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Hello all!

Given the current issue in Salem, I think now is a prudent time to review and discuss our water stockpiles and the best method to store it.

So two questions:

How much water per person per day?
I am thinking washing dishes and sponge baths for the dog and people, etc.

How do you store this water? Totes, pond, gallon jugs, bottles?
 
If you have time to fill it in an emergency, Water Bob converts your bathtub into a storage tank. Nifty idea.

WaterBOB - Emergency Drinking Water Storage | Keeps Water Fresh and Clean


The waterbob is a nice simple solution if you can rely on the tap water. I tested one out during a 14 hour power outage (planned) where the municipal water was turned off as well.

I cant get any rain barrels shipped to me and no one stocks them local. So I took a new 40 gallon plastic garbage can with a plastic lid, I cut a hole in the lid and used a hot air gun to melt the edges and pressed in a cut section of aluminum window screen as a filter. I drilled holes in the rim of the lid ever few inches and zip tied it shut. I then drilled a hole for a hose bib faucet and used some silicone sealer to seal it. Directed a gutter down spout to it and it filled up with one storm. I have camping filters if I ever needed to drink it. very cheep rain water collector, took all of 20 minutes to make.

I did get this rain collector. It works fine though the lid sags so water pools on the top where the mosquitoes can get to it. its cheap which is the best feature
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007EM2YCE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is a good way to easily hook up to a downspout to direct rainwater to a barrel
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003E1RJVU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have 2 50 gallon water barrels that I have filled with tap water in the house. Got them on amazon years ago. Occasionally dump and refill them with fresh water.

All this until I can get a more dedicated rainwater collection system installed.
 
Costco currently has the 55 gallon blue water storage barrels with pump and filter for $130. I bought several when they were $105. Still, it's a nice big jug of water when you need it. If you fill it with tap water, it's already treated before it hits your tap so the water is good (unless you're in Salem this week...sorry). The water should stay good for several years unless you keep it in the heat or direct sunlight. No need to dump it every year or six months. These are food grade containers and won't leach chemicals unless exposed to extreme heat.
Costco delivers these, which is nice.
 
A friend of mine picked up several plastic drums. She built a stand along one wall in her garage with 2x4's and x6's. They lay on their side 2 or 3 wide and stacked to the ceiling. She connected the upper drums to the lower drums with PVC fittings through the bungs. Using a new garden hose she filled the drums from the top letting the water flow down to the lowest drums and work its way up. Each drum has a slight cant so it will fill and empty completely. Remove all the vent caps and replace as each drum is filled to the point where water starts coming out the vent. No moving of heavy water filled drums, gravity provides the pressure to the spigots in the lowest row of drums-easypeasy!
 
Recently had a pipe burst under the house in a totally inaccessible place. The only option was to repipe the house. My son and I did that in just over 4 days with PEX pipe and fittings. Before had we filled the bath tub so we would have water for the Toilet. It lasted about 3 days the Tub drain valve leaked a little. We then filled 5 gallon buckets at the neighbors. For drinking water and washing dishes we used 1 gallon jugs from the Store.

It was a unique training session. We now have about 30 gallons of fresh water in the store room.

We do have an advantage here in that Silvertons water supply to this part of town is old school gravity fed so if something short of an earthquake that breaks lines happens we can fill the Tub and a half dozen 5 gallon buckets right away while the Resivour on the hill is still full.
 
The waterbob is a nice simple solution if you can rely on the tap water. I tested one out during a 14 hour power outage (planned) where the municipal water was turned off as well.

I cant get any rain barrels shipped to me and no one stocks them local. So I took a new 40 gallon plastic garbage can with a plastic lid, I cut a hole in the lid and used a hot air gun to melt the edges and pressed in a cut section of aluminum window screen as a filter. I drilled holes in the rim of the lid ever few inches and zip tied it shut. I then drilled a hole for a hose bib faucet and used some silicone sealer to seal it. Directed a gutter down spout to it and it filled up with one storm. I have camping filters if I ever needed to drink it. very cheep rain water collector, took all of 20 minutes to make.

I did get this rain collector. It works fine though the lid sags so water pools on the top where the mosquitoes can get to it. its cheap which is the best feature
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007EM2YCE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is a good way to easily hook up to a downspout to direct rainwater to a barrel
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003E1RJVU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have 2 50 gallon water barrels that I have filled with tap water in the house. Got them on amazon years ago. Occasionally dump and refill them with fresh water.

All this until I can get a more dedicated rainwater collection system installed.

Sloppy is better than nothing!

My only concern with the soft rain barrel is they don't tell you the type of plastic, if it is safe to drink, etc?

I do like the idea of using rain barrels for the garden, and then having extra water on hand if needed.
 
Costco currently has the 55 gallon blue water storage barrels with pump and filter for $130. I bought several when they were $105. Still, it's a nice big jug of water when you need it. If you fill it with tap water, it's already treated before it hits your tap so the water is good (unless you're in Salem this week...sorry). The water should stay good for several years unless you keep it in the heat or direct sunlight. No need to dump it every year or six months. These are food grade containers and won't leach chemicals unless exposed to extreme heat.
Costco delivers these, which is nice.

This is awesome! I am assuming its a longer term solution then 1 gallon containers from the store, since you can refill?

How long do you expect a few of these to last?
 
Recently had a pipe burst under the house in a totally inaccessible place. The only option was to repipe the house. My son and I did that in just over 4 days with PEX pipe and fittings. Before had we filled the bath tub so we would have water for the Toilet. It lasted about 3 days the Tub drain valve leaked a little. We then filled 5 gallon buckets at the neighbors. For drinking water and washing dishes we used 1 gallon jugs from the Store.

It was a unique training session. We now have about 30 gallons of fresh water in the store room.

We do have an advantage here in that Silvertons water supply to this part of town is old school gravity fed so if something short of an earthquake that breaks lines happens we can fill the Tub and a half dozen 5 gallon buckets right away while the Resivour on the hill is still full.

Man that is rough! Good thing you had good neighbors!

Are you comfortable with 30 gallons? Not nocking you, more than me, just curious.
 
A friend of mine picked up several plastic drums. She built a stand along one wall in her garage with 2x4's and x6's. They lay on their side 2 or 3 wide and stacked to the ceiling. She connected the upper drums to the lower drums with PVC fittings through the bungs. Using a new garden hose she filled the drums from the top letting the water flow down to the lowest drums and work its way up. Each drum has a slight cant so it will fill and empty completely. Remove all the vent caps and replace as each drum is filled to the point where water starts coming out the vent. No moving of heavy water filled drums, gravity provides the pressure to the spigots in the lowest row of drums-easypeasy!

Wow. That is serious. I need friends like that!
 
These are a nice option but a little spendy: Water Tanks | Water Storage Tanks | 55 Gallon Drums

As a friend of mine says when discussing emergency preparedness, "Water is king."

Those are pretty pricey compared to the Costco 55 gal barrels. I don't understand how you are supposed to use the water brick? It just has 1 huge opening?

Seems like it would be good to have 1 on those containers for ease of use, and a way to fill it using drums or other methods of cheaper storage.
 
I have several WaterBOB in my home. Since your forced to destroy it once the emergency is over. Probably good for weather and riot situations. If an earthquake happens depending on the severity, the water pipes will be broken most likely.

Oh man, kinda sucks you have to destroy it. I guess it makes sense, no good way to drain it. But at 3gal/dollar, once you stock a few of them, you may have been better off with bottled water at 1 gal/dollar.

Might just get 1 as a supplemental, however my biggest concern here is the quake, which like you said, it wouldn't work for.
 
2.5 gal jugs of bottled water are around .60¢ or less at winco.

I drink a gallon of water a day minimum. My wife and daughter are closer to 1.5 gallons a day. Add 2.5 gallons a day for the dog, dishes, hand towel showers and we are at about 5 gallons a day.

I normally buy 1 gallon jugs to make it easier to keep track of my water intake though for the week. Yes, I know there are cheaper ways to get water but it's an extra $3-4 dollars a week to make it stupid simple for me.

I'm now seriously considering buying the 2.5 gallon jugs a couple at a time when I buy my 1 gallon jugs for the week to start stashing them. When I hit 60 then I'll probably go into rotation mode and start filling 1 gallon jugs from the 2.5 jugs.

I already have a 35 gal once used food grade drum I keep full and a bottle of bleach on hand but that seems inadequate after reevaluating my water needs.
 
Sanitation is also key and water is part of that. 3 years ago during a really cold. January my well froze and I had no water- I used all of my stored water, most for flushing the toilets and had to go to the neighbor to get my containers (4x 7 gal reliant and 1x 50 gal drum) refilled- I went through about 30 gallons a day. I would have made a latrine outside but at minus 5 it was just not going to happen, the ground is hard as steel.

I've since fixed the well and have a gen-set too so water should never be a problem again (unless the well pump goes out). that frozen few days taught me just how much water my family goes through and like ammunition, more is better,
 

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