Can I store spring water for a month?
Posted by rosinslag@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 13 comments
I want to collect my own spring water in 5 gallon glass carboys. Just to consume over the month which is about 3.5 litres per day.
There is a local spring near me with fresh delicious spring water.
Any tips on storing it? I don't want it to go bad!!
Won-Ton-Operator@reddit
For nearly all of human history, waterborne illnesses have been a leading cause of death. DO NOT under any circumstances drink unfiltered & untreated water, especially out of a spring (that water makes it there from the surface, it carries contaminates & living things, more so if there is a large snow melt or rainstorm that pushes more water through the ground than usual, resulting in less "natural filtration")
Filter your water, boil if necessary, then store it. You should use water treatment tablets or an alternative such as unscented bleach to safely store for consumption. A month is A LONG TIME to store untreated water, likelihood of something going wrong is high over time.
Spyral-Dan-Sir@reddit
This is a bunch of malarkey. I’ve been drinking untreated fresh spring water from a high mountain source in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western NC for years. Never been sick. Never had any issues. It all depends on the source. If your spring is truly coming out of the ground and not a “false spring” fed by a surface steam then it has likely been filtered through tons and tons of porous rock and sediment. It’s always a good idea to test it first but it’s definitely not true that spring water should never be drunk without being treated.
SnooCrickets3934@reddit
A lot of springs are specifically for human consumption. They are tested regularly and have taps for filling. This is also how store bought spring water is made.
bobalover209@reddit
If you have a spring nearby I wouldn't prioritize storing water from it as you'll have it if you need it to supplement your supply. I'd focus more on having several different kinds of filtration/water purification systems so you can use them on the spring water if the time comes. It's probably safer to store and rotate store bought water as you don't have to worry about if you purified them correctly, and use the spring water as an emergency supply if needed.
Thin-Annual4373@reddit
Keep the containers off bare concrete.
Bmat70@reddit
Why keep them off bare concrete?
Thin-Annual4373@reddit
Concrete leeches chemicals into plastic containers Best to put them on a piece of wood or other barrier and not directly onto a concrete floor.
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
Does anyone test the water? There used to be a spring by me that was monitored by the local water authority. They had to eventually close it off to the public because grown adults could not learn to take turns and share. Fights literally broke out over people filling containers.
I think the only way to safely store it would be pressure canning in mason jars or add chlorine.
Short-University1645@reddit
As a kid we filled half dozen water containers from a spring and used that when our well went dry. Never had any problems. I would at least drop a tablet in it to kill any nasties
IdealDesperate2732@reddit
Clean containers with airtight lids stored out of direct sunlight and you're gonna be absolutely fine on that time scale.
hondata001@reddit
Clean containers and airtight lids would only matter if you have sterile water, sterile container and a clean room or bio hood to fill and seal the container.
hondata001@reddit
I would add bleach. Then you are good for six months.
DeFiClark@reddit
2 drops unscented bleach per gallon to be safest with any stored water. That said, I store well water with no bleach and have had zero issues.