Water storage
- Thread starter Flammenwerfer
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I know how you feel.....hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Careful with that.... My old business was owning a large packaging distribution company where a big part of what we sold was plastic packaging such as the milk jugs that you're referring to. We used to supply Mrs. Winners Chicken with around 2 tractor trailer loads of them per week.
These jugs were & I believe are made of low density polyethylene (LDPE) and are somewhat porous which means they can absorb whatever is inside them.
Ever drank something from the old white water bottles that had a funky taste to it after a flavored drink was left in it?
There is a chance that used ones could "leach" out any residual product that was originally held inside it into the stored water over time which could be a feeding ground for bacteria. 55 gal. drums that contained high fructose corn syrup for "coke" type products are even higher risk.
I actually wrote a big article that was published in "The American Survival Guide" magazine back in 1999 about water storage & this was one of the topics.
PET one-liter "Coke" bottles are generally much safer to use for that application since they aren't very porous at all.
If you decide to use the milk jugs anyway, I would make sure to keep the chlorine content fairly high to avoid contamination.
Be careful...
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The site that suggested this was very clear on cleaning the jugs thoroughly with bleach or other substances
Non-scented bleach is best to clean & treat the water but it still won't get out all of the milk that has leached into the plastic.
What's left to leach out over time might not cause a problem if the water is treated properly.
Don't take my word for it... it may be fine but if you "google" it you'll see what I'm talking about.
The old milk jugs don't hold up as well as the PET bottles.
Just offering some food for thought.
What's left to leach out over time might not cause a problem if the water is treated properly.
Don't take my word for it... it may be fine but if you "google" it you'll see what I'm talking about.
The old milk jugs don't hold up as well as the PET bottles.
Just offering some food for thought.
Have been doing some research on this topic and here is what I have found:
Also note, we have reaffirmed that milk jugs are designed for one-time use and water should NOT be stored in them. The Food & Drug Administration and the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service have jointly shared information that reveals that proteins and lipids (fats) are retained in the biodegradable plastic of milk jugs, and are not washed out easily. The residual milk proteins and lipids easily contaminate water stored in the jugs and provide "food" for bacteria, algae, and other harmful organisms to grow."
Here is the link if interested:
http://faculty.deanza.edu/donahuemary/Storewaterforafteranearthquake
I used the info and bottled about 50 liters of water yesterday. Sanitized bottles and caps with unscented bleach solution. Filled bottles with water and added 8 drops of bleach per bottle. Good for at least 6 months storage at which point they will be used to water tha garden and fill my German Shepherds bowl. Will refill them at that point and repeat the cycle.
55 gallon food grade drums (blue) work well for us. We have two stored now (empty and ready to fill instantly) but will be buying two more. This is for bulk water storage. We also have waterbobs (you fill them up in your bathtub) and I've got larger wheeled storage containers.
As for water filtration, he have Big Berkey water filters on the list and will buy the first one of two setups next month.
We're now activiely searching for a property/house. A produtive well with good GPH flow is a must.
We'll be adding rain barrels and tank storage.
I'm a lucky guy. My wife is completley on board and begs me to buy prepper stuff
... "Don't forget to pick up .45 ACP when you're buying the milk, honey!" She's just awesome.
As for water filtration, he have Big Berkey water filters on the list and will buy the first one of two setups next month.
We're now activiely searching for a property/house. A produtive well with good GPH flow is a must.
We'll be adding rain barrels and tank storage.
I'm a lucky guy. My wife is completley on board and begs me to buy prepper stuff
... "Don't forget to pick up .45 ACP when you're buying the milk, honey!" She's just awesome.
Got 1 built and put away...Good idea...hands down..
Don't count on milk jugs for long term storage. They are for one time use and will leak after a short time. We had about a dozen on shelves in our basement. Noticed water on the floor and most were leaking and some slow leaked til empty. They are designed to turn more or less to dust after a time. I read on another forum about a fellow that had a bunch in a large plastic bag in his barn that turned brittle and he said "turned to dust".
Use pete bottles if you can get them.
I picked up several icing buckets from Ingles and Walmart and will wash to stoer water in. They have a rubber seal in the lid... Wash and disenfect.
Use pete bottles if you can get them.
I picked up several icing buckets from Ingles and Walmart and will wash to stoer water in. They have a rubber seal in the lid... Wash and disenfect.
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