Erik's Upgraded Drinking Water Storage w/Pics

[Doryman]

Amazing set up, Erik. I am going to copy the shit outta this.


For any coastal people around here who are looking for barrels like this, I suggest you snoop around fishing supply areas. I grew up in a fishing town and there were these ubiquitous blue barrels with white tops that fishermen used to store their catch on boats. We called them "spawn" barrels, and I've seen them used for everything. Slightly smaller than Eriks goodies, but of similar construction, and still food-grade.

[marktaff]

I think everyone should start with 2 5-gal water jugs, for several reasons. Firstly, 10 gal is a basic supply for two people for 5 days, for drinking and miserly personal hygiene. Secondly, the containers are great for moving water from a larger supply (say a basement) to point of use, like your kitchen. Lastly, with two jugs, you can carry a balanced load from some public water source (stream, lake, well, govt. relief water tanker) to your shelter. A man in reasonable shape should be able to carry 10 gal (in two 5-gal jugs) for at *least* several hundred yards. If you aren't in good shape, you can still fill each jug halfway and get 5 gallons home.

I have two of these (link) from USA Emergency Supply [$12.50 ea], and I'm quite happy with them. They are small enough that shipping was reasonable. I ordered the jugs plus many other items, and shipping was only $21.

[LBB]

I have cleaning towels for the hygiene, so water isn't needed.
And about 15 gallons of water for 3 days.
In texas it's quite hot, so you can drink a little more per day.

[Odinsown]

Hey everyone:

I have 550 gallons of water stored in 10 55 Gallon drums that I bought brand-new from Nitro-Pak because I didn't stop to think about getting them second hand. Although one should feel good about having so much stored and ready for use; I wonder if it will be enough for one person for a year. My food is freeze-dried and I am sure that I will need about a gallon a day for drinking alone.

Odinsown

[LBB]

Hey everyone:

I have 550 gallons of water stored in 10 55 Gallon drums that I bought brand-new from Nitro-Pak because I didn't stop to think about getting them second hand. Although one should feel good about having so much stored and ready for use; I wonder if it will be enough for one person for a year. My food is freeze-dried and I am sure that I will need about a gallon a day for drinking alone.

Odinsown

think about to three gallons per person per day.

So 1155 gallons for one person should do it for a year.

[KeeblerNinjaClan]

Something I've been wanting to try is to carry around a gallon of water for a day and use it for everything from drinking, to washing to cooking. And then to come to the conclusion that a gallon is woefully inadequate.

[raptor]

Something I've been wanting to try is to carry around a gallon of water for a day and use it for everything from drinking, to washing to cooking. And then to come to the conclusion that a gallon is woefully inadequate.

The climate has a lot to do with it. If you are in TX or LA all you have to do is go out a work in the yard for a few hours in the summer and you will see that 1 gallon is woefully inadequate. In a cool Oregon fall 1 gallon is likely to be good.

I prep at the level of 3 gallons per adult, .5 gallon per pet and 1 gallon per day for cooking. This seems to be adequate for my needs. YMMV

[KeeblerNinjaClan]

I'm also amazed at how much water it takes to wash dishes. Even when trying to be frugal about it with shortages in mind.

[raptor]

I'm also amazed at how much water it takes to wash dishes. Even when trying to be frugal about it with shortages in mind.

Yes but remember that water can be reused for bathing, washing clothes and then for toilet flushing or irrigation. Let the water settle between uses so the crud can filter to the bottom of the container.

The goal is to reuse the same water as much as possible to minimize consumption. Also a wet area like LA and OR you can catch rain fairly easily.

[LBB]

Something I've been wanting to try is to carry around a gallon of water for a day and use it for everything from drinking, to washing to cooking. And then to come to the conclusion that a gallon is woefully inadequate.

Plus emergency's and such things.

Try it for a week, this sounds better.
One day doesn't show you much, a week shows you things you might not thing about.

Maybe you need to wash what you wear as well.
Maybe you get an injury or so.

So 3 gallons is the minimum for a person for a day.
I would say 2 gallons for a child under 12 and 3 gallons over 12 years of age.

You always have to expect the worst case, and in this case your child might have to do hard labor as well.
For your pet, a half gallon might be ok, but maybe you have a large dog, and this dog could come to work as well.

So in general 3 gallons for every adult
2 gallons for every child under the age of 12, 3 gallons over the age of 12 and a gallon for your pet


A fam of 4 with one dog
one child 8 one 13 would come out to this for a year:
1068
1068
1068
712
356
4272 gallons plus an extra of 10 to 20% to be on the safe side.
427- 854

total: 4699- 5126

That's what you should have for a fam of 4 plus one pet.

And yes this is a bunch.
I would build underground water storage for this amount.

[raptor]

And yes this is a bunch.
I would build underground water storage for this amount.

Just put in a pool...seriously a pool works well.

That and add rain barrels to the down spouts and collect rain water.

[LBB]

We didn't had rain for three month in west texas.
So waiting for rain can't be a solution in west texas.

[KeeblerNinjaClan]

The one gallon number came from either a FEMA or Red Cross emergency preparedness plan. It suggested a minimum of 1 gallon, which made me

[LBB]

The one gallon number came from either a FEMA or Red Cross emergency preparedness plan. It suggested a minimum of 1 gallon, which made me

The Red Cross tells you not to have a candle or a lighter in your gear, so I am not really trust a source that thinks we are all children.

FEMA, yeah I could tell you something abut FEMA you wouldn't believe me. In there plan, they will be with you in three days and help you out. I am not sure if I can trust them to be everywhere in three days.

[KeeblerNinjaClan]

FEMA, yeah I could tell you something abut FEMA you wouldn't believe me.

Oh, I bet I would

[LBB]

FEMA, yeah I could tell you something abut FEMA you wouldn't believe me.

Oh, I bet I would

Actually, yes you would.
Lets hope Homeland security has a budget cut.

[88sport]

Man, I'm so glad that I will have a farm with free spring/well water. I am an environmental science type of guy too, so one thing you want to think about possibly is installing some kind of solar water heating. This will allow you to use less fuel, and keep it in reserve for when you need to be on the move, rather than having to waste it while being in your BOL or your current location. I did a project last year on this for my environmental science class, and learned a lot about the different types of systems and such. If you want the PPT, PDFs, and I think the paper, PM me and I will email it all to you (please have some space for big files in your inbox ). I would post it, but I am not sure about how the site would take the bombardment of my files...

[CiggsWar]

I was wondering if there was a natural filtering system, if you could use one those 55 gal drums and turn it into a filter, have sections built into it, charcol and sand layers use half the drum as the filter the other half as the hopper filtering into another 55 gal drum. than use a old handle crank pump to bring up to the kitchen. We have small creek aqua that starts across the street runs through our back yard, and gets the run off as well, runs all year long. I have a woodstove outback I could boil the water as well. anyone have a system like that. There is 5 of us and pets so I figure 25 gal would do ok, I would like to make a cheaper filter or one that can be maintained? I have room in the tool room for it. The other is freezing in the winter time so I rather just carry a 25 gal pail to fill it up.

[raptor]

The first thing I would do is have a sample of the water tested to see what contaminants may be in the water. This is not expensive and will give you a snapshot of what contaminants may be in there. Chemicals like benzine, pesticides and minerals like arsenic can be filtered but you want to know what you are up against.


Read this link from our resident water treatment expert navrre1095 for some ideas on how to filter this water. A slow drip sand filter will do a wonderful job on a lot of contaminants. Polish it off with an activated carbon filter and that will likely take care of most contaminants.

viewtopic.php?f=89&t=53446

The other thin to consider that the water likely could be used for gray water uses and irrigation easily.

[KeeblerNinjaClan]

If you used this water for irrigation, then wouldn't in theory those same contaminants end up in whatever you are irrigating for the most part?

[raptor]

If you used this water for irrigation, then wouldn't in theory those same contaminants end up in whatever you are irrigating for the most part?

It depends upon the contaminants. Heavy metals for instance will not get absorbed into the plants but may build up up on the surface. Dissolved minerals like salt or arsenic will also build up on the soil but depending upon the minerals may be adsorbed by the plants. Organics should not be an issue. This looks like run off from the road is the major threat, so benzine and hydrocarbons would likely be an issue. I am not sure what risk these would pose (if any) if not filtered out.

I am sure there are methethydeath chemicals that can pose an issue. However that is one reason why you want a quick water sample and test.

[CiggsWar]

I was playing with the concept, not really sure this would work, I'm not a plumber or anything lol.
So in this concept it using 3 55 gallon drums 1 is cut in half.
In the first one it the holding hopper and has a fine SS mesh can be removed and cleaned. flows into 2
there is light sand in 2 on the top tan and medium or coarse in the brown layered in mixes. The grey is pebble stone in layers and pick up tube in the bottom. I was thinking of a cone cylinder for the fine so it was sloped and it could be lifted out to be cleaned and fresh fine sand replaced flows into 3 has a restriction in the pipe aiding in speed pressure.
3 water flows over active charcoal I added a small tube to flow back to 2 A weir drip system to aid in circulation when the system not in demand or gets low in water than the water goes into 4, for storage and is pumped with a hand pump to the kitchen.
2&3 have vents on the top for aireration
I can suspend 1&3 have 2&4 on the floor.
If you see better changes let me know. I might have to reserch what size piping to use and lengths constructed from pcv.

[raptor]

Conventional treatment consists of sedimentation, flocculation, and filtration. Some facilities use additional Carbon filters or reverse osmosis filters as well. Carbon has a short life span, the tanks have to be recharged every 60-90 days. R/O filters require ultra clean water to operate with and must be cleaned often.

Chlorine is the most common disinfection agent but Chlorine Dioxide, Ozone, Hydrogen Peroxide, Chloramines, MIOX, and Ultra violet radiation are also used. Chlorine is the simplest and cheapest way to disinfect water. In The End of the World as We Know It, it will be the one that everyone will eventually revert to. That too will eventually become scarce.

Sand has been used to filter water since the Phoenicians used it 4000 years ago. The first municipal slow sand filter was built in Scotland in 1804. The first filters built in the U. S. were also slow sand filters. These were in use long before chlorination became the norm and are fairly effective at treating most types of turbid water. They are not used as often now because of the amount of land required for large volume treatment. Riverbank infiltration and aquifers which use natural filtration are the preferred methods. Surface water is only used when the other options are not viable. Riverbank infiltration uses the same concept as slow sand.

The way a slow sand filter works is that after about 14 days or so of filtration, a biological layer forms on top of the sand. This layer is called the "schmutzdecke". The Schmutzdecke EATS all the organic material that tries to pass through it, Giardia and Crypto included. The water passes through the remaining sand is ready to store. A little chlorine wouldn't hurt but is not necessary. Never add Chlorine to the filter; you'll kill the schmutz. When the flow slows down, lower the water level to an inch or so above the sand and scrape off the top two inches. In two weeks, the filter will be ready for use again. Never drink water from this filter until the schmutzdecke forms.according to the World Health Organization slow sand filters are the cheapest and most effective form of water treatment.

Slow sand filters built from household materials

http://www.shared-source-initiative.com ... osand.html

http://www.howtopedia.org/en/How_to_Fil ... _Filter%3F

http://www.cms-uk.org/GetInvolved/TheCo ... fault.aspx

http://tilz.tearfund.org/Publications/F ... filter.htm

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_hea ... index.html

[rbeau30]

Place to get Barrels and such for those in CO.

http://www.cozerowaste.com/