Canning emergency supply water?

[vancouverlori]

Hi all,

I'm finally getting my emergency preparedness thing going, and I had this crazy idea. I hate the idea of buying all that bottled water, then replacing it every 6 months or whatever. I don't normally drink bottled water, and I hate spending money on it. So...

I thought I might be able to "can" tap water (chlorine and all) in 1 litre Mason jars. I bought a dozen for just under $9, which works out to 75 cents each - I think that's a good deal. And then I can just empty them all and re-can them every 6 months or so.

Am I crazy? Has anyone else done this?

They say to have 4 litres per person per day - so with 4 of us, I'll need 16 litres per day x 3 days. (oy!) Some of that water is for washing - I figure I can use the water in my 3 toilet tanks for that (that's 36 litres right there), though I don't think I could get over myself to drink it!

Any suggestions as to how I should go about this? I'm thinking I shouldn't boil the water first, since that will evaporate all the chlorine off, and I think it's safer to have it in. So, put cold water in the jars, but if I put them directly into boiling water, they might crack, right. hmm...

[Otto]

If the water contains adequate residual chlorine in the first place, the canning step would seem to be redundant. Just rinse out the containers with a 1:10 bleach solution and bottle or jar it up.

[vancouverlori]

Oh, right. But I was thinking that if they were sealed, that would reduce the risk of nasty things getting in there... The seal was what I was going for. But maybe it would be ok. (I wonder if anyone's done a study...)

[Magelet]

If the seal is what you are going for, put them in boiling water, then cool em down. The heat and then cooling is what seals mason jars. Sounds like a good idea. Let us know if you try it and how it works. I mean it's a lot of energy to can water, but probably less, and definitely less BPA than bottled water.

[vancouverlori]

Well, I'm not crazy, and I'm not the first person to ask this... But here's the skinny from a couple of sources:

Can I preserve water for emergency use by canning it? How long can I keep it?
Although it would be possible to can water for emergencies, it is a waste of energy and canning jars. It is not necessary to heat treat water to be stored for emergencies. Water reserves can be stored in thoroughly washed, clean containers with tight-fitting lids such as plastic milk jugs. Clean water stored in clean containers with tight-fitting lids will remain palatable for an indefinite period. Check containers periodically for leaks or cloudiness. If the water starts to look, taste or smell bad, change it. If you have any doubts about the safety of the water to be stored, purify it before storage by boiling or chemical treatment.

http://missourifamilies.org/quick/fo...tyqa/qafs1.htm

Also: http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-34-3.html
This one recommends adding bleach to the water to be stored. But since the water is already chlorinated (and pretty darned good), this seems pointless.

I've set up one dozen 2-cup (500 mL) jars, using the "bleach rinse" method that Otto suggested. I'm fixing to set up the next dozen jars, and I was thinking to do an "experiment" of actually canning them, but I think I'll just do the same thing.

As for them being a waste of canning jars - at $0.75 apiece, that's better (and larger) than the average water bottle (which I would hate to have to drink anyway). And I'd way rather have the water in glass that I can re-use. My plan is to just empty, wash, rinse and re-fill every six months.

We'll see if I follow that plan, eh?

[Arduinna]

The only problem I see is that I need at least 35 gallons of water for emergency use and that would be a lot of jars.

[vancouverlori]

Well, I think it depends on your needs.

Our guidelines say 4L (1 gallon) of water per person per day, and to aim for a minimum of 3 days. So we need at least 36L (9 gallons).

I'll have 12L in jars - which should cover our drinking needs. Then I'll have the toilet tanks (that's 36 L of water right there, since I have 3 toilets with standard 12L tanks), which I'll use for water for the cats and for cleaning. So then I just need water for cooking. I have a 10L container (with spigot) I can use for this, and so then I just need to get 3 or 4 of the 4L (gallon) jugs of water, which I now feel happy emptying, washing and re-filling with tap water every 6 months.

I may purchase more jars to cover more days... But at least I've got something started.

[flyabuv]

I have a friend who stores water in used bleach containers. After thouroughly washing them, they still have a little bit of chlorine to keep the water clean. Yes it is plastic, but at least you are reusing something. Although I rarely ever use bleach. I don't think I have boughten any in years!

I think it is better to store emergency water in huge containers rather than individual jars. But jars are definitely better than bottled water.

And don't forget, if there is an emergency, fill your tub and sinks and all your containers with water as well and go through that water first. I guess that is an incentive to keep my tub clean!