So far this year we have talked about food storage, 72 hour kits, and evacuation plans. Next up is water storage.
For a quick and easy way to store water and build up a supply gradually, simple rinse out (you may use 1tsp bleach to sanitize if you wish) and re-fill any plastic container with the letters "PETE" on the bottom of the bottle with water. Label the lid with a date and place it in your storage room. Old water bottles, Gatorade bottles, and 2 liter soda bottles work well for this purpose. Milk jugs and juice bottles are not recommended.
If your water has been commercially treated from a water utility with chlorine (not from a well), you don't need to add bleach to the water to keep it clean. Just go ahead and store it.
It is recommended you rotate your self-filled water storage every 6 months. However, water stored longer is safe in emergency situations, it just won't taste as good.
For more extensive information on water storage, visit: http://www.caltriplecrown.com/HarborHillsWard/WaterPurificationandStorage.pdf
I have heard of people also storing water in old plastic detergent bottles to use for CLEANING purposes only. You don't even have to rinse out the bottle all the way and you have water with a little detergent to wash hands or clean other things with. If you do this, make sure to label it really well. Thanks Kammi!
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