Water Barrels that had food OK for water storage?

[jedi]

Anyone have an experience with getting a used 55 gallon water barrel that was used for food storage (ie. one had pickles, the other had saurkraut) and keeping drinking water in it?

Will the water taste like pickles/saurkraut? Even if you clean and re-clean the barrel?

Found some used barrels on sale but the previous contents was the mentiond food products above.

 

[Wwwildthing]

Containers that have an odor and/or a residual of the product previously stored in it, should NOT be used for human drinking water.

So to answer your questions... yes and yes.

 

[shibumiseeker]

It'll be safe for water storage, but it will impart odor to your water for quite a while. I have several of the ones used for pickles and olives and it took a couple of years of use before the odor mostly went away. If it bothers you, filter with a charcoal filter before use. If you are that desperate for water during SHTF, you'll be happy to just have it and a slight odor will be the least of your worries. If you are getting them for free or very low cost then go for it. If you are paying for them then you might as well get ones that don't have the residual odor anyway.

A good strategy is to not get overly concerned with how you treat water for storage, either rotate it out regularly, or treat it before use since no matter what you do to treat water, it can go bad over time (not that it will go bad, just that it can, there's a difference). If you treat it just before use then you don't have to worry if it went bad or not.

 

[irishhunter]

On this topic anyone know anyplace local to get them new and not have to pay shipping?

 

[grunt soldier]

On this topic anyone know anyplace local to get them new and not have to pay shipping?

craigslist has them all the time in the farm and garden section.

 

[jedi]

Containers that have an odor and/or a residual of the product previously stored in it, should NOT be used for human drinking water.

So to answer your questions... yes and yes.

**ONLY** if prior "residue" was NOT a food product. (ie. window cleaner, oils, gas, etc...) then off course not! But if the prior liquid was ALWAYS a food it is OK for drinking water granted as others have stated it may bot taste like water and you may end up with an odor.

 

[Lynn Smith]

Here is a company that sells food grade barrels. Last I checked it was about $25 for a barrel. They are steam cleaned of their previous, non-hazardous products. I purchased two last year for a rain barrel project I still need to complete.


B & B Box & Drum Inc

1527 Miller St
Indianapolis, IN 46221
(317) 639-5185


New & Used Boxes - Wholesale & Retail. We also sell 5 gallon buckets, 5 gallon plastic buckets, Poly Drums, Steel Drums & Fiber Drums. Come in and see if we have what you need!

 

[jedi]

Here is a company that sells food grade barrels. Last I checked it was about $25 for a barrel. They are steam cleaned of their previous, non-hazardous products. I purchased two last year for a rain barrel project I still need to complete.


B & B Box & Drum Inc

1527 Miller St
Indianapolis, IN 46221
(317) 639-5185


New & Used Boxes - Wholesale & Retail. We also sell 5 gallon buckets, 5 gallon plastic buckets, Poly Drums, Steel Drums & Fiber Drums. Come in and see if we have what you need!

Thanks for the info but they are too ffffffaaaaaaarrrrrr away for us NWI INGO boys and girls. There is a guy in craiglist right now out of SOUTH Chicago that is selling used black barrels for $15 that had pickles/saukraut in them before. I need to call him tomorrow to verify that they ONLY had food in them before before the NWI INGO group organizes a group buy.

For $25 those in Indy are a good deal since they are new but not sure if we would go that route. Hum perhaps renting a u-haul and bring them back up north? Hum...


BTW do you know if the ones in Indy have the bung caps on them?

 

[Lynn Smith]

BTW do you know if the ones in Indy have the bung caps on them?

They sell two types. One that has the screw in bungs and one where the entire top can be removed and also has bungs. You get the screw in bungs with the purchase.

 

[Lynn Smith]

A thought on water storage:

Some types of SHTF scenarios would require you to bug out. A 55 gal barrel of water is not bug out friendly and you may want to take some along for the ride.

I would recommend that everyone have some smaller containers of water that they can put in a vehicle if it becomes necessary to bug out.

Adding 7 gal. containers to your storage plans would be a good idea. At Amazon the ones I would recommend are just over $20 - Aquatainer

But for those who don't mind driving to Walmart you can get them $10.88 a piece in their camping section.

 

[Hkindiana]

A thought on water storage:

Some types of SHTF scenarios would require you to bug out. A 55 gal barrel of water is not bug out friendly and you may want to take some along for the ride.

I would recommend that everyone have some smaller containers of water that they can put in a vehicle if it becomes necessary to bug out.

Adding 7 gal. containers to your storage plans would be a good idea. At Amazon the ones I would recommend are just over $20 - Aquatainer


But for those who don't mind driving to Walmart you can get them $10.88 a piece in their camping section.

The Wal-Mart water containers become brittle and crack ( break) after exposure to sunlight. I would not recommend them, except for the occasional camping trip, and not a SHTF situation

 

[Lynn Smith]

Most of the reviews of the Aqua-tainers that I read say you get about 5 years of storage time out of them. Obviously some will hold up better than others. I will find out in a couple years or so if the couple I have make it or not.

Additionally I would recommend that when you store water you keep it in the dark. Cover it with tarps if necessary. Not only is the containers possibly effected by light but also the water inside.

 

[E5RANGER375]

I save all of our 2 litter bottles and wash and sanitize them then store water in them as one method. those bottles will hold up forever and they easily fit into bags, and also can tie 550 cord around the tops and sling extras over your shoulders or make 550 loops and hang them on beeners. in a bug out (escape & evade) situation you have to be able to GO NOW, and you MUST plan to be on foot, because all your plans that involve a vehicle thats all packed up with your **** and driving through fields (most vehicles, even your 4x4's arent really made to handle off road conditions, and driving off road is a totaly new monster.), or even on the highways or streets, are just dreams most likely. Im not saying you cant work in these larger 7 gallon or so containers but its gonna limit you and also make you a target. one bag with stuff hanging can be covered by a poncho (for example) things in your hands are not easily hidden when large. Also 2 litter bottles store well in caches because they are resistant to eliments
the 55 gallon frums are great for a final destination or even for short SHTF events (a couple weeks). Lynn is right about storing your water in the dark.

by the way: milk jugs suck!! even if you buy them new. they will form leaks, and wont handle too much banging around. just trying to save someone some headaches.

 

[jedi]

A thought on water storage:

Some types of SHTF scenarios would require you to bug out. A 55 gal barrel of water is not bug out friendly and you may want to take some along for the ride.

I would recommend that everyone have some smaller containers of water that they can put in a vehicle if it becomes necessary to bug out.

Adding 7 gal. containers to your storage plans would be a good idea. At Amazon the ones I would recommend are just over $20 - Aquatainer

But for those who don't mind driving to Walmart you can get them $10.88 a piece in their camping section.

The Wal-Mart water containers become brittle and crack ( break) after exposure to sunlight. I would not recommend them, except for the occasional camping trip, and not a SHTF situation

Agree on the wal-mart ones. They do have a limited shelf life. I bought 10 of there green ones (looked like Jerry cans) 6 gallon ones back in 2005 right after Katrina. I rotate the water every year and of the 10 that I started with this past year (2010) 4 had failed. Cracks on the bottom and leakage. The containers were never moved, stayed in the basement, under a tarp with no sunlight on them. Only time they got any light was when I would turn on the lights to change the water out.

Since the 2010 water rotation I have done quaterly inspections on them and 3 more have failed. I got some 5 gallon blue water containers (the type you use on a water cooler) that are OLDER than the wal-mart ones and those have yet to fail! They were cheaper than the wal-mart ones.

So keep that in mind when you are doing your water storage.
Note I'm not planning on BUG-OUT with the 55s.

 

[bft131]

Just got on Craigslist and found 55 gallon food grade barrels for $15 in Cambridge city...Anybody live over that way and come towards Indy regularly for a possible group buy ??? I would love to get four....

 

[Principal Skinr]

Just got on Craigslist and found 55 gallon food grade barrels for $15 in Cambridge city...Anybody live over that way and come towards Indy regularly for a possible group buy ??? I would love to get four....

I'd be in for one or two, as well.

 

[irishhunter]

thanks for the address

 

[nmcampbe]

I too use the two-liter bottles. I wash them out, fill with tap water and treat with a little chlorine. I then write the date on the side of the bottle with perm. marker. Since I know the date I can rotate batches based on fill date. When you rotate, wash the old date off with a little rubbing alcohol and write the new one on. Works great, easy to store, the bottles hold up great, and they are easy to move around. I do like having a couple of 30 or 55 gal drums around. If you fill them with dish washing soap, sloash it around, and let it sit out in the sun for a few hours it helps get rid of the smell. Having this big quatity of water for washing and or flushing the toilet is a good idea and gives me a little peace of mind not only for SHTF but also ice storms or other power outages. I leave the smaller bottles for drinking water based on the ease of rotation. thats my

 

[miguel]

Can their drums be used for potable water or just for bathing and toilet flushing water?

Here is a company that sells food grade barrels. Last I checked it was about $25 for a barrel. They are steam cleaned of their previous, non-hazardous products. I purchased two last year for a rain barrel project I still need to complete.


B & B Box & Drum Inc

1527 Miller St
Indianapolis, IN 46221
(317) 639-5185


New & Used Boxes - Wholesale & Retail. We also sell 5 gallon buckets, 5 gallon plastic buckets, Poly Drums, Steel Drums & Fiber Drums. Come in and see if we have what you need!

 

[RFox]

I too use the two-liter bottles. I wash them out, fill with tap water and treat with a little chlorine. I then write the date on the side of the bottle with perm. marker. Since I know the date I can rotate batches based on fill date. When you rotate, wash the old date off with a little rubbing alcohol and write the new one on. Works great, easy to store, the bottles hold up great, and they are easy to move around. I do like having a couple of 30 or 55 gal drums around. If you fill them with dish washing soap, sloash it around, and let it sit out in the sun for a few hours it helps get rid of the smell. Having this big quatity of water for washing and or flushing the toilet is a good idea and gives me a little peace of mind not only for SHTF but also ice storms or other power outages. I leave the smaller bottles for drinking water based on the ease of rotation. thats my

great information. this is the route i will now go. thanks.