Food Storage Do-Over Week 5: Water

We are excited to be starting week 5 of our Food Storage Do-Over 2015! Last week we saw more great progress from all those participating in the shelves and organization do-over and we are excited to keep going. If you didn’t catch last week’s post you can see it here. You should also make sure to check out our Tutorial: How to build a rotating rack in case you missed it.

Remember this is a 17 week process that we will be going through together. If you want to join in with the group on Facebook click here. If you’d like to receive email notifications of each week’s do-over assignment you can join our mailing list here. Or you can always post in the blog comments with your progress as well! It is so much more fun and motivating doing it as a group so find a way to connect!

WATERFACE

In BabyStep 2: WATER we cover the basics of how to properly store water, how much to store, and what to do when your stored water runs out. water is critical to your preparedness plans as you can survive much longer without food than you can without water.

startingfromscratch
If you are BRAND NEW with no water stored yet, you have four tasks for this week:

Determine how much water to store (we recommend 1 gallon per person per day for 2 weeks)
Buy or obtain water storage containers. (This post lists pros and cons of different containers)
Fill your water containers
Purify your water. The easiest way is using bleach but you may use other methods as desired.

If you are feeling ambitious, look through the helpful links at the bottom of this post to get a feel for some additional ideas for more longer term water storage plans (purification, finding other water sources, conserving water, etc.)

Water Storage Tips

Store water in “FOOD GRADE” or PETE plastic containers (stay away from milk jugs, but soda and juice bottles are suitable).
Store water away from too much light or heat.
Clean, sanitize, and rinse all containers prior to use.
Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.
Store water in multiple sizes of containers to suit different emergency needs
Do not store water containers directly on concrete. Place on cardboard, carpet, wood pallets, or other materials.
Rotate your water storage at least once every year

Don’t forget to come over and share your progress in our Food Storage Do-Over Facebook Group!

updating
If you already have your basic water storage needs met, here are a few ways you can participate in the Do-Over this week. It’s always a good idea to re-evaluate, update/rotate, and add to your preps.

Add more containers:
Since you have the basics down, now is a great time to look at other water storage containers that might be useful for different situations. Is all your water in 55 gallon buckets? Maybe you could add a few waterbricks or juice bottles in an upstairs closet or under a bed. We challenge you to add an additional gallon or two per person to your actual stored water this week.

Rotate that water:
This is always something we INTEND to do, but don’t get around to doing it as often as we’d like. There is some debate about whether this is necessary, but after opening a water container and finding algae in it, I’ve decided I’d rather rotate once a year than face having to drink that in an emergency. Yes you can purify it when you need to use it, but rotating seems so much better! Don’t forget to read our tips on how to rotate water so you avoid wasting it.

Research longer term water storage solutions:
Very few people have an actual YEAR SUPPLY of water. The recommendations are normally only a 3-14 day supply. So what do you do when that runs out? Where is the nearest source of water to your home? Do you have the supplies needed to collect rain water? How will you make sure the water is safe to drink? How can you use the least amount of water necessary for non-life-sustaining activities? We address MANY of these topics in the helpful links section below. Spend some time this week doing a little research and perhaps invest in a high capacity water filter/purifier.

Don’t forget to come over and share your progress in our Food Storage Do-Over Facebook Group!

products

	Boxed Water Kits: 5 gallon mylar pouches that store inside cardboard boxes. Stackable up to three high. Only need to rotate every 5 years.
	WaterBricks: 3.5 gallon capacity bricks that can stack. Durable plastic that can store inside or outside. Great for storing in small spaces like closets or under beds.
	Berkey Water Purifiers: High quality filters that both purify and filter water. Useful for emergency water storage as well as every day drinking water.
	Sawyer Bucket Filters: These filters have a Manufacturer’s 1 million gallon guarantee. They offer protection against bacteria and protozoa, and are the first portable filtration devices to remove viruses mechanically. You can purchase either a one bucket or two bucket system depending on your needs.
	Lifestraw Personal Water Filter: This portable lightweight water filter is perfect for emergency kits. It is a filter not a purifier so it will not get out viruses. weighs only 2 ounces and will filter 1000 gallons of water.

helpful
Here are some resources both from us and all over the web that can help you if you want more depth on any areas or are looking for even more ideas of items to include in your plans. It’s always a good idea to look at multiple approaches and decide what will work best for you! And don’t forget to check out the discussions on our facebook group to catch anything we are missing or see what others are doing!