How long store water

Seal the container tightly. Take care not to touch the inside of the cap with your fingers, to avoid contamination. Label the container. Write "drinking water" on the side, along with the date you bottled it or purchased it. Store in a cool, dark place. Light and heat can damage containers, especially plastic ones. Sunlight can also cause algae or mold to grow in clear containers, even sealed, store-bought bottles.

Vapors can pass through some plastic containers and contaminate the water. Check on the supply every 6 months. If stored properly, unopened, store-bought bottled water should stay good indefinitely, even if the bottle has an expiration date. Open 1 container at a time. If you need to use your emergency supply, store open water containers in a refrigerator or cold location. Use an open container within 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, 1 to 2 days in a cold room, or a few hours in a warm room.

Drinking directly from the container or touching the rim with dirty hands increases the risk of contamination. After you boil water, do you need to let it cool before filling up the container? Anthony "TC" Williams. This is especially important if you are pouring it into a plastic or soft sided container.

Not Helpful 3 Helpful A 50 gallon liter container would require 5 teaspoons 25 ml. Double the amount of teaspoons or milliliters if water is cloudy.

Not Helpful 9 Helpful Fill it up to the top. The less air inside the bottle the better. Yes, keep the bottle sealed airtight.

Then pop it in the fridge to keep it cool. Not Helpful 5 Helpful Adding a tiny bit of chlorine and sealing the water tight should keep it clean.

Make sure bugs don't get into the tank. As I understand it, both bleach and chlorine are toxic. Why would I add them to a water supply? Municipalities also use bleach to disinfect water. Much like fluoride, bleach in small amounts does not harm you. If you think about alcohol, it is a poison. One or two drinks of alcohol a day, though, is good for your digestion. Not Helpful 24 Helpful No, the FDA recommends rotating the supply every 6 months if you have bottled it yourself.

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 9. I researched this for myself and got different answers depending on the source. I was unable to find a definitive source that I would definitely trust.

Some said no problem unless it had oil, gasoline or chemical spills like in a garage. Others said never. All agreed it was safe with a barrier like layers of cardboard or wood slats. Since it isn't too difficult to create said barrier, that is what I went with. Not Helpful 2 Helpful Can I use a Brita water filter system to disinfect water before putting it into a storage container? Yes, however, you must still purify the water.

Filter first, purify with bleach, then air seal. Not Helpful 7 Helpful Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. For emergencies, keep a portable water filter, like a Lifestraw, on hand. These can be used to filter bacteria out of water without the use of heat. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Consider freezing some of your water so you have a short-term way to store perishables if the power goes out.

Freeze water in plastic containers with a couple inches a few centimeters of head space, as the expanding ice can break glass or overfilled containers. Water kept in long-term storage can taste "flat" due to the loss of air, especially if it was boiled.

Pour the water in long streams between 2 containers to aerate the water again and improve taste. Keep in mind that you may not be able to stay in your home during an emergency. Store at least some of your water in containers you can transport easily.

Do not use bleaches that are scented, colorsafe, or have added cleaners. Use regular liquid bleach containing 5. The treated water should be mixed thoroughly and allowed to stand for 30 minutes before use. The water should have a slight bleach odor. If it does not, repeat the dosage and let the water stand for an additional 15 minutes before use. Fill clean containers and store as described in Method A.

The guidelines listed in this publication are the simplest options available in most communities. Let's Stay Connected. By entering your email, you consent to receive communications from Penn State Extension.

View our privacy policy. Thank you for your submission! How to Store Water for Drinking or Cooking. Storing water for an emergency is simple, especially when the water is not contaminated.

Here are some guidelines for storing water. How much water should I store? Select the option that best suits your family. Method A If your water comes from a public water supplier or is disinfected, you can store it in clean soda bottles or milk jugs with screw-on tops. Thoroughly wash plastic soda bottles or milk jugs with warm, soapy water.

Use containers with screw-on tops. Sanitize the container by putting one teaspoon of household liquid bleach 5. Pour this solution in the container and leave it there for two minutes. Pour the sanitizing solution from the container. If you do not have bottled water, you can make your water safe to drink by following the instructions listed on our Making Water Safe in an Emergency page and using clean containers to collect and store your water.

When storing safe water water that has been treated to make it safe to use , it is best to use food-grade water storage containers, which do not transfer toxic substances into the water they are holding. FDA-approved food-grade storage containers can be found at surplus or camping supply stores.

Contact the manufacturer if you are not sure if a storage container is food grade. If you are not able to use a food-grade water storage container, be sure the container you choose:. To receive updates highlighting our recent work to prevent infectious disease, enter your email address:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Creating and Storing an Emergency Water Supply.

Minus Related Pages. Bottled Water. How Much Emergency Water to Store. Store at least 1 gallon of water per person per day for 3 days for drinking and sanitation. Try to store a 2-week supply if possible.