Is Your Emergency Water Safe To Drink?
Rotating Emergency Water Supplies
You know you’re supposed to have water in storage in case of an emergency. You even know exactly how much you should store. The question is – do you know how long you can store the water for without rotating it? Contrary to what many people believe, water is not a nonperishable resource. Bacteria can, and do, grow in stored water even if the water’s been treated and stored properly. If you want to make sure your emergency water is safe to drink, adhere to the following water rotation guidelines.
Untreated Water
If your emergency water is untreated (meaning you didn’t treat it with chemicals prior to storage), you need to rotate it every three to six months. If you don’t you risk the chance of harmful bacteria growing in the water, making it undrinkable.
Treatment With 5% Sodium Hypochlorite
If you treat your emergency water with a bit of sodium hypochlorite, also known as unscented chlorine, you can store your water for up to one year without rotating it. However, once the year is over, treat a new water supply and rotate the old water supply out. The exact amount of chlorine you will need will depend on the amount of water being stored.
Treatment With Commercial Chemical Water Purifiers
You can buy chemicals made specifically for storing emergency water. The chemicals aren’t that expensive they will extend the life of your emergency water for up to five years. If you don’t like the idea of constantly rotating your emergency water supply, the small investment may well be worth it.