DK Firearms

Water supplies for survival

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  • TrailDust

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    At home I've got two 60 gallon storage drums fully loaded with water (bleach added, of course), plus an additional 10 gallon and five gallon containers. On top of that, I keep ten cases of bottled water (about 4 gallons apiece) on hand, and when I use up the oldest of the lot I buy a new one to replace it. With some warning I've got four clean 50 gallon garbage cans I could hose water into as well. That's what I keep on hand for me and my girlfriend.

    What kind of water storage have you guys got? Any suggestions or recommendations? Be interested to know what kind of preparations you all have made.
    DK Firearms
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    Any suggestions or recommendations? Be interested to know what kind of preparations you all have made.

    Not nearly enough unfortunately. I still need to do some research and figure out the best way to store a ton of water while keeping it from becoming contaminated and unusable. I'm lucky since we have well water (neighborhood well), so we're better off than those on city water but it's still not enough. I'm sure there are probably more efficient ways but, right now I'm taking care of the defense side of the equation before that stuff gets too exorbitantly expensive. Food, water, medical, and all the other necessities will be next. The toughest thing is convincing friends and family to prepare to become more self sufficient, especially with such obvious signs of a major possible economical collapse.
     

    TrailDust

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    At least from what I've read using the bleach method of 4 drops per quart of water, provided the container is air-tight and lightproof, will store water pretty much indefinitely. That's what I did with my 60 gallon barrels, which now I want to buy one more just to feel more comfortable about water in a long-term situation. I've got all my other needs taken care of, except pistol ammo, so I've been concentrating on the other things. Thank goodness there are some of us out there prepared, God help the ones who are not.
     

    TexasRedneck

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    Try to find some poly drums - being plastic, you won't have to worry about 'em rusting out. Go by a pool supply and get a pool test kit - that way, you can test and confirm adequate bleach levels. Dosage rates presume a non-contaminated water supply - and if it IS contaminated, you won't know it. Testing for "free chlorine" means that you're testing for residual chlorine that's "available" for disinfecting any contamination that might be introduced into the water supply. Personally, I prefer iodine, since it's a lot more stable and is available in a dry pellet form. Either way will work - but with a few parts I can build an iodine feeder unit capable of disinfecting a flowing water source (windmill, hand well pump, etc.).
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    So wait, first off this is probably going to sound stupid but, is it at all detrimental to your health drinking water with chlorine in it? I mean I know a little isn't bad but, I'm talking if your entire supply has chlorine in it, long term is that bad or can you just boil it or something to get rid of some of the chlorine? I must confess I really don't know much when it comes to storing water long term.
     

    TexasRedneck

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    Chlorine is a carcinogen. Drinking contaminated water can kill ya. Your choice.<G> But yeah - you can "kill" the chorine by boiling or aerating it. Thing is, it's better to have a little extra chlorine than bacteria that will lead to your death, directly or indirectly.
     

    Hawghauler

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    I have a well and a generator which can power the pump. My well also has a trickle on it's own of about a gallon in 1.5 minutes so I can get water without power. I currently have the overflow feed an outdoor dog/cat bowl. Guessing you would probably need a gallon a day per person for hydration and hygene if you rationed. That is why I bought a self sustaining farm that I hope to make more independent from the grid. Once I achieve that I should only have to worry about securing it from poachers when calories become currency. I'd feel better if TrailDust bought the farm that borders mine. I'll wager it will go up for sale soon and it is a gem. We can start out TGT Calorie Co-op (Idaho chapter). I'll provide the beef an poultry, you can grow the veggies. Guard tower on the property line with perimeter fensing juiced up for cows currently but I suppose we could turn up the heat. When the crap hits the fan a good neighbor is critical to survival. Bad neighbors will be traveling in packs and it will be tough to go it alone.
     

    ZX9RCAM

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    I don't have much water stored now, but I did purchase (from Academy) bladders that go inside the bathtub that have a spout to fill from the faucet in the tub. Hopefully there would be warning enough to fill them if need be.

    Here is a similar item as I could not find it at Academy online....

    [url]http://blogs.usatoday.com/weather/2008/04/a-bladder-as-bi.html[/URL]

    Of course I also have several 5 gal. containers & am looking for food grade 30-55 gal. drums as well.
     

    thorkyl

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    Any of you guys who went through survival training knows you can drink water from the septic tank if you know how to treat it

    Here is mine - keep in mind I have a creek and a irrigation canal running through my place, and I am on a well.

    Filter water through crushed charcoal (home made or store bought)
    then

    Calcium Hypochlorite (pool shock)


    Using granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water is a two step process.

    1. To make a stock of chlorine solution (do not drink this!) dissolve 1 heaping teaspoon (about one-quarter of an ounce) of high-test (78%) granular calcium hypochlorite for each two gallons (eight liters) of water.
    2. To disinfect water add one part of the chlorine solution to 100 parts water to be treated.
    3. Let the mixture sit for at least one-half hour before drinking.
    Be sure to obtain the dry granular calcium hypochlorite since once it is made into a liquid solution it will begin to degrade and eventually become useless as a disinfecting agent. This also means you should make your treated drinking water in small batches, for example enough for a few weeks at a time at most.

    Another plus for using calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water for emergency use is that a little goes a very long way. A 1-pound pag of calcium hypochlorite in granular form typically costs only a few $US dollars and can be obtained in any swimming pool supply section of your hardware store or online. This amount will treat up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water, which is enough for a family of four for some six or seven years at a gallon per day per person!

    Calcium hypochlorite will store for a long period of time and remain effective as a chemical drinking water treatment. So get rid of the household bleach and buy a can of Calcium hypochlorite for your disaster emergency water disinfection needs. It lasts far longer and treats far more water than the traditional chlorine bleach water disinfection treatment.
     

    TrailDust

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    So wait, first off this is probably going to sound stupid but, is it at all detrimental to your health drinking water with chlorine in it? I mean I know a little isn't bad but, I'm talking if your entire supply has chlorine in it, long term is that bad or can you just boil it or something to get rid of some of the chlorine? I must confess I really don't know much when it comes to storing water long term.

    Chlorine is a carcinogen. Drinking contaminated water can kill ya. Your choice.<G> But yeah - you can "kill" the chorine by boiling or aerating it. Thing is, it's better to have a little extra chlorine than bacteria that will lead to your death, directly or indirectly.



    Agreed. Aerating it will get rid of most of it. For the relatively short time you'll be using it for survival, there's no concern about any carcinogenic effect. Heck, you get more carcinogens in steak, hamburgers, and fish that are grilled with that crispy black outer coating than anything else you consume. The list goes on. Adding chlorine to drinking water for storage is not a concern IMO.
     

    TrailDust

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    I have a well and a generator which can power the pump. My well also has a trickle on it's own of about a gallon in 1.5 minutes so I can get water without power. I currently have the overflow feed an outdoor dog/cat bowl. Guessing you would probably need a gallon a day per person for hydration and hygene if you rationed. That is why I bought a self sustaining farm that I hope to make more independent from the grid. Once I achieve that I should only have to worry about securing it from poachers when calories become currency. I'd feel better if TrailDust bought the farm that borders mine. I'll wager it will go up for sale soon and it is a gem. We can start out TGT Calorie Co-op (Idaho chapter). I'll provide the beef an poultry, you can grow the veggies. Guard tower on the property line with perimeter fensing juiced up for cows currently but I suppose we could turn up the heat. When the crap hits the fan a good neighbor is critical to survival. Bad neighbors will be traveling in packs and it will be tough to go it alone.

    I've got to tell you, Hawg, that is a very enticing prospect. Depending on which way the political wind blows in the next few years decides everything for me regarding a homestead here or abroad.

    BTW, I had some property in the desert once with a natural spring for water, and ran the overflow down a small hillside and planted citrus trees there. Biggest trees you've seen in your life and the largest, juiciest fruit too.
     

    TexasRedneck

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    I mentioned the carcinogenic issue before someone else could - yeah it's there - but the consequences of NOT disinfecting the water far outweighs it IMO.

    Oh - the dry chlorine....do NOT put any kinda organic matter (leaves, etc) into any container that's stored the powder. The results can be.....interestin'.
     

    Hawghauler

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    Calcium hypochlorite will store for a long period of time and remain effective as a chemical drinking water treatment. So get rid of the household bleach and buy a can of Calcium hypochlorite for your disaster emergency water disinfection needs. It lasts far longer and treats far more water than the traditional chlorine bleach water disinfection treatment.[/quote said:
    Great advice here. I will buy some in the event the I have to treat my own water. I did add an elaborate filtration system plus a ROWPU to my household water as I am unreasonably anal about my household water.
     

    thorkyl

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    The way I store mine is...

    Take the 1 pound bag
    take it and 6ea 1qt ziplock bags
    1 plastic teaspoon measuring spoon
    1 3x5 card with 1/2 teaspoon to one gallon water (do not drink)
    --- mix 1 gallon to 50 gallon water to drink
    seal them all in a mylar bag in the bug out box

    Then if you have to open the bag you have some ziplocks to keep it sealed in and not waste it

    Just make sure you mark the mylar
    Mine has "Poison - water shock" written on both sides
     
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