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  1. #1
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    Water storage questions

    Hi, relatively new prepper here and I had a couple of questions about water storage.
    I picked up some of the blue 5 gallon stackable containers off Amazon, the Saratoga Farms brand. Everything I'm seeing is saying that if we are using treated city water that there is really not a need to add anything to the water as long as we rotate it every year or so. Is this advisable or should I add some bleach or water treatment?
    When filling the containers should I get a food/water safe hose and fill from the spigot outside the house or would it be safer to fill from the water sprayer in the kitchen sink? Seems like the spigot outside would be quicker but it also does not seem as clean as the sprayer in the kitchen sink.
    I plan on storing these in the house in a location where the bug guy sprays for pest control. Should I have him not spray around these since they are for long-term water storage? I was going to double stack them and also considered wrapping the bottom layer in plastic, or something like that, to protect them. but didn't know if I should be concerned about this or not?
    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    If they will fit up under the faucet in the tub, just use it. What I do when filling cans for scout camping and no problems so far.

    2nd choice would be unscrewing the strainer off the kitchen faucet and rigging up an adapted hose to go back in to it.

    Outside spigots can have critters nest in them and any kitchen faucet sprayer I recall seeing would take forever to fill.

    As for the rest, I have no idea on necessity. It can't hurt to keep a filter and back up chemical treatment handy though. I am pretty well settled on Sawyer squeeze filters, but that can end up being a debate like anything else. I have a thread going here on chemical treatments also and Aquatabs seem to be about the cheapest option if cryptosporidium isn't a concern.

    There is also boiling and SODIS (solar in plastic drink bottles) as treatment options.

  3. #3
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    Thanks for the advice. I'll check out the Sawyer and Aquatab products.

  4. #4
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    I like the idea of filling them via the bathtub, much faster and if you spill over you don't have to worry. As far as the pest spray area, I would try and protect them to some degree. I don't think the spray would affect the containers but definitely wouldn't want that spray near the nozzle when you go to use the water. I would probably try and not store them in that area or wrap them to protect against the spray, especially the mouth/nozzle area.

  5. #5
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    I store in FDA approved containers. 2-5 drops of bleach per gallon to keep them sterile.

  6. #6
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    City water, at least in my area, already has like 1.5 parts per million of chlorine. So filling straight into a storage container would work. I've stored reverse osmosis water in canteens and camelbacks for years with no noticeable issues. (no taste or odor)

    I have some 40 gal storage barrels in the garage I should check/refill. They've been out there for years.
    "What would a $2,000 Geissele Super Duty do that a $500 PSA door buster on Black Friday couldn't do?" - Stopsign32v

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