Storing water

[BushTucker]

Hi all

Just a thought about crisis problems or even longterm bushcraft, how long is it deemed safe to store water in sealed containers?, would you need to drop some purifying tabs in then seal it or maybe even boiled first. Few drops of un scented bleach maybe?

Any experts out there who can advise...

 

[BigShot]

I believe one potential problem with bottled water (and maybe the reason for it having a sell by date) is the shedding of plastic particles into the water.

I look forwards to a more informed response though. This is something I've wondered about myself.

 

[Jared]

Pretty good few paragraphs on storing water within http://www.equipped.org/72hourkit.htm starts at the Sustence sub heading.

Seems prepackaged emergency water is good for 5 years.
Storing water out of direct sunlight is best, and with drops of bleech.

 

[BushTucker]

Nice one thanks Jared.

This shows my problem, you see it states "the standard is 5 1/4% sodium hypochlorite", if I look at a cheap and more expensive brand of bleach in my house eg,

londis original thick bleach less than 5% nonionic surfactant and antonic surfactant, disinfectant and perfume.

Jeyes new parazone, less than 5% antonic surfactant.

Does anyone know of a brand in the uk that is safe to use?

 

[BigShot]

Thanks for the link Jared.

BushTucker - I'm only guessing here, but my guess is that the cheaper the bleach, the less junk there will be in it. I'm guessing anything with "perfume" on the ingredients list will be a no-go.

I'll have a look next time I'm in a supermarket, and I'll probably start with the own brand value range. I'd expect them to have the least junk in there and be "just bleach" as part of the low-price bit.

 

[chem_doc]

I wouldn't be too concerned over it.

I doubt much, if anything, from the bottle would leech into the water. I think most water bottles are PET, and that should be failry resistant to reacting with the water (not saying it couldn't happen, just that it should be slow/non-existant).

The bleach in the bottle would be added just as a method of killing anything growing in the bottle. It wouldn't be around very long in a clear bottle, and it slowly degrades over time even if kept in the dark.

As for bleach, don't get anything thickened. I'm not in the UK, so I can't comment on any brands over there, but anything akin to Clorox Liquid Bleach should be just fine.

Doc

 

[Jared]

Might be easier to get chlorine tablets?

I presume they're just as effective.

 

[gregorach]

Go for the cheapest thin bleach you can find - supermarket own brand super budget saver.

 

[HawkesNest]

:thinkerg: Has anyone ever used Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) for water purification? For the past 3 years I have used GSE while camping for water purification. I just put about 5-6 drops in 32 oz. or a liter of water, shake it up and let it sit for 30min. It leaves a slight bitter taste so I usually add a powder sports drink type of mix. I'm still on my first 2oz. bottle of GSE, it goes along ways.

Just google "Grapefruit seed extract water purification" and you will get all kinds of info. Here is one website for example http://www.appliedhealth.com/AHS-Jo...markable-Benefits-of-Grapefruit-Seed-Extract/

Larry

 

[Exploriment]

The big key is that the water is in opaque bottles (or bottles in a box for instance).

Cody Lundin's (excellent) new book "When All Hell Breaks Loose" has a great section on water, purification and long term storage.

 

[SimonM]

I buy the large water bottles from the supermarket and store them in the loft.

We have a stock of about 10 most of the time, which I rotate by taking them camping with me.

They have a good shelf life of about 2 years, so why bother treating it and buying bottles for the purpose when it is easier and cheaper to buy it in.

Just my humble opinion, no offence intended.

Simon

 

[BushTucker]

No offence taken, your comment is a valid one,

I only ask because my kids drink squash, orange, lemon and the likes, we buy it in 5 litre plastic containers so we have a load I almost dumped. if we utilised these after cleaning then we would not have to buy water. And for the heartache of 1/4 teaspoon of bleach, then why not...

Bushtucker

 

[SimonM]

I no expert, but I think even with bleach you would have to store them in a dark place and rotate quite frequently.

Simon

 

[BushTucker]

That is exactly the question I need answers to. But, I should imagine it would only need to be stored for a month maximum before drunk, but it is the risk of bacteria in the water making folks ill that raises the issue for me.

I am still hunting the net for answers and if I get any, I will place them here as this topic may be of interest to others.

Thanks all for your input so far...

 

[Mastino]

Silver is an option, it long being regarded as an anti-bacteric agent and there are some interesting articles about silver a water storage. IIRC it's used on space missions to keep water clean.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

I have noticed that if I fill a water bottle with water from the tap, it will start to smell a little bit after a few days, not stinking bad or anything, but just a hint, but if I use bottled water in the same water bottle (UK 58 pattern black bottle) it dosen't smell at all. Is this something to do with it being filtered?

 

[BushTucker]

I think it is the agent they add to keep it useable, this is where the question comes from for bleach or whatever in water that we could store to stop the smelly bateria from forming and thus spoiling it.

 

[BushTucker]

Right, I have just found this: In the link given by Jared.

To treat potable water for storage, use liquid household chlorine bleach that contains 5 to 6 percent sodium hypochlorite. Almost any brand of bleach will do, the standard is 5 1/4% sodium hypochlorite and those labeled "Ultra" are typically 6%.

Avoid any bleach that is labeled as smelling of wildflowers, "rain clean" or with any other scent. You really don't want wildflower tasting water, trust me. You want plain old bleach, period. Bleach has a limited shelf life and for best results you should use fresh bleach no more that a few months old. Add bleach according to the following doses using a clean medicine dropper. You can usually get one for the asking or for a nominal price from your local pharmacy.

The base treatment is four drops of bleach per quart or liter of water or sixteen drops of bleach per gallon or four-liter container of water. If you're going to store large quantities, then just remember that 15 drops equals 1/4 teaspoon, so a teaspoonful equals 60 drops, enough to treat 3 3/4 gallons. A five gallon water can will take about 1 1/2 teaspoons of bleach.

Stir the water, cover, and allow to stand for 30 minutes. Uncap it and you ought to be able to smell chlorine. In the unlikely case that you don't, re-dose the water, stir, cover and let it stand another 30 minutes. Once done, seal or cap each container tightly. Be sure to label it clearly and permanently as potable water and the date you treated it.

Remember, water weighs over 8 pounds per gallon, 8.35 pounds to be exact, plus the weight of its container. Make sure any shelves you store it on are up to the task.

Properly treated water has been stored for periods of 2-5 years with no problems, especially when stored out of the light. Min d you, this water may taste very flat after long storage, but you can improve that a lot just by aerating it. Simply pour it from one container into another and back and forth a few times to improve the taste. This also tends to dissipate the residual chlorine, further improving the taste.

bushtucker

 

[mortalmerlin]

I think there are some downloadable pdf files on american government sites (I think it was FEMA) telling you what to add and how much.

 

[mortalmerlin]

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/watermanage.shtm#chlorination