steve_In_29]

I guess it's by area where they get you. I was in phx az.

Home Depot has the same prices everywhere. And if anything you would expect prices to be lower where there is more competition compared to middle of no where out here.

That being said, I did just remember from my shopping that HD sells some brands of tanks that cost more then others but the cheaper versions are what they tend to keep in stock.

 

[Steve_In_29]

Yes on pressure tank, not sure of the gallons, but it's 2.5' diameter & 6' tall. My generator won't run everything, I'll have to rotate circuits. I will still have water storage, I'm up to 5-55 gallon drums. I do have an older Onan genset in an old motorhome, but have no knowledge of it's actual condition, need to cut it out and investigate. Always too much to do, working 12hr nights isn't really conducive with expediting my plans, I get with it every chance I get though. I still worry about things going south and getting caught with my pants down. I'm the type to keep stockpiling resources (while it's obtainable) so at least I'll have "stuff" to work with if I get stuck at home. I didn't plant a garden this year but we do have a greenhouse, tiller and a stock pile of seeds and fertilizer. Many many irons ready to be put in the proverbial fire. Prices aren't helping either

So it sounds like your setup is like what I had previously. Where the well pump had to come on MANY times each day, which is hard on the pump.

Have you considered a solar powered pump that fills a large storage tank and then using a jet pump to pressurize the house?

Unfortunately at your depth it won't be cheap.
You "might" be able to use the 2000 but more then likely would have to step up to the 3000.

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Even using your current pump to fill a 2500ish gal storage tank and just adding a jet pump to pressurize house would alleviate the need to store water. It would also greatly decrease power requirements on a genset for daily use.

 

[Steve_In_29]

@BAMAboy18 it's been almost a year. What did you decide to do?

 

[Steve_In_29]

Thinking about basically adding a underground "cistern" into my water supply. This is the first place we've been on municipal water. Don't like the idea of not having a backup water supply. Unfortunately I don't believe having a well drilled is a viable option, ground water quality/supply not good. One idea is a buried 1,000 gal poly tank that is fed by the water line via float setup. Submersible pump then feeds house. Yes it would add more equipment to the equation but would give weeks worth of reserve. Anyone done something similar?

Other then the source of the water it is similar to my setup in post #35.

If you are on city water, you might need to look into what the codes are for doing something like that.

 

[forrestgump01]

Thinking about basically adding a underground "cistern" into my water supply. This is the first place we've been on municipal water. Don't like the idea of not having a backup water supply. Unfortunately I don't believe having a well drilled is a viable option, ground water quality/supply not good. One idea is a buried 1,000 gal poly tank that is fed by the water line via float setup. Submersible pump then feeds house. Yes it would add more equipment to the equation but would give weeks worth of reserve. Anyone done something similar?

The 12v pumps in rv campers work good . They have a pressure switch that's activated when when you turn the faucet and the pressure drops . Then when you turn off the faucet the pump stops once it builds pressure back up .
It's not going to give you the pressure your use to , but it's better than nothing.
Those pumps are mounted outside the tank and have a inlet and outlet and are self priming . You would just plumb a line from the inlet going down into the tank .
They start about $20 for a cheap one up to $100 for a really good one.
Would be a minimal setup , pump and a 12v battery .
You can always add a small solar panel to keep the battery charged .