Water Storage Containers Pros and Cons

In BabyStep 2: Water we go over a few different options on storage containers for your water. As we have rearranged our food storage areas, lived through small “emergencies”, and practice other scenarios during our 7 Day Challenge each year we have come to realize that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to water storage. There are many different things to consider and we wanted to go into more detail on some of the different options and why they might be the right one for you. Hope this is helpful for you!

Remember this is for actual WATER STORAGE, if you have some solutions in place for purification/filtration your storage needs may be less. However, we feel like it is never a bad thing to have lots of actual water stored in case you don’t have access to ANY water in an emergency.

Used 2 Liter Pop Bottles or Juice Bottles

Pros
– Essentially FREE if you buy them anyway or get from someone else
– Convenient size for smaller water emergencies
– Easy to store anywhere in the house

Cons
– Must rotate every 6 months to 1 year
– Hard to clean out enough that the taste isn’t a bit “off”
– Concern about bacteria if not cleaned out well enough

Best Used For
– 72 Hour Kits
– People on a tight budget
– Small spaces storage solutions

Store-Bought Water Bottles

Pros
– Great tasting, so it’s ideal for drinking water
– Easy to rotate through the individual bottles
– Easy to store anywhere in the house

Cons
– Must rotate every 6 months to 1 year
– Price per gallon can be fairly expensive
– Difficult to store in large quantities
– Bottles will freeze in winter, and chemicals can leach into them in severe heat, so not ideal for car kits in extreme conditions

Best Used For
– 72 hour kits
– People concerned with taste of drinking water
– Small emergencies

Small Water Pouches or Water Cartons

Pros
– 5 year shelf life!
– Awesome for 72 hour kits
– Water typically won’t freeze in the pouches or small water boxes

Cons
– Expensive storage method
– Not ideal for large quantities
– Not available in local stores everywhere

Best Used For
– 72 Hour Kits
– Car kits

Found Online
– Emergency Water Pouches
– Aqua Blox Water Box

5/6 Gallon Plastic Jugs

Pros
– Decent price per gallon
– More convenient size than large barrels
– Pretty easy to empty and rotate
– Easy to find in the camping section of most stores

Cons
– Many of these jugs end up having problems with cracking and leaking so beware
– 5 or 6 gallon jugs can be HEAVY if you are trying to pour with them and haul them up and down stairs by yourself
– Must be rotated every 6 months to 1 year
– Take up a lot of space in storage since you can’t stack them

Best Used For
– Smaller storage spaces
– Tighter budgets

Found Online
– Options at Amazon.com

Water Bricks

Pros
– 3.5 gallons per brick makes it more manageable than 5/6 gallon containers
– Stackable from floor to ceiling!
– They are safe to freeze so can be stored outside
– Great size to stash under beds, in closets, etc.

Cons
– A little more expensive per gallon
– Not available in local stores everywhere

Best Used For
– Storage rooms where space is an issue
– Shorter term water emergencies for drinking and cooking
– People without considerable budget restraints

Found Online
– Water Brick Containers

Water Barrels

Pros
– Best solution for storing LOTS of water
– Available in multiple sizes from 30 gallons up to 250 gallons
– With additives, can extend rotation needs to every 5 years
– Great use of floor space in a storage room with water barrel towers

Cons
– Slightly difficult to fill and rotate
– Not very accessible when you have to actual USE the water
– Not an ideal solution in small homes/storage areas and can’t be stored outside

Best Used For
– Longer term water shortages
– Large quantities of water storage

Found Online
– Water Barrel Towers
– Water Barrels

Remember, you will probably find that a combination of these storage containers works well for you. We use almost all of these options for one purpose or another in our water storage. What water storage solution works best for YOU?