Let me start off by saying – “there’s NO single “right” way to stockpile water”.
There are so many water containers and purification methods on the market today, and most are great.
For example:
- For some, a single large emergency water tank is perfect for their emergency water storage needs.
- Others prefer to use many smaller stack-able water jugs instead.
- Heck, some people don’t need any water storage containers at all since they have access to a pond or have river/lake access.
With that said, there are several ways to do water storage WRONG. To learn about AND AVOID many of these amateur mistakes – check out our Water Storage post over at Skilled Survival.
But today, I want to share the emergency water storage solution I choose. My hope is by sharing, I’ll help inspire anyone who’s not sure where to start.
Jack’s Emergency Water Containers
After much research, I ended up choosing The 5-Gallon Blue Water Container from Legacy Premium.
Now, initially, I was leaning towards investing in a much larger single tank. But I was uncertain whether it would fit in my basement.
And I also didn’t love that I wouldn’t be able to “take it with me” should I move someday.
Plus, I prefer to avoid having to rotate the water in such a large container.
So instead, I went with this modular – stackable plastic container system. One that was a better solution for me to alleviate ALL of these concerns.
Why? Because each water jug will hold 5 gallons when full. This equates to about 50 lbs each which is the max most people want to haul around.
With the strong handle on top, it was easy for me to pick it up and carry it down to my basement. But it it was double the gallon capacity – I would have struggled.
On the other hand, if it was smaller (more like 2 gallons each), it would have felt like too much plastic was used than necessary.
Another highlight of these plastic containers is they are stack-able. And that’s exactly how I stored them.
My first round of these containers was stacked in two rows and three high. But it’s nice to know I could go up to five high later when I decide to add to my emergency water stash.
And that’s another beautify thing about these stack-able jugs. You don’t have to meet your ultimate water storage capacity goal to get started.
Instead, you can buy some today, then a few more later, and just keep adding to your stash over time until you meet your final goal.
And once you’ve made an investment in this system, it’s easy to “take your water with you” should you decide to relocate. And if you have a bug out location – they stack well in the back of a pickup truck.
It’s ALL About Versatility
With a single large storage tank, you’re forced to give up quite a bit of versatility. And versatility and flexibility are critical components in resiliency.
Sure, large water storage tanks are more efficient but with extreme efficiency you lose versatility AND hence, sacrifice resiliency.
Finally, what “sealed the deal” for me was if you buy the 6 jug package system, you received some nice extras:
- A handy cap wrench (to ensure you completely lock and seal these containers)
- 2 spigots (this allows you to tap into two of the jugs at the same time). This is a nice option if you’d prefer to keep sanitation jugs and consumption jugs separate.
- Water Purification Drop Treatment Solution (the perfect amount for 30 gallons).
So with Legacy’s 5 Gallon Water Storage Package, once you receive it, you have EVERYTHING you need to fill, cap, and treat your emergency water storage. This makes the process very easy and simple.
Then if I decided to purchase more, I can just go with individual jugs since I don’t need any more spigots or wrenches, etc.
So next I’ll share the process I used to fill and store my Legacy Premium Water Jugs…
Filling My Emergency Water Storage Jugs
First I rinsed out each jug to ensure no plastic shavings or any organic materials were trapped inside during the shipping process.
It’s important to keep your sealed water jugs pure that’s not possible if you leave any materials or residues trapped inside.
Next, I filled up each jug with fresh water with my outdoor hose.
Now, I took the Aquatabs droppers and mixed 1 teaspoon of part A with 1 teaspoon of part B.
Then I let the mixture activate for 5 minutes.
Side note: I like how these two small bottles can purify exactly 30 gallons – so it’s the perfect amount if you choose the 6 jug – 30-gallon total system.
Next it was time to pour in the water purification concoction into one of the 5-gallon containers.
Next, I used the provided band wrench to tighten the caps – nice and snug.
Finally, I tipped and shook each jug for 30 seconds or so before I carried each one into the final storage location.
That’s it, I’m good with 30 more gallons of potable H20 for 5 years WITHOUT having to worry about rotation!
I believe this is a nice easy way to provide emergency water storage that’s flexible, versatile, and affordable.
It’s a water storage solution I’m happy with and I recommend for anyone who’s just getting started on their resiliency journey or would like to expand their water storage goal a bit more…
So that’s my current emergency water storage solution and setup. Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
What do you like about my solution? Do you have a “better” solution?