Most people incorrectly assume emergency water storage is a straightforward and simple task.
Sure, it’s not rocket science.
But if you don’t take the time to learn the best solutions and mistakes you could easily ruin your most critical emergency supply when you need it most
Plus, it’s easy to overlook the obvious and get your priorities mixed up.
Do you really need another survival watch, tactical pen, or survival gas mask?
Or is it time to invest in long-term freeze dried survival food?
Is an underground survival bunker really your first step?
Or should you start with something smaller?
Like, a life-saving TACT bivvy…
One prep item that’s way too often overlooked is long term water storage.
How do I know this? Because a 2012 poll of U.S. adults found that 53% of US homes don’t have at least three days’ worth of non-perishable food and water in their homes – 53%!
So, when SHTF and widespread panic sets in the first resources you should have plenty of is and water.
The second thing you’ll want is a few good defense firearms and lots of ammunition. Why? To defend what’s yours and keep desperate neighbors from trying to relieve you of your vital supplies – i.e. water.
It’s an absolute shame more people don’t stock up on some water. And it’s incredibly irresponsible if you don’t.
I believe, the reason more people don’t stock up on drinkable water is that it’s so prevalent in our daily lives. It’s so widely available today a lot of folks assume water will always be around.
Don’t make this same mistake.
In a widespread disaster (of any sort), the first two public resources to shut down will be water and grid power. Human beings can survive without electricity – we cannot, however, survive long without water.
Which means, you best start storing water in your home. It’s arguably “the most important” survival resource.
So, make sure you’re stockpiling some.
But not only that, but you also need to do it right. Because it’s not quite as straightforward as it sounds. It’s not difficult but there are simple mistakes you must avoid.
You can’t just collect rain off your roof in old milk jugs, cap them off, and put them away for six years. It won’t be safe to drink exactly when you need it most.
If it’s not stored correctly, it can (and will) become toxic.
So, let’s talk about emergency water storage for the long haul, for survival in a major widespread emergency.
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How NOT to Store Water
Let’s get some misconceptions out of the way.
First, just because the water is clear doesn’t mean it’s safe to drink. Contaminants are often colorless, and no one likes drinking poison (or parasites).
Two, water DOES NOT have a real expiration date. But that doesn’t mean that you can rely on the same water stored in the same container forever – even if stored in perfect conditions.
And three, yes, you can die if you do this wrong. It’s simple to store water safely for the long term, but if you do it wrong, you’re putting your life on the line.
At the very least, you’ll get sick, and getting sick or injured sucks (especially in a survival situation).
For that exact reason, before we get into how you should store water I’m going to explain how you should NOT.
DO NOT store water in anything besides food grade water storage containers.
I am going to repeat that throughout this article so many times it is going to make your head hurt. ONLY FOOD GRADE WATER STORAGE CONTAINERS!
I know, those Home Depot buckets are cheap. They also damn near indestructible, you can buy lids for them, and they’re an awesome bright orange color. But you shouldn’t store water in them. You should never store water in anything not made for holding food/water.
You can tell if a container if food grade in several ways:
1. Plastics #’s 1, 2, 4, 7 are the plastics used for food grade containers. You can find this number in the little triangular recycle symbol on the bottom.
2. Also on the bottom, there’ll be a symbol indicating the container safe to freeze or store in a pantry.
3. The container often says on the package when you buy it, “Freezer, Refrigerator, Pantry Safe.” Or something like that to indicate that you can put food and water in there.
DO NOT store water in food grade containers that have previously store other items.
I’m talking about milk jugs, soda bottles, beer kegs, or anything that was used to hold another food or drink (or oils, chemicals, etc.).
Even if you’ve washed it out a thousand times! It’s extremely difficult (maybe even impossible) to rinse out all the sugars and bacteria left over.
And even trace amounts of sugar or bacteria it will taint your water.
DO NOT store water in cardboard containers. I know that sounds obvious – but I’ve seen boxed water before, and that cardboard crap won’t last very long. Don’t rely on it for long term water storage.
DO NOT store water in metallic containers that aren’t stainless steel. If it isn’t stainless steel, it will corrode, and your water goes bad, fast. Rusty water is gross and not what you want here.
DO NOT try to store water in something that cannot be sealed. With only a few rare exceptions, storing open water is a bad idea because it’s open to contamination. Particles from the air, animals, and insects can fall into your water. Bird poop in your survival water is no good.
DO NOT store it in anything that has the chance of becoming contaminated. If you have any doubt the container could become compromised, don’t store water in that container. Find something else.
DO NOT store water in direct sunlight or heat. You want a shaded, temperature-controlled room. Basements, windowless pantries, temperature-controlled garages or underground cellars are smart locations.
Sunlight, heat, and temperature changes are hard on everything. These are the enemy of long term water storage and will contribute to faster spoilage. UV rays and heat is hard on plastic, and sometimes even glass can leach chemicals.
The Right Way To Do Long Term Water Storage
Now that you know what you shouldn’t do, and what rules to follow, this part will be simple.
The first things to discuss are water storage containers.
You already know the container needs to be sterile and food safe. But even within those parameters, there are a lot of choices. So, let’s delve into what materials you CAN use for storing water long-term.
Commercially, there are a lot of drinking water storage containers options on the market. And they come in all different shapes and sizes.
What material you use, and what size you get is all dependent on:
- How much storage space you have
- What your budget is
- How many people you plan on sustaining with your water supply
- How long you’ll need water for
- Where you live and your geographic relativity to freshwater sources
So, here’s a variety of best water storage containers available on the market today:
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Best Water Storage Containers
1 – Plastic Water Storage Containers
The advantages of plastic are plentiful. It’s lightweight, durable, cheap, easy to come by and replaceable.
Plastic is the preferred storage method for many because it’s the most obvious choice. Unfortunately, plastic also has some serious disadvantages too.
For one, there’s a growing fear among food scientists that plastic leaches chemicals into water over time. This is especially true if introduced to direct light or heat.
But, if stored properly there’s less risk of these problems (so long as you occasionally replace your water) – we’ll hit details on this later.
By far my favorite plastic container (and favorite containers overall) is the Survival Water Brick.
Here are a few highlights of the Water Brick:
Holds 3.5 Gallons of Water, Dry Foods, or Ammo
Stackable to Maximize Storage Capacity
Easy-Grip Design Makes it Easy to Carry
Virtually Indestructible!
They are a solid investment and one of the best long-term survival storage solutions.
2 – Glass Water Storage Containers
You can always trust glass, just sanitize it before putting your purified water into it.
Glass is classified by the FDA as “GRAS” which stands for “Generally Regarded As Safe”… so take that with a grain of salt.
If you’re hoping to repurpose an old glass container, but it was used to store anything else in a previous life, it’s best to find a different container.
You can reduce the chance of breakages by wrapping your stored glass containers with newspaper and cardboard.
Check out these highly-rated 18 oz leak-proof glass bottles for your water storage needs.
3 – Stainless Steel Water Storage Containers
This is possibly the safest bet when it comes to storing water long-term. There are no chemicals that can leach into the water. It protects contents from sunlight, and it’s durable.
Unfortunately, this is also the most expensive option. Just check out the price of this 55-gallon stainless steel drum!
Stainless steel containers also tend to be heavy.
You also must be careful what you put inside them. If you store tap water that’s been treated with chlorine, it will erode the protective surface of the stainless steel. That’s called corrosion and corrosion is always bad. That’s how your water gets poisoned.
Make sure that your stainless-steel container is FOOD GRADE or FOOD SAFE!
4 – 55 Gallon Plastic Water Barrels
They take up a significant amount of space and are very heavy when full. But these plastic barrels are one of the most reliable ways to store water easily (and cheaply) for a long time.
Traditionally plastic water storage barrels are blue, for easy identification. And now for the much more reasonably priced plastic 55-gallon drum barrel.
5 – Bathtub Water Storage Blatters
That way, they claim, you have a solid amount of stored and usable water at the ready. In theory, this is a very smart, functional idea.
But upon closer scrutiny, it starts falling apart.
Mainly because bathtubs and sinks aren’t sterile containers nor can they be sealed off. But, the Bathtub Water Storage BOB is a simple solution to that very problem.
It’s a refillable bag you can put in your tub, shower, or sink and fill with water without the fear of contamination.
The bags hold as much as 100 gallons of water and can be emptied and packed down for transportation.
These are one of the best water containers on the market, and I highly recommend investing in a few. Not only is it a great tool – but it’s cheap too!
6 – Large Water Storage Containers (i.e. Water Tanks)
But if you have a water tank hooked up you’re going to be set on drinkable, usable water for a very long time.
Large water storage tanks can hold anywhere from 1,500 gallons of water to tens of thousands of gallons. This is pretty much the ultimate long term water storage tool.
7 – Your Backyard Pool
Okay, let’s clear this up once and for all – yes, you can drink pool water if it’s treated properly. Even though it’s treated with chemicals, as long as it’s under 4 ppm it isn’t poisonous to ingest.
How many kids end up inadvertently drinking gulps of pool water? A lot. And when’s the last time you heard of someone keeling over sick because they drank water from their swimming pool? Rarely if ever.
That means in a serious emergency when all other water is gone and you need to start using what you have on hand.
Stick your head in the pool and start drinking the wet goodness. But there are some things to keep in mind:
First, you can’t seal backyard pools. So, they’re susceptible to contamination from bacteria and insects.
This means, if you want to use your pool water in an emergency you’ll want to have a purification and filtration plan. Because it isn’t going to keep very well/for very long.
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Also, if electricity is down, then your pools filtration system won’t be working. So, the chemicals in the pool that keep bacteria out will subside. Leaving the water open to serious contamination.
If you’ve ever seen an unfiltered, unmaintained pool you know, it turns into a swamp.
If you want to use your pool water for survival, you need to do so long before it gets to that stage. And better to be safe than sorry – always boil or chemically treat pool water before you start using it, just to be safe.
8 – Water Wells
I suppose this is more of a water generation system than “storage,” but I’m adding this anyway because it’s relevant.
Wells store and produce water. So, if you can build one on your property, you should have a good source of drinking water for an emergency.
However, this is highly dependent on how much of your well is mechanized. But the fact remains: Someone with a working water well is going to survive a disaster far easier than the rest.
9 – Store-Bought Plastic Water Bottles
“Well, can’t I go to Costco and buy twenty packs of bottled water, chuck them in the basement and call it good?” – you might ask.
While water has no expiration date, those cheap plastic bottles will, over time, leach BPA and other nasty chemicals. Even if stored out of sunlight and heat.
Store-bought plastic water bottles are suitable for storing water on a short-term basis only. But this is an acceptable option if you have a diligent water rotation plan in place.
More Emergency Water Storage Considerations
How much water do you need? How does one calculate how much water they will need in an emergency?
That’s a question with a lot of variables.
Though, the rule is as follows: one person needs at least one gallon of water every single day. Half of it to use for drinking and another half for bathing and other purposes.
That is an easy enough calculation – but you must also take into account the following:
- How much activity you’ll be doing
- How many people you’re providing for
- What the weather where you live is generally like
- If there’s local access to water
- How long you’ll need to have water for
It’s a question that every survivalist must answer for themselves.
FEMA recommends that people keep about three days of water on hand in case of an emergency. But as a survivalist, that number sounds drastically short.
I would recommend keeping at least a week’s worth of water in storage, ready for use. Preferably closer to two or three weeks. Ideally, if you’re serious about getting prepared, you should be thinking months or even years.
I will say this: in a real nasty emergency, you can never have too much water on hand.
Rotating Your Water Supply
I’ve mentioned this a few times because it’s critical. Water, left in perfect storage containers, even in ideal conditions, still won’t last forever.
Microscopic bugs are impossible to keep out, and the water will need to be replaced.
This is just a fact of emergency water storage – I know it’s a pain in the ass – but it’s a necessary one.
As a rule of thumb, you should rotate your water storage inventory with fresh water at least once a year.
I’m not saying that you’ll contract illness from ingesting water stored longer than that. But it’s a matter of being safe and avoiding sickness at all costs.
In a survival situation, you want to be sure your water supply is drinkable. Not only because you need water on a day to day basis to survive, but you can’t afford to get sick during an emergency. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Don’t throw out that water you rotate out! Because it isn’t necessarily “bad.” It can still be used for things like bathing, washing dishes or other things, watering plants, etc.
That water doesn’t need to be wasted just because it was stored for too long – you can (and should) repurpose it.
Just don’t drink it.
Keeping Water Filtration/Purification Methods on Hand
Even if your basement is stocked full of stored water, you need a method for purifying it.
Whether it’s a pump filter, a gravity filter, iodine tablets, a stove for boiling, or a purification packets – make sure you have something!
Being able to collect and filter good, drinkable water even in an emergency is essential. Because then you can save your stored water and prolong your survival window by days and weeks.
Filtration and purification tools/chemicals are something every single survivalist needs to have. Without them, you’re at a severe disadvantage.
Sawyer Mini Water Filter
I highly recommend you get a couple sawyer mini water filters. Wait? Mini? A mini water filter? Yes, it’s mini in size but not in volume.
It can filter 100,000 gallons of water!
Sawyer Mini Added Inline To A Pack
This little water filter is ideal for both travel AND building a large volume gravity filter at home. Perfect for your long term water storage plan.
What makes the Sawyer Mini so powerful is it’s inline design capabilities.
You can use a simple rubber hose to add a Sawyer Mini between your drinking water storage containers and create a large completely passive gravity filter with a single Sawyer Mini.
Saving you hundreds of dollars vs traditional gravity water filters!
Here’s my review video of the Sawyer Mini.
Stored Water Tastes Funny
Because stored water “goes flat” (loses the oxygen within it) it almost always has a bit of a strange taste.
Don’t worry too much about this. This is typical and can be remedied by swishing the water around in your cup or shaking it up in a bottle.
Of course, if there’s a putrid, acrid, swampy smell to your water when you get it out of storage and it tastes terrible, DON’T SWALLOW IT.
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The Final Word On Your Water Storage System
Human beings can only survive without water for three days. Then we shrivel up like raisins and die.
There aren’t any survival resources that are more important than drinkable water. Which is why any survivalist who isn’t storing water is making a huge mistake.
Make sure that you aren’t one of them.
If you store water correctly and have a complete water storage system, you’ll stay hydrated and be ready for just about anything.
– Will Brendza
P.s. Do you know where the closest nuclear bunker is from your home?
There are a lot of natural nuclear shelters in the US that are absolutely free. And one of them is near your home.
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Click on the image above to find out where you need to take shelter.
doug says
good article, but: Generally Recognized As Safe” It’s GRAS, not GLAS
Just In Case Jack says
Dang typos. Thanks for pointing it out to us.
Ian says
Very good information here. Just a note about the plastic storage option. #1 plastics are meant for short term storage only.
But after about 6 months to a year from production, #1 plastics start to degrade and will leach a toxic chemical called antimony into the water.
Dalene says
Great article , really valuable information . Appreciate all the help I can get.
Grace says
Great article, I to was planning on filling up the tub of the stuff hit the fan, but this helped me open my eyes. Thanks.
Jim Studer says
Jack,
Good write-up, thanks
Off the wall but possibly useful idea: Check out Napa Nectar.. it is used in the caged animal research world. These little critters are very well cared for and certainly better looked after than you or I. I could see a pallet of this stuff really paying off, if your wallet could handle the stress. I love the idea that transporting a day or two supply is easy. In the same way bartering with this as a currency would give you great leverage.
Joe says
Good article. Thanks! Consider also a large supply of non-potable water for flushing toilets. One thing that would make life totally miserable is the stench of an overflowing toilet in your house. A 55 gallon drum for you and the neighbors would last for quite a few days and could also be used for bartering. Just don’t plan to drink it and it could last indefinitely for flushing.
JAMES FERKLE says
Good artical but it failed to mention the most common water supply in almost every home. The hot water heater. There lies about 30-80 gallons of drinkable water.
Just In Case Jack says
Yes, the water heater is an excellent last resort – built in water storage system. I didn’t include it in this article because I was primarily focused on storing water at scale in preparation for an emergency. I see the hot water tank as a last resort water option, not as part of my actionable water storage preparations.
But I’m glad you mentioned it, since some people may not have thought about it that way.
William Clawson says
What about using ahot water tank that no longer works as a way to store water?
Just In Case Jack says
I can’t think of any reasons why that wouldn’t be a pretty good solution for water storage.
As long as you have the room to fit a spare water tank! Makes sense to me.
Big Don says
You can actually plumb a non working water heater in line so water is always flowing through it and therefore, is always fresh and ready to use. The two issues to be aware of (especially in the case of storing water) are that most water heaters eventually rust and leak, more so if not used, so using them for storage only instead of the “flow through” method is iffy and you also want to check and maintain the drain valve on the side/bottom of your tank which can rust shut or gather scale and lock itself down tight rendering it useless for getting at that precious, clean water inside. If you’re really handy, you can do as I did and plumb in a shutoff and bypass off the second tank so you can isolate it if needed and plumb it to a small well pump ($120 at Harbor Freight) and when you include a battery and an inverter, can actually have pressurized water for a short time in a pinch, like in case of fire. I plumbed mine to catch and keep hot water from the other tank so it helps out if we need extra hot water AND in that pinch, using our inverter, we can even still have hot water and shower if needed. Good luck to all and keep using your heads and helping each other achieve self sufficiency.
Vicki Sann says
There are other ways to clean one’s contaminated water. It a little pricey, Using Active Charcoal or Active Carbon.
Active Charcoal powder needs to be used with small rocks and sand. All placed in a 2 Liter bottle, with the bottom cut off, plus you must create holes in the clean lid water to drain. About a half pound of each charcoal then rocks an sand. It may take awhile for water to drain so one needs to figure out way to keep in upright.
Active Carbon is also used to clean tropical fish tanks, This time you use a 1 liter bottle, bottom cut off. Find a metal can bottom that will fit into bottle an easley removable, must drill holes in it. This time you use a coffee filter, sand, carbon, an cotton ball. Holes in the lid, cotton ball, carbon, sand, coffee filter an lid..
For both Carbon an Charcoal, you must use a small fine sieve to clean both powders before usage; run clean water with either powder until clear water flows out the bottom. Then air dry it in some container, so no mold grows.
More ways is save any 24 oz metal containers…. tea or beer cans, wash out with hot soapy water, rinse. Fill water place them near a fire until it boils for 3 mins, should only use once.
Patrick says
Thank you. If I put in an underground water storage system, does that water need to be rotated as well?
David Tees says
Our solution is an 80 gallon storage tank installed inline with the main water supply with a couple of valves for emergency isolation. Water is constantly refreshed in normal use and with the twist of two valves isolated for emergency.
Myke says
I just purchased 2 – 525 blue vertical water tanks from “Sure Water” in Utah. They have the best price around. I store them in my Garage. Along with the tanks I purchased an inexpensive 5 year water treatment kit (includes testing kit) for the tanks from Water Pure Technologies. It makes it so I don’t need to rotate my supply every year. I also think that the Sawyer water filter that filters up to 100,000 gallons is one of the best values out there. I’ve gotten them on price reduction recently from Amazon for $10 and change. Keep an eye out for deals. I’ve always said that if you’re going to treat your stored water with bleach then you should keep a container of powdered Kool-aid next to it. No one likes drinking from a swimming pool. Just my 2 1/2 cents worth.
Just In Case Jack says
We cover more larger water storage tank options in this post – Sure Water is listed as well.
I’ve never personally seen the Sawyer water filter on sale for $10 – doesn’t mean it didn’t happen but it get a sense that it’s rare. You might end up waiting a long time for such a deal.
I recommend getting 3 sawyer water filters from Survival Frog and you get a free pocket stove. But either way, we both agree the Sawyer water filter is one of the best values out there.
Sheridan says
What about Mylar bags for water storage? I found these on Amazon and thought they would be great! This way I only need to rotate every 5 yrs and I just buy new ones when it hit the 5 yr mark. Obviously this is not the most environmentally friendly option…but I think I could keep up with it, unlike the plastic containers that would need to be cleaned. To be honest, I have 3 kids and the idea of cleaning another thing seems overwhelming.
Just In Case Jack says
Sheridan,
They look interesting. First time I’ve seen them.
If you end up getting them, come back and let us know what you think.
Brian says
Great article thanks for the information. I’m very big on storing water. I use the 55 gallon drums and rotate the water once per year (treated and filtered.)
I see you recommend not using containers that were used before. Could you give me more info?
I re-purpose glass and plastic bottles. Mostly 2-liters and glass milk bottles. I disinfect and sanitize them (I rinse boil the glass bottles.) I also add bleach/sanitizer to the water, lightly close the cap, shake so the solution so its also on the seal/thread.
I rotate these quarterly for use in the garden.
I know bacteria is one of the biggest concerns as it is everywhere and grows rapidly but wouldn’t proper disinfecting and sanitizing make it possible to use reused containers?
thanks
Just In Case Jack says
Glass containers should be fine as long as you properly disinfecting and sanitizing. But plastic buckets can have micro scratches and pours and old chemicals can seep into those cracks. I personally wouldn’t trust any plastic container that once held chemicals but that’s just me.
Billie Sheppard says
How about the life straws? They have a filter and storage bag that hooks up to it for $90.00 and lasts 5 people 3 to 5 years.
Linda H says
I have what is called a creek on my property but it is fairly wide and deep. Can I use Britta water filters? I have a pitcher and every time I find the filters cheap I buy them. I don’t like the taste of city water and they are cheaper than bottled water. What do you think?
MMeyer says
Brita filters will not filter out bacteria. You can get very sick drinking creek water without the proper filter. Brita is absolutely not the right kind to use.
Jannie says
I’m in the same position – fortunately, I have a water well and also a decent size river within a few hundred yards of my house. I have purchased a Community Edition Lifestraw. This can produce (on one filter) – 26,000 gallons – enough for 100 people for 3-5 years. With an additional filter, you have enough potable water for quite some time. It used purification technology that removes viruses, bacteria parasites and microplastics, and is relatively high capacity, holding 13 gallons at one time. It was originally designed for deployment in areas without good water and after disasters. It’s not expensive considering what it gives you – $325.00. As long as you have a water source – this makes so much more sense than storing gallons of water, worrying about rotating them and what kind of containers it’s in.
Scott says
I just started looking into storing water and got two 55 gallon blue barrels. They were used to store biodegradable soap, is this a no-go for storing water, even if I clean them out thoroughly?
Also, in regards to rotating water, are you able to keep water in storage for years, let the water “go bad”, and just filter the water before drinking instead of rotating every year or so?
Thanks,
Seth Stewart says
The idea that firearms are needed to keep neighbors out of your supplies is incredibly, incredibly stupid. Firearms exist to protect your family and your countrymen from aggressors, and to protect against dangerous wildlife. Murder is never justifiable no matter how bad things get. Read the Oath of Naturalization for citizens for the USA. Each of us is under a covenant responsibility to protect the lives of our countrymen. Even if the federal and state governments disintegrate, you should still be in touch with your neighbors enough that you know whom you can trust and how far you can trust them, that you still have reasonable (not cruel) laws and due process and that you have a community-level survival plan and you can get the message of preparedness and organization out to your community. If they don’t survive, chances that you will survive go way, way, way down. Therefore follow the commandment of Jesus to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Anarchy is not the answer, and picking starving people off like rats is literally the stupidest idea ever advanced on this planet. Even if someone were getting into your things, it is extremely barbarian to inflict capital punishment for the significantly lesser crime of theft. If I am in a survival situation, I will share what I have with my neighbors and do all in my power to preserve the lives of my family members and countrymen. In the meantime, I will teach them good practices of preparedness. This will enable them to take responsibility and be self-reliant, skilled, and I will teach them true principles so that they can be dependable. This will strengthen my own position far more than trying to compete with them ever would. I will take responsibility for my own family and I will teach others to take responsibility for theirs, and I will learn from those who have something to teach me as well. I will develop good relationships with them so that our chances for survival are as great as possible. I urge you likewise to make a commitment to preserving the lives of all people and common defense against common enemies an integral part of your personal and community survival plan. Then all this otherwise good info becomes truly useful to us. Read the Federalist Papers too while you are at it.