Posted: 3/21/2009 9:43:45 PM EDT
| Is there an additive you can add to a 55 gallon drum to "preserve" the water? I'm aware of the purification tabs, but will these work to preserve it? Or should I not worry about the water till I want to drink it, then purify it? |
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Found lots of good Info here http://practicalpreps.com/forums3/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=33
Looks like you should rotate every 6 months. |
| Don't put bleach in until you're going to drink it. This site recommends you replace the water every six months. It also has a table at the bottom that says how much bleach you should put in. |
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Look at PUROGENE. Looked at it. Looks like it's good for purifying water tanks, but not sure if it's meant for long term storage. Do you have any experience with it in that capacity? I filled my water barrels FEB. 2006 with tap water and added Purogene. This is a sample I pulled today. Tomorrow I'll see if the chemist will run a BAC-T test on it at the water plant I work at. 
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I emailed the people at Purogene. The reply said that it should easily last a year or more. The recommendation was to test once a year. Here is part of a PDF file he sent me.
YEARLY CHECK AND RETREATMENT 1. Open the storage water container and draw out one quart of stored water. 2. Check for clarity and odor. If water is cloudy or odor is objectionable, it is recommended to discard the water and start at the Procedure for Contaminated Water. Closely examine the integrity of the container seal before using it again for water storage. 3. If water quality is acceptable, follow the Procedure for Fresh Water. 4. Reseal the storage water container. 3R PUROGENE is a 2% solution of stabilized chlorine dioxide (contains no free chlorine). Chlorine dioxide has been recognized safe for water treatment for more than 50 years. 3R PUROGENE can bleach fabrics and wood. Review the precautions for handling on the 3R PUROGENE bottle. Only thing I'm not sure about is how do I know if the quality is acceptable? Is going just off smell and sight good enough? I wouldn't think so. |
| Our Chemist at work said the test he performed on my water sample showed no contaminates. Our water barrels were filled the last week of FEB 2006 with tap water and then treated with PUROGENE. They have been in the basement since then. We will refill them this week and add PUROGENE. In the future we plan to change the water every 18 months. |
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I'm not trying to be combative, but what is a "BacT" test? Was it a test for anaerobic growth? coliform presence? or just general HPC (heterotropic plate count)? I'm just trying to balance the true effectivness of this stuff - it sounds good. M The test looks for any coliform presence. After we repair a water main break or install a new main the lab pulls samples to test, our crews always called it a "bac T " test, bacterial test before we pull a boil order. 
I guess "no contaminates" is misleading, the lab stated it was safe to drink. 
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The wife and I ran across this from SureWater.
I would think that a storage system that is able to continually rotate your "stored water" would be good, however, contamination (especially from a well) can take that off line. This site recommends a 6 month water rotation schedule as well. They have tanks from a 204 gallon indoor unit (that will fit through a door) to a 525 gallon outdoor tank. Not too bad actually. Blessings to all, Sam |
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I rotate mine every 3 years. It use to be every year. Once I took a water sample to work. I use to work for a hospital with a full blown laboratory. Had a buddy of mine who worked in that department test the sample. He stated it's safe to drink. I fill my drum till it over flows with filtered tap water. Keep it tightly sealed and completely covered. I have not treated my water with chlorine or other chemicals yet. |
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Try this, it claims it will stablize water for up to 5 years.
Here |