Irma and Florida

[les snyder]

I fill a 33 gal plastic trash can in my tub with potable water but use it to flush and bathe with... it still gives me access to the shower drain, that the filled tub does not... I use a dedicated garden sprayer (no insecticide/herbicide) to provide water pressure to shower with... painted black, it allows a warm shower if power is off... stay safe Florida

[les snyder]

to disinfect drinking water with bleach... 8 drops per gallon for clear water, let stand 30min, and be sure to slosh the solution over the mouth of the container

for bulk storage... 2ml will give you this 8 drop/gallon concentration in 20L (5 gal) of water

[Solus]

to disinfect drinking water with bleach... 8 drops per gallon for clear water, let stand 30min, and be sure to slosh the solution over the mouth of the container

for bulk storage... 2ml will give you this 8 drop/gallon concentration in 20L (5 gal) of water

Les, maybe you can help with a question I have.  I am using Water Bricks to store water long term.  I fill them with tap water and wonder how long the water will stay "fresh" with the lids tight?   And what treatment should be used when they are needed to be opened...even if "just to be on the safe side"?

Water Bricks 3.5 gallons each.   Buy 10 from Overstocked for $162 plus shipping

https://www.overstock.com/Emergency-Preparedness/Stackable-Portable/28110/subcat.html?featuredproduct=10398688&featuredoption=15930262&cid=202290&kid=9553000357392&track=pspla&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=17501122-000-000&gclid=CjwKCAjw_8jNBRB-EiwA96Yp1pCHqwxhQG34-82FlbzY_YgnRe6zzXt5Pbh0096inu_R4RNTvSsamxoCFJAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=COC47cOwltYCFYcMgQodxd8PLg

[Big Frank]

to disinfect drinking water with bleach... 8 drops per gallon for clear water, let stand 30min, and be sure to slosh the solution over the mouth of the container

for bulk storage... 2ml will give you this 8 drop/gallon concentration in 20L (5 gal) of water

Be sure to use regular bleach only, and not scented, Splash-Less, etc. Here's some of the information from the Clorox web page on treating water with bleach. I recommend everyone read the whole page.

"ONLY use Clorox® Regular-Bleach or new Concentrated® Clorox® Regular-Bleach.  DO NOT use the Scented bleaches, High Efficiency bleach, Splash-Less bleach, Clorox® Ultimate Care Bleach, or the Clorox® Bleach Pen Gel."

https://www.clorox.com/dr-laundry/disaster-preparedness-purifying-water/

[les snyder]

Solus.... I change my stored water out at the beginning of hurricane season each year (June for me), so mine is no more than a year old... I add the 2 milliliter of unscented Clorox for each of the 20 liter (5 gal containers) at the time they are filled, and not when used... I did not write down where I got the test strips, but found some with low part per million test range... around 3ppm is recommended to sufficiently kill the critters... I have a Sawyer .1 micron 5 gallon bucket system just in case

I would think that as long as the available chlorine is 2 to 3 ppm, it could be stored for a couple of years... my thinking is that the chlorine in the water will help inhibit any growth in the container to some extent

the 2ml comes from 5 gal x 8 drops = 40drops....   typically 20 drops per ml, so 2ml give me the 8 drop concentration

[Sponsor]

[billt]

....I add the 2 milliliter of unscented Clorox for each of the 20 liter (5 gal containers) at the time they are filled, and not when used...

Isn't there a product specifically made for the treatment of stored drinking water? I would think there would be, as opposed to using a laundry product that wasn't manufactured for human consumption. During times like this there would certainly be a market for it up and down the Gulf Coast. From Brownsville to Key West.

[Rastus]

Yes there are specific chemicals for this.  But they all are either sodium hypochlorite (which is bleach) or iodine.  Instead of showing NACIO they list ingredients in their elemental concentration in the water solution they put them in as sodium, oxygen, chlorine. 

I'd rather drink a little bleach (think swimming pool oops) than iodine....but I have both.

[Timothy]

And keep in mind that chlorine has been used in municipal water for decades.

I vote for rum, 40 proof or higher, like the oldie time sailors did!  Build a still...

[MikeBjerum]

Isn't there a product specifically made for the treatment of stored drinking water? I would think there would be, as opposed to using a laundry product that wasn't manufactured for human consumption. During times like this there would certainly be a market for it up and down the Gulf Coast. From Brownsville to Key West.

Plain old bleach is the chemical.  The only difference between plain bleach and the sodium hypochlorite used commercially is the concentration, and often that isn't even different.

A cool thing about bleach is that when you add it to water and let it work, which doesn't take long, you can then throw an aerator in the water and get rid of the chlorine taste and smell.

[Rastus]

Or use a charcoal filter to get rid of it.

A lot of the special "deck cleaning" and outdoor "industrial" cleaners at the big home stores are sodium hypochlorite.  The thing to watch for is the concentration...the name brand bleaches are usually 4-5% and you can get the no-names a lot cheaper with some up to 6% or higher concentration.  Some of the liquid pool cleaners are a much higher concentration and that's what I use to clean decks and concrete....a bargain compared to "fit for purpose (to clean out your wallet)" industrial cleaners.