[whyspers]

The rest of you guys probably already knew this, but while browsing on Amazon tonight it occurred to me that I could make my own water pouches by filling up and sealing it in Mylar bags. I only did one to test it out for a few days to make sure it will hold the seal. I used a mattress cover to line a heavy duty medium sized moving box, and if this works, will fill the box. Clearly this would not be a good long term water solution, but I thought it was pretty cool. (Yes, I am easily amused.)

 

[C5GUY]

Great idea!! It should work fine since the mylar bags are air tight they should hold water with no issues. I know that they sell water already sealed in mylar bags but they are real proud of it. Are you going to add a few drops of bleach to keep it fresh?

 

[Leon]

Great idea!! It should work fine since the mylar bags are air tight they should hold water with no issues. I know that they sell water already sealed in mylar bags but they are real proud of it. Are you going to add a few drops of bleach to keep it fresh?

I hear you can use table salt as well, then it has the added benefit of some salts

 

[whyspers]

No, I didn't add anything to it because it is "city" water and already chlorinated. I figure it will last at least five years as is.

 

[Leon]

No, I didn't add anything to it because it is "city" water and already chlorinated. I figure it will last at least five years as is.

NOO NUNO it does not last five years. Bottled water doesn't last 5 years. My water stocks have to be dumped out and sterilized every 6 mos. To my knowledge nothing you can physically do will make water safe past 6 mos but boiling adding tabs or filtering it. Even the military with its new atmosphere water collectors add salt to it and store it for only 4 months before a flush and refill. If you figured the mylar was the ticket, the stuff works well in a vacuum for sealing dry foodstuffs but water is a whole other thing. The mylar adds no extra shelf life to water.

 

[whyspers]

I don't say you are wrong, Leon, (I have no idea) but do you have any sources you could share with me to back that up? I'm a trust but verify kinda girl.

The reason I ask is, the pouches I looked at on Amazon were called Datex Emergency Water Pouches and they had an alleged shelf-life of five years. See http://www.amazon.com/Datrex-Emerge...OW96/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336308194&sr=8-1. Also, the Mormons say:

Water Pretreatment

Water from a chlorinated municipal water supply does not need further treatment when stored in clean, food-grade containers.
Non-chlorinated water should be treated with bleach. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) for every gallon (4 liters) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
See http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7534-1-4065-1,00.html

However, they also say the water must be emptied and refilled regularly.

I admit to having trust issues w/the gov't sometimes and don't always believe everything they tell us, but I have no issue w/believing FEMA when they say:

Filling Water Containers

If the tap water has been commercially treated from a water utility with chlorine, you do not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean. If the water you are using comes from a well or water source that is not treated with chlorine, add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to the water.Tightly close the container using the original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your finger. Place a date on the outside of the container so that you know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place.

However, they agree w/you that you should "Replace the water every six months if not using commercially bottled water." See http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water.shtm

I would think, however, that an argument could be made that if you had the water stored for a couple of years and then boiled, used Clorox, or otherwise treated the water before use, it would be at least as safe as what you might get from your local river, no?

Then again, it wouldn't really be that big of a deal to empty out the Mylar bags every six months, clean them well with a Clorox solution, and refill and reseal for another six months. Heck, I bet you could use those same bags for four or five years, although you would lose volume each time.

 

[amym505]

Whyspers, what a great idea. Thanks for the info to back it up. I have seen kits like this on other sites, but they are a little pricey.
I agree wit you, that water can be stored for years. It may need to be boiled, retreated and oxygenated, but it is still usable water. We cannot store hundreds or thousands of gallons of water if we are trying to save a years worth of water, and expect to change it all out.
Thanks for the post!

 

[Leon]

Well, any doctor or water worker can tell you it DOESN'T last five years, no water storage method known will make it last five years no matter what was done to it. It WILL be stagnant when you open it after that long. Read the US army survival manual, they tell you to dump the water every six months and re-sterilize / refill. Conditions vary and yes, the human body can ingest surprisingly rotten things but bad water can make you very sick, very effectively. I'm not just saying that, it (I thought) was common knowledge. But I'll say this: I'll wager 2,000 US dollars that anyone here who drinks year old water will get sick. If you saw some of mine when I empty them at six months it's a NASTY business, that water is a cloudy yellow in some of those containers. I could run it through my sawyer filter but if not that's about all it's good for is putting out a fire.

 

[C5GUY]

Well, any doctor or water worker can tell you it DOESN'T last five years, no water storage method known will make it last five years no matter what was done to it. It WILL be stagnant when you open it after that long. Read the US army survival manual, they tell you to dump the water every six months and re-sterilize / refill. Conditions vary and yes, the human body can ingest surprisingly rotten things but bad water can make you very sick, very effectively. I'm not just saying that, it (I thought) was common knowledge. But I'll say this: I'll wager 2,000 US dollars that anyone here who drinks year old water will get sick. If you saw some of mine when I empty them at six months it's a NASTY business, that water is a cloudy yellow in some of those containers. I could run it through my sawyer filter but if not that's about all it's good for is putting out a fire.

Since I could really use the $2,000 US dollars you are invited to be present when I change my water supply this Sept. 12th. For several years now I have maintained 185 days of drinking water mainly in 3 55 gal. water grade plastic barrels as well as several other food grade 5 gals. water tanks. I obtain my water from my local city supply through food grade non vinyl water hoses and I always treat my water supply with 4% sodium hypochlorite (Clorex) due to the low chlorine level in our city water based on our yearly water quality report for our county in Arkansas. I will be glad to drink you a quart of my one year old stored water prior to using it to water my yard and plants with. I as well as all of my family have tried our stored water many times with no ill effects. It is not the best tasting stuff in the world and no matter what anyone claims I can still taste the plastic even though my drums were brand new when we started using them. It also has avery flat taste but the water has no real clouding and has never had any discoloring to it. I actually think I could stored water this way for several years but since I maintain an agriculture water line in the summer and early fall it is too cheap not to drain, clean and refill my barrels each early fall. I actually prefer silver but you can just bring the $2000 in $20.00 bills too.

 

[Leon]

Well, like I said conditions vary. Still pretty sure of my findings though, water can be the hardest one to get right. Keep in mind though even the bottled water companies place a exp date on their product and say to keep it out of light. Me and Hank both find they pretty much have it right in saying to dump / clean / refill twice yearly. Horror stories abound in Iraq and Afghanistan of amoebic infestations and rancid water. People don't always understand that it goes rancid. It'll turn a slight color and then start building the cloudy layer. Pretty soon after that it turns spooky, smells like butt. Trouble is you can be drinking what smells and looks like clean water and STILL catch the squirts. Like as a woodsman I don't even trust my canteen past a couple days if conditions are warm. I might be completely wrong but I'm going by what I've dealt with and what I learned from the army. Then again freezing a block of clean water and keeping it frozen probably proved me wrong but how practical that is...who knows. Me and Hank sunk a well due to screwing with water, best workaround we found for like 250 bucks. Clean good water all year round. On the bet, you drink 5 year old water my friend and I will pay to see that

 

[whyspers]

I see no contradiction in erring on the side of caution. If I can rotate/restock, that sounds like the best plan to me. However, if I find myself in a SHTF scenario and find myself short on water, I will be very glad for those Mylar bags that didn't get tossed. I'll boil/filter or otherwise decontaminate and take my chances at that point.

 

[C5GUY]

Well, like I said conditions vary. Still pretty sure of my findings though, water can be the hardest one to get right. Keep in mind though even the bottled water companies place a exp date on their product and say to keep it out of light. Me and Hank both find they pretty much have it right in saying to dump / clean / refill twice yearly. Horror stories abound in Iraq and Afghanistan of amoebic infestations and rancid water. People don't always understand that it goes rancid. It'll turn a slight color and then start building the cloudy layer. Pretty soon after that it turns spooky, smells like butt. Trouble is you can be drinking what smells and looks like clean water and STILL catch the squirts. Like as a woodsman I don't even trust my canteen past a couple days if conditions are warm. I might be completely wrong but I'm going by what I've dealt with and what I learned from the army. Then again freezing a block of clean water and keeping it frozen probably proved me wrong but how practical that is...who knows. Me and Hank sunk a well due to screwing with water, best workaround we found for like 250 bucks. Clean good water all year round. On the bet, you drink 5 year old water my friend and I will pay to see that

As soon as I get my first $2000 I will buy another water tank and store it for 5 years and drink a quart for you for say....$5000 US dollars. By the way...I still prefer silver.It is all about how and what you store your water in and the water that you start with. You need to get a free water quality report for your municipal water supplier, they are required by federal law to furnish you this report once a year. Look at what is really in your water and go from there.

 

[Leon]

well I won't even bother, in GA ppl are some of the worst you ever saw. Trying to get my damn handicapped sticker was a two trip affair. The water here though everyone knows it's got lots of sediment in it, you always get a pink ring in the bathtub and have to flush the muck out of your hot water heater every 6 mos. GA public water may be my culprit but the stuff that comes out of our well is great, I don't get that. Lake Lanier is fairly darn clear (you can see like 18 feet down) and the Chattahoochee is highly clear all the way to the bottom, and I think that's where they get most of it. But the stuff out of my tap is filthy, go figure.

 

[C5GUY]

well I won't even bother, in GA ppl are some of the worst you ever saw. Trying to get my damn handicapped sticker was a two trip affair. The water here though everyone knows it's got lots of sediment in it, you always get a pink ring in the bathtub and have to flush the muck out of your hot water heater every 6 mos. GA public water may be my culprit but the stuff that comes out of our well is great, I don't get that. Lake Lanier is fairly darn clear (you can see like 18 feet down) and the Chattahoochee is highly clear all the way to the bottom, and I think that's where they get most of it. But the stuff out of my tap is filthy, go figure.

I know of several people that live in the Atlanta, GA area and they always complain about their water quality. Maybe the water plants are just old but usually good water quality starts out with a good source. We get our water from Beaver Lake here in Benton County and it is a large, clear deep (1200+Feet) lake. They add very little chlorine which is why I add the amount I do prior to storing it. While I am not big on the taste after it is stored for a year I can always run what I want to drink through my filter system and use the rest for cooking. There are many natural springs in and close to my area but I have been told that the water source is poorer than what we get from our municipal source so I leave it alone unless I am ever in dire straits.