No water

[desertman]

The 9 litres a day storage was the suggested amount you store for an emergency - hopefully you will only use under a half of that - depending on weather and time of year etc - When you have chance record the approximate amount you use at home - be honest and record what each member of the family use..I bet it is more than 9 litres / day LOL
Bear in mind that governments and organisations suggest you store food and water for 3 days - load of BS - I suggest minimum of 10 - 14 days - remember the floods in Gloucester about 5 years ago? It was over a week (and in some places 2 weeks) before local authority assistance reached people and delivered drinking water - when the crunch comes, assume the worst and rely on your own experience and preparation

[2ndRateMind]

Bear in mind that governments and organisations suggest you store food and water for 3 days - load of BS - I suggest minimum of 10 - 14 days

Yes. As a newbie at this prepping thang, my initial goal is 14 days supplies, and 120l of water. But I would expect the water to last, even in emergency conditions, a lot longer than 14 days!

Cheers, 2RM.

[izzy_mack]

We all know how vital water is, but we also tend to take it for granted. As a prepper (albeit VERY novice), I realised I needed to do more, so I was very smug with myself last week for geting 3 drums which should hold 45gall. each. I had planned to give them a good clean and fill them on sunday. Woke up sunday morning 7am. No WAter! We had a burst mains and water off for several hours. I had bottled water, so thank goodness I had my de-grumping morning cuppa and could cook.
Then I realised JUST how unprepared i was. if the water wasn't ever coming back on, I was in deep s***. I am supposed to be clued up and here I was, as bad as any of the ostriches out there, barely able to last more than a few days.
i am now planning a 250gall tank as well and this rime I will be a bit quicker off the mark filling it.

The old saying " don't put off till tomorrow, what you can do today" has new meaning for me. How do we know tomorrow will give us the chance to do anything more? when tshtf it might in be a second.

[st3vi3]

This link got me thinking, we have a well also and just fitted new pump, last one was old and not as fast as should been. Would really need a back up one now. We pump from well to a milk lorry body as storage and gravity fed through the farm, supplies 2500 pigs, cattle and sometimes sheep. Supplies all fields water and the homestead if required. Also have mains supply.
Never thought of pump breaking thanx for the link

[munchh]

Water butts in the garden, something ive thought about allot, but how long can that water sit before it need something like a lifesaver bottle to make it usable?
I have a 5 litre bottle in my car always, but the last time I went to use it it smelt like wet dog?

Im now looking at black or dark green plastic jerry cans as this should reduce the chance of 'growth', but im assuming water butts will get things like midge larve in them as they are not really air tight?

[jansman]

I have a large water butt storage system. I let it settle in the bucket , then strain through muslin pad. Now I COULD use puritabs. However, I save those( and my guts) for when I have to. Now I boil it and let it cool.

I have done this now for a while. Just so I can if I need to.

[celtic69]

I have around 50ltr + sterilising equipment

[st3vi3]

After 60 days of water sitting static, can it be used? Or how long before it can't be used?

[munchh]

Thats what Im wondering..

[ForgeCorvus]

After 60 days of water sitting static, can it be used? Or how long before it can't be used?

Water doesn't go 'off', as long as its pure when you put it into sterile containers.

However, the slightest contamination can give the nasties a toehold. So you need to store the cleanest water possible airtight and lightless in the cleanest containers possible.

Use a good sanitiser and cleaner (look in the home-brewing section) and run your tap until you can smell chorine.

BTW. If water just sits, the suspended oxygen (or other gases) will get out (in the same way that fizzy drinks go flat....Can't remember the posh word for it ATM). This means the water can have an unpleasant 'taste' (not really a flavor, what you're detecting is the absence of something. In the same way that unseasoned food tastes bad), you need to get some air back into it (shake it up in a half full bottle or pour it from container to container a couple of times)