I have a very specific question... I own a water cooler and have decided to store water in water cooler drums. Is this water already treated for storage or does it need to be treated before it is store

-- TyphonBlue (typhonblue@yahoo.com), May 20, 1999

Answers

T B:

I've been told by my water supplier that the 5 gallon plastic jugs should do well for 24-36 months as long as their seal is not broken, better if they are stored away from direct sun light.

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), May 20, 1999.

That is a very expensive solution. Sam's Club has NEW 55-gallon blue- poly (plastic) FOOD-GRADE closed-top drums for $22.99 each. (stock # 968070)

This may well be a "special order" item for many Sam's Clubs, so you'd have to pre-pay. Also, many Sam's employees are too ignorant/lazy to look up the stock # on the national database. They just say "we can't get those". That's bullshit, as I have the word directly from their corporate office that if the item is carried at ANY Sam's, you can get it too.

(A store that has them is unit #6631 in Colo. You can give them that info for cross-reference)

Dennis

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), May 20, 1999.

Add to the idea of water drums from Sam's or any place else. If you plan on using 55 gallon drums you may want to spend a few $ on getting a hand pump to fit in the bung fitting. I just bought two drums from Sams and plan to get a pump to minimize access problems.

-- Rod (rbeary2327@aol.com), May 20, 1999.

I watched a cable TV show (PAX TV was the channel) on y2k prep. This show said to store water in gallon jugs (milk containers, juice, etc.) and simply add 3 drops of Clorox bleach to each container before closing, and to try to fill up as much as possible before closing to prevent contamination. This is what I am doing for drinking and other purposes. Anybody see any problems with this?? I was shocked to hear that you should add CLOROX...can this be ingested in small quantities??

-- Natalie (nitnat3@aol.com), May 20, 1999.

Yes, the 55 gallon drums are the best and clorox should be added to stop bacteria growth. As I recall, it is about 2.5 table spoons for the 55 gallons. Check this out first. No. The clorox will not hurt you in this quantity. I would not recommend the use of gallon milk jugs. It is a weaker plastic and with time the water takes on a plastic taste. The 2 liter plastic bottles for sode work much better and are earier to store under beds, ect. You will be surprised how fast these add up. I have also seen a oost about using a childs wadeing pool for storage of utility water to bath or cook with. These are not too expensive and can be filled and covered just before the turn of the year and hold hundres of gallons. Water is also in the house in the pipes and the ater heater. I would use a combination of all of these.

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), May 20, 1999.

RE: 55 GAL. CONTAINERS, DONT FORGET TO BUY THE HEAVY DUTY MANUAL PUMPS NOT THE CHEAPOS, ALSO BUNG WRENCHES TO TIGHTEN / LOOSEN THE BUNGS ( THREADED CAPS ON TOP OF BARRELS). BUY EXTRAS THEY ARE CAST ALUMINUM AND THEY WILL BREAK WHEN YOU LEAST WANT THEM TO) . ALSO, TO TREAT WATER FOR LONG TERM 6 MOS PLUS ADD "AEROBIC 07", NO, IT'S NOT A NEW JANE FONDA WORKOUT VIDEO, IT IS AN OXYGEN STABILIZER, A LITTLE EXPENSIVE, BUT, CONSIDER THE ALTERNATIVE, ALSO, BUY THREADED BOTTOM FUNNELS THAT FIT IN THREADS OF BARRELS, MAKES IT A LOT EASIER TO ADD FLUIDS WITHOUT THE MESS. I OBVIOUSLY HAVE SPENT TO MUCH TIME AT MY METRO CONTAINER DISTRIBUTOR HERE IN PHOENIX BUYING EVERYTHING I COULD GET MY HANDS ON. REMEMBER NO WATER , NO LIFE!! P.S. CONSIDER ALSO 5 AND 6.5 GALLON WHITE PLASTIC CONTAINERS (YOU KNOW) AND BUY SOME GAMMA LIDS, THEY ARE TWO PIECE UNITS THAT FIT OVER BUCKET LIKE A REGULAR LID BUT THEN YOU SCREW ON TOP AND DONT HAVE TO TAKE OFF LID. ALSO, BUY A LID REMOVAL TOOL,,(WHAT A COUNTRY!!!) THESE WORK GREAT FOR RICE , BEANS, ETC. STORAGE AND KEEPS BUGS OUT AND ARE SMALL ENOUGH TO HANDLE WITH EASE.

-- BOB (RGT350@AOL.COM), May 20, 1999.

Hey guys chill with the Buy the big pumps stuff.

A simple Plastic siphon pump will alow you to draw water off of a 55gal into a pitcher or other hand held container. They are in expensive at Granger. They are good to the last drop and require minimal power (hand pumped).

-- helium (heliumavid@yahoo.com), May 20, 1999.

If the tap water is already treated, can't one just fill up their drum and then re-treat (and also possibly run it through a British Berkefeld filter) the water as one uses it? It seems to me that if chlorine breaks down over time, then treating it again on drawdown would be a better idea. I concentrated on making sure the drum was filled to capacity and kept in a relatively dark, cool corner of the cellar.

-- Jeremiah Jetson (laterthan@uthink.y2k), May 20, 1999.

"If the tap water is already treated, can't one just fill up their drum and then re-treat (and also possibly run it through a British Berkefeld filter) the water as one uses it? "

This is my plan, except I have the Katadyn, and provisions for boiling water. Either method should kill micro-organisms.

The catch? Water treated this way will not "stay" micro-organism free. If you let the water sit around for long (more than a day?) it will grow bacteria.

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous99.xxx), May 21, 1999.

Anonymous99:

My understanding is that treated tap water will store fine for more than a day if your container is opaque or is kept out of direct sunlight. Heck, the water sits in your local water tower for 1-4 days before it gets to you. It's the sunlight that triggers the bacteria growth. This is what I was told by an environmental engineer friend.

Anyone out there with a scientific background feel free to chime in.

-- Codejockey (codejockey@geek.com), May 21, 1999.

Here is an excellent link to a vast amount of info on water:

All You Need to Know About Water

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), May 21, 1999.

Natalie, I believe the formula is at least 8 drops of fresh, unscented bleach per gallon. One of the problems with the milk jugs is that there will be some residual milk; adding water will stimulate bacteria and contaminate the water. Also, the jugs are biodegradable (hastened by both sun and water). I am saving the jugs, but I do not intend to fill them until the last minute, and hope to have an alternative supply of drinking water. Even so, boiling or a good water filter would purify the water.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), May 21, 1999.

I have been buying when on sale 2-1/2 gal. distilled water, I bought large bldg. bricks standing up right placed 2X6 wood on top to make a shelf, I have 5 rows high and 6 feet across to store my water, I purchased 9 rubbermaid garbage cans on wheels and have them full of 2 liter soda bottles of water (plus 3 drops of Clorox), ea container can hold 35+ bottles, I have been saving since 6/98 just to collect the above. Distilled water is the best way to go! Judy

-- Judy (JUDYMARYE@aol.con), May 21, 1999.