Water Storage Ideas for Your Home
Be Prepared
The American Red Cross recommends that to be prepared for possible emergencies, families should have two weeks of water storage in their home. They recommend one gallon of water per person per day. This is an important part of your emergency readiness plan.
Important information about Water storage
Water should be stored in food grade or "PETE" plastic containers. Milk jugs are not OK to store water in because the plastic easily degrades, but soda bottles that have been properly cleaned are fine. Glass bottles are fine too, but can be breakable if you don't have a safe, out of the way place to store them.
Water should be stored out of sunlight, away from extreme temperature and not on a concrete floor to avoid chemicals
2 Liter Soda Bottles
Soda bottles are a great way to get started on your water storage for your home. If you don't drink soda you can ask friends and neighbor to give you their empty ones. You must clean them out well to prevent bacterial growth. Soaking them over night in a bleach/water solution is a way to make sure they are clean. If you get your water from a city that chlorinates its water, you just need to fill the bottles and store them out of sunlight and extreme temperatures. If your water isn't treated by the city, you can add two drops of bleach per quart of water. You will need to rotate your water every 6-12 months to keep it fresh.
Store bought water bottles
A more expensive option is to buy flats of water from the supermarket and store them in your home. They also need to rotated every 6-12 months and should be stored away from sunlight and extreme heat.
Water boxes
Water boxes are inexpensive and stackable up to three boxes high. The best part is that you only have to rotate them every five years. They aren't easily accessible if you only need small amounts of water, however, so you will probably want some additional water storage solutions for shorter emergencies. People in small spaces will like the fact that they can slide under beds or be stored in closet corners.
Water Bricks
Water bricks aren't the cheapest option, but they are the most convenient. They are freezable so you can stack them outside without worry. They are easily transportable and they are stackable up to the ceiling.
Water Barrels
If you have the room, water barrels are a great way to store large amounts of water. You can also purchase a water preserver that will allow you to rotate your water every 5 years rather than 6-12 months. Unfortunately, water barrels take up a lot of space and cannot be stored outside. You also need to be sure to place something like cardboard between the barrel and a concrete floor if you are storing it in the garage or basement.
Pros and Cons of Water Storage Options
Pros
| Cons
| |
---|---|---|
soda bottles
| cheap, easy to store
| must rotate frequently
|
store bought water bottles
| convenient, good for 72 hour kits
| expensive, harder to store, must rotate more frequently
|
water boxes
| cheap, can store under beds, need less rotation
| can only stack 3 high
|
water bricks
| stackable, portable, easily accesible, need less rotation
| need less rotation
|
water barrels
| can store large amounts
| difficult to rotate
|