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Gunfixr
04-26-2012, 02:49 AM
Well, some friends and I had a weekend FTX this last weekend. Where we were going, there was no groundwater to filter, so water had to be carried in.
Since there was an expected 10-15 people (only 8 showed, go figure), and two days' time, the expected water requirement was 20-30 gallons.
We personally have two 35 gallon blue barrels, which originally had soda syrup in them, in addition to several 5 gallon blue "jerry can" style cans. I had set up a bung plug with a standard outdoor type faucet on it, which could simply be screwed into the large bung hole on the barrels to facilitate getting the water from them.
We had filled them and treated them back in late '98 or early '99, and they had been in storage ever since. When we moved in 2000, we took them full, as they had only recently filled them. In the house, one was in a closet under a blanket, and the other was in the dining room, against the wall, next to a window, but not in front of it. Direct sunlight does not ever come in this window.
The plan was to take one of these barrels, along with the faucet adapter. Of course, the "cool factor" was using the water that had been in storage for over 12 yrs.
Since the last thing I wanted was everybody behind trees with the runs from the water, I opened one of the barrels, the one from the dining room, to test this water first. I looked inside with a regular flashlight, and could see all the way to the bottom, seeing the blue of the bottom. I poured some into a glass. It was clear, and after about 5 minutes, some air bubbles were forming on the sides of the glass. It tasted a little "flat", but not bad. It did have a solid hint of Dr Pepper (lol).
To be sure, I got a brighter light (100 lumens), for a better look. Sure enough, some greenish brown algae along about 1/4 of the diameter on the bottom.
Oh, well, no 12yr old water for us.
So, I got the other barrel from the closet. It had been in pretty much total darkness for 12yrs.
It was bad. Lots of strange spiderweb type white milky things floating in it.

Needless to say, both were dumped and the barrels washed and bleached.
However, it was a good test of what happens with very long term storage of water.
Oh, the barrels still smell of Dr Pepper, and the one I took flavored the water of Dr Pepper by about halfway through the weekend.

ladyhk13
04-26-2012, 06:42 AM
That's what I worry about when everyone talks about putting water in used soda bottles. I think I like the idea of buying regular water and storing it in it's origional containers with the seal unbroken.

Sniper-T
04-26-2012, 11:27 AM
hmmmm.... considering I mix my rum with Dr. Pepper.... I think I need one of those barrels. I can have the flavour, without the calories of pop.

Thanks for the report!

How'd the rest of the trip go? what all did you do?

ak474u
04-27-2012, 03:45 AM
Obviously, you coulda filtered and boiled the water in a SHTF, but that does sound kinda gross. I've seen the milky floaty stuff before, wouldn't have wanted to find out if it was dangerous.

The Stig
04-27-2012, 01:58 PM
This is awesome!

Thanks for reporting in on real world findings. Most appreciated.

bacpacker
04-27-2012, 02:39 PM
I second that stig. I was planning on rotating my barrels this year anyway but this pushes that way up the list. I will try and use it for watering the garden. Shouldnt hurt anything that way.

Grumpy Old Man
04-27-2012, 04:49 PM
I have a few questions.

1) Was this tap water that was used to fill the barrels?

2) Did you try filtering the stored water-i.e. a gravity filter?

3) Did you try purification with Bleach?

ETA; 4) Did you sterilize the barrel before using it? e.g. use straight bleach or vinegar to clean the barrel of any bacteria etc.

If you did can you give us an AAR on that. Or, if you have another barrel that has the same issues, will you try these things and let us know if they work?

Gunfixr
04-29-2012, 04:20 AM
At the time we filled these, I had no way of filtering large quantities of water with any efficiency, so tapwater was used. It was treated, with a liquid purchased for this purpose. What exactly the substance was I do not know. It was supposed to "super-oxygenate" the water, which was supposed to kill any organisms in it, as nothing can live on too much oxygen. However, some time later, I learned that this was basically impossible.
Yes, the barrels were washed several times with dish detergent, and then washed with bleach. It was an attempt to both clean the barrels and remove the syrup taste. While I'm sure they were quite clean, the taste only got a bit weaker. One problem with plastics is that they do soak up some thins, never to fully release them. It's really not a bad side, as it does give the water some taste.
When hurricane Isabel came through some years ago, we had used one of the 5 gallon cans, which had been cleaned in the same manner, and the same water treated in the same manner, at the same time. That water was fine. So, apparently it had gone bad in about the last 5-8 yrs.
Buying water, when it comes in no larger than 1 gallon increments, is cost-prohibitive, and it has a 1yr max shelf life. Not to mention it would actually take up more storage space.
The only gravity filter available at that time was the Berkey, which we could not afford at that time.
It was not the plan to keep the water that long, it just ended up that way. It just got "out of sight, out of mind", and was still around.
However, it did make for an interesting test, which I decided to share.
I could still have used it, simply pulling it and running it through my Katadyn filter.
Perhaps, I will filter some water, fill them and retreat them, I don't know. There was a local place that sold water distilled on site. If they are still around, I could fill them there. Storage here has become a premium, and there is light, the bane of storage, in most of the house.

bacpacker
04-29-2012, 03:56 PM
GF thanks for doing the post. Your situation when doing the original fill is very similar to what I did with mine. I can't remember what was in one of my barrels originally, but my other 2 were purchased brand new.
I do plan on filtering the water i put back in for the refill. A couple of question for you or anyone else on here, What is the highest rated treatment to treat storage water with? Regardless of rating, has anyone gotten experience with any kinds of treatments that you would either recommend for use, or to stay away from?

Evolver
04-29-2012, 09:06 PM
http://www.shtfready.com/food-water/time-treat-your-stored-water-1711.html

If you store water from the tap you should change it out every six months.
If you treat your stored water you should treat it every six months.

Water treatment.

16 drops of non scented and non out of date bleach per gal (1⁄8 teaspoon)

Pool shock, http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/faq/emerg.html

You can use granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water.
Add and dissolve one heaping teaspoon of high-test granular calcium hypochlorite (approximately ¼ ounce) for each two gallons of water, or 5 milliliters (approximately 7 grams) per 7.5 liters of water. The mixture will produce a stock chlorine solution of approximately 500 milligrams per liter, since the calcium hypochlorite has available chlorine equal to 70 percent of its weight. To disinfect water, add the chlorine solution in the ratio of one part of chlorine solution to each 100 parts of water to be treated. This is roughly equal to adding 1 pint (16 ounces) of stock chlorine to each 12.5 gallons of water or (approximately ½ liter to 50 liters of water) to be disinfected. To remove any objectionable chlorine odor, aerate the disinfected water by pouring it back and forth from one clean container to another.

Evolver
04-29-2012, 09:09 PM
A good reminder is to treat your water every time you change your clocks (DST).

Katrina
05-01-2012, 05:48 AM
Evolver
Fantastic idea. I will have to add that to the "fugitive" information percolating in my mind.

Grumpy Old Man
05-02-2012, 05:59 PM
Thanks for the AAR! Very informative!

ladyhk13
05-03-2012, 03:54 AM
Thanks for the AAR! Very informative!

What's AAR? I'm probably asking a stupid question but I'm still a newbie compared to many of you. Thanks Concrete god of the desert jungle!

bacpacker
05-03-2012, 07:07 PM
After action report.

ladyhk13
05-03-2012, 07:19 PM
Thanks Bp! Duh guess I missed that part in the Army, huh?

bacpacker
05-04-2012, 12:46 AM
Glad to lend a hand. At least I'm not TOTALLY useless.

ladyhk13
05-04-2012, 03:13 AM
No Bp, you are TOTALLY awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!