Water storage - kitty litter containers
Posted by Humble-Throat-8159@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 28 comments
I've been storing potentially non-pottable water in cleaned out kitty litter containers. I believe they are hdpe2 but will have to double check. The idea is these would be used for emergency dishwashing, hand washing, watering plants, washing clothes etc. Is this a good method? If we had to drink this in severe emergency, could we do it safely? We have a sawyer mini, sawyer bucket filter, katadyn backpacking filter and a culligan particulate water filter.
Very much appreciate any and all insights.
Eredani@reddit
Water stored this way is useful for flushing toilets and nothing else. These containers are not food grade and have leeched all kinds of chemicals from the kitty litter that will then leech back into water. I would not use this for any kind of washing and especially not drinking.
This is simply too important of an area to cut corners. Get some food grade, BPA free containers for proper storage.
Having said that, if you HAD to drink water stored this way, I would boil it and then run it through a countertop gravity filter before drinking. But I would not be happy about it.
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
Kitty litter is just silica and clay. It doesn’t leach chemicals. Remember its purpose is to absorb everything not leach it out.
Eredani@reddit
Most kitty litter is full of chemicals... unless it's specifically organic. Even then, what are we trying to do here? Save a few dollars on proper equipment? Really?
HKGShe2021@reddit
Links on this assertion?
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
No it’s not. It’s mostly minerals not chemicals.
https://cen.acs.org/articles/82/i17/KITTY-LITTER.html#:~:text=Today%2C%20roughly%2060%25%20of%20the,aluminum%2C%20magnesium%2C%20or%20iron.
OP is trying to make use of the supplies they already have readily available in an emergency situation. It’s being resourceful.
Excellent_Condition@reddit
Kitty litter can also have things like non-food-grade fragrances and antibacterial agents, neither of which are things you necessarily want to eat.
Also, FWIW, minerals are chemicals, as are literally everything else in existence. Just because something is a mineral doesn't mean it's non-toxic. Even things that are benign like talcum can be contaminated with non-benign things like naturally occurring asbestos.
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
If we’re being technical then water is a chemical too making the “it contains chemicals” point moot.
Excellent_Condition@reddit
I was more pointing out that saying minerals ≠ chemicals isn't a very solid argument, especially as minerals can both be toxic and have toxic contaminates.
The main point remains though that kitty litter can have lots of components that you don't want in your drinking water.
Eredani@reddit
You do you. I gave my opinion. Downvote me all day long.
Drinking water is too critical of a resource to cut corners. ANY used container is not suitable, IMO.
I have a pickle bucket from Firehouse Subs that still smells like pickles after three years of using it for birdseed.
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
Except what you said wasn’t an opinion. You tried to state a fact that is correct.
Eredani@reddit
Everything I said was correct. Per ChatGPT:
"Kitty litter contains chemicals and additives such as clumping agents, deodorizers, and potentially harmful substances that can leave residue in the container even after thorough cleaning. These chemicals can leach into the water and make it unsafe for consumption."
Plus, the porosity of the plastic itself, which is not food grade and an entirely separate issue that is also a deal breaker.
Unless you are going to put whatever substances in your mouth, don't put it in your container. Again, you do you. Done with this conversation.
Excellent_Condition@reddit
Not sure why you're getting downvoted.
If you have access to food-grade containers, then storing water in non-food-grade containers seems like an unnecessary poor choice.
Excellent_Condition@reddit
If it's non-potable water, then it shouldn't be used for handwashing, dish washing, and probably not for watering crops.
Also, FWIW, not all HDPE is food grade. Plastic is porous. My concern would be things from the kitty litter (fragrances, anti-bacterial chemicals, etc) getting absorbed by the plastic and leeching into the water, along with plasticizers and dye from the HDPE leeching out.
A particulate filter won't take care of anything dissolved in the water like that. A carbon filter might, but it would depend on what the chemical is, what the initial concentration is, and what the acceptable level is in drinking water.
ethottly@reddit
I use these for water storage too! I have several full of water stashed around the house. I would not drink the water in them unless I had to, but I figure they would be useful for flushing toilets, maybe some washing, that sort of thing. One thing to be aware of, though--check them regularly to make sure they haven't developed a leak. They aren't really designed to hold water and if they get handled roughly and end up with a hairline crack, they will start to leak. I ended up with a big puddle to clean up when this happened to me. Now I keep them inside a tote or a plastic bag just in case.
Freebirde777@reddit
I usually buy litter in the 40 lbs. bag in a box, but in the past, I bought the ten and twenty pound 'jugs'. I refill the smaller ones from the box, easier handling. The larger ones I fill with the cat food from a large bag, again easier handling and keeps critters out of the food. A canning funnel helps a lot. Never considered using for water storage until now.
RonJohnJr@reddit
They're little plastic totes with one side cut short. If you want to fill them up to wash dishes, go right ahead. They're a bit small, though. Have you tried it to see how practical it is?
Please don't tell me, that right now you have cat litter boxes full of water spread all over the house (as opposed to filling them up from buckets, water bricks, etc as needed). That's crazy.
AutomaticPain3532@reddit
Litter comes in many different types of containers. The 20 lb containers are very nice jugs. The 40 lb containers are a square pail. Then you have different brands who also package litter in smaller containers, including cardboard.
I believe OP is referring to the 20 lb jugs.
In a situation where it’s all you’ve got left, I think one would drink water from a jug that is potable water but stored, with a longer term purpose.
I believe it would be fine as long as a person is constantly rotating and refreshing the water being stored.
I actually do something similar on a small scale, and I just reuse gallon jugs I used to buy for potable water. I have 12 gallons stored this way and I use this water to water my plants and then refill them with tap water.
You don’t always have a heads up you’re going to lose water. I like to have a stock around the house. I am on city services so I don’t have a well.
less_butter@reddit
I think OP means the plastic buckets that some brands of kitty litter come in.
RonJohnJr@reddit
I hope so... (Mine comes in plastic bags, so that didn't occur to me.)
Still, they're kinda small for washing dishes, no?
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
You’re thinking of litter boxes. OP is referring to the square buckets 40lbs of kitty litter is sold in.
SunLillyFairy@reddit
It's curious to me that folks in this sub discuss how to filter all kinds of nasty water (pond water, road puddle run-off, aquarium water, standing water after collection from a roof), to make it potable in an emergency... but then many argue that one should never drink water stored in containers that are not made for storing water - even clean containers - due to toxic chemicals and microplastics.
Think about the sheer nastiness of pond water and what is likely in it... definitely would include toxic chemicals and plastics on top of bacteria and possible viruses. I'm not directly familiar with the filters you mentioned, but any decent, certified filter with carbon and a membrane that filters to smaller than 1 micron will remove chemicals and microplastics. You may need a smaller micron if you have a bacteria or virus concern (unlikely in cleanly stored containers) but you can add bleach or boil before filtering to eliminate that threat.
I'd much rather drink water filtered from a clean kitty litter bucket than from the other sources I mentioned.
Eredani@reddit
Right now, today, with no emergency, you have a choice on what to store your water in.
In an emergency, you might not have any options on your water source. Dehydration will kill you much faster than heavy metals in your water.
In theory, you can treat almost any water to make it safe (safer?) for drinking, but do you want to sign up for the risk and effort if you don't have to?
Why cut corners on something this important? Doesn't make sense to me... but you do you.
SunLillyFairy@reddit
I agree with you. I think folks should store water they can drink without treating- if/when they can. It's also a good idea to store some non potable on top of that for flushing and such, if you have the room, especially if you do not have access to a pool or other non- potable water. From OP's post it sounded like they knew that and were asking if they could make it drinkable if others sources ran out.
FastSort@reddit
Yep, same here - in a pinch, I'll take my chances with some tiny amount of chemical residue that might give me problems in 20 years over getting Giardia or some other intestinal bug from drinking bad water from a pond that would knock me out of commission immediately.
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
I assume you mean the buckets the new litter comes in and not the litter box your cats poop and pee in? Then yes they are great for non potable water. We keep all our kitty litter buckets to store bags of dry cat food in and in an emergency they can be used for rain water collection or non potable water storage.
If you clean them out with soap and water, rinse them well and then disinfect the inside they should be fine for short term emergency potable water storage. That means filling them up when you know you’re going to lose water and using them right away and preferably to boil for cooking.
FastSort@reddit
I have a ton of these myself - they are just too nice to throw out, so have a stockpile to use if needed (but I don't stockpile water because I have a well and backup power). I personally think they are great for non-drinking water, but would drink them as a last resort in a real emergency if that was all I had - people have drank out of much worse things when they had too.
Radtoo@reddit
Aren't they a bit small and open?
If you emergency fill them with still running water on short notice - ok, but you could have nicer containers now way ahead of time.
Fun-Brilliant2909@reddit
IMO...
"Properly washed" is important both for the potential it may serve as drinking water and in methodology because it's not a food-grade container. I would store water with the potential use for consumption in a different and food-safe container. Otherwise, they'll work fine for non-potable uses.