How to Treat Water for Long-Term Storage
Treating water before long-term storage is a necessary and straight forward process. Water will become tainted (unsafe to drink) within a few weeks if it has not been properly treated before being stored, so proper treatment is essential for maintaining a safe water supply.
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Instructions
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Store your water in safe plastic or glass containers. Safe containers would be those that were made for the purpose of storing food or drinks. It is not recommended to use containers made for a different purpose, as they can leak contaminants into your water supply.
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2
Add unscented/no soap bleach to your water. There is a specific formula for doing so (See Reference). It consists of 16 drops (1/4 tsp) bleach per gallon of water (or 4 drops bleach per quart). Once added to the water, stir until the bleach is mixed in, and allow the water to sit for about 30 minutes. If you can smell the bleach in the water after the 30 minutes, continue to Step 3. If not, repeat Step 2 once more.
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3
Keep your water stored in a cool, dry, dark place. A basement is the ideal location for storing your water supply. Keep it out of direct light (windows) and away from anything that may contaminate your water supply. Contaminants include anything you don't want to ingest.
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