Water storage and sanitation

[frans]

We are getting constant power outages which means no water because we are on a well.
so my query is, after scrubbing and rinsing, how long to soak a container with 1teaspoon per gallon of water? (What the internet says to do).
is it safe to rinse the container with white vinegar after soaking to remove the bleach slime and taste?
my main containers Are those military brown plastic 5 gallon water containers. I would like to be able to use these as potable water containers.
thx

 

[stig]

One teaspoon of what?

 

[Altissimus]

When on Ski Patrol and Snowmaking we had summit shacks w out water. Water was available at the Summit Lodge , we used the five gallon spigot coolers. Two people would always go to fill up. Quick wash and rinse before next fill kept things clean and safe. Don't think we ever needed Bleach.

 

[flushcut]

Do you have a natural spring close by? We have an a couple closeish by and that water keeps for quite some time with no treatment. I don't think it has ever been stored more than two months but it's as good as the day the jug was filled. We use water cooler jugs, 5 gallon. Store it in a cool place out of sun light even indirect sun light, just how I do it.

 

[Reddog]

Just go to a local brewing supplier and buy sanitizer.
Most of that only needs to soak a minute or two.
Then no rinse is needed and you can fill immediately with water.

 

[frans]

The. U,bet one reason why people live longer today than at any time in history is because of clean water. fact.
Flushcut, your creek water may taste fine, it it’s the microbes growing that harm you.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Generator to run the well. When charged, my small pressure tank provides a lot of water, like a couple days, including toilet flushing. Shower when the generator is running.

 

[Benjo75]

I grew up on well water. I have city water now and hate it. I'm planning to have a well dug in the next year or two. I drive about 20 minutes to Hot Springs and fill up several 5 gallon water containers and a bunch of one gallon jugs. They usually last us a month or so just for drinking and tea and coffee making. Never had any problem with it so far. Been doing it for years. The water from those springs is over 6000 years old. So I guess water doesn't go bad as soon as one might think. Storing it in plastic jugs in heat and sunlight is a difficult story though. What leaches into the water from the plastic jugs would be more of a concern to me.

If I was to store it for more than a few months I'd buy some water purification tablets and use as directed.