Water

Which storage item is cheap, good for you, and so important that you can’t do without it for more than a few days? Water, of course!

Water requirement: 14 gallons per person (this will last 2 weeks) Everywhere I looked suggested a 2 week supply. After that look for filtration/purification.

Here is how you get started: It is important to have at least part of your water storage in portable containers. If evacuation becomes necessary, you can easily grab these containers and put them in your car.
Step 1: Start saving your juice and pop bottles and fill them up.
Step 2: If you would like to get 55 gallon drums.
-House of Webster has used metal ones for $8.
o Call ahead and they will reserve the amount that you need.
o (479) 636-4640
-Little Debbie’s (in Springdale) also has plastic ones for about the same price. The thing with Little Debbie’s is that they won’t reserve them for you, and it is first come first serve. So you have to drive out there, and if they have them, they have them, if they don’t, they don’t.
o(479) 361-9100
Step 3: Order pump. You will need a pump in order to siphon the water out of the 55 gallon barrels. (They can be found on Ebay, or Amazon, and range from $8-12)
Step 4: If you already have your water. Make sure that you have a supply of bleach or water purification tablets. (Found at Wal-Mart) This will be helpful when your water supply runs out.

Shelf Life: It is important to empty and refill your water every 6 months to a year. You could plan on using it for your garden every summer.

Water storage guidelines:
-Store water in “FOOD GRADE” or PETE plastic containers (stay away from milk jugs- soda bottles are suitable).
-Store water away from too much light or heat.
-Clean, sanitize, and rinse all containers prior to use.
-Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.
-Do not store water containers directly on concrete. Place on cardboard, block of wood, or other materials.
-Non-chlorinated water (most municipal water is chlorinated) 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.
-Boiling is the safest way to clean water, however you can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Make sure you use regular bleach, not the scented ones. See below for a chart on how much bleach you should add to water.
Amount of Water Amount of bleach to Amount of bleach to
add to clear water add to cloudy water
1 quart 2 drops 4 drops
1 gallon 8 drops 16 drops
5 gallon 1/2 teaspoon 1 teaspoon