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Long term water storage is probably your number one concern when you are beginning your preparedness journey. Or at least it should be with most of us. Even for those who have been at it awhile, water storage is always on the radar.
Ways to Store Water in the Home
- Water Jugs – these are easy to grab, relatively cheap, and reusable. The big drawback is that they don’t store easily and are only a gallon a piece.
- Water Bottles – Easy to stack, easy to grab on the go, and readily available. Their drawback? The new plastic water bottles are now designed to degrade quickly. Not the best if you’re storing for long-term.
- Soda Bottles – Easy to fill, easy to store (as long as you have a dedicated space to keep them from rolling) and readily available. Their drawback? They roll.
- Milk Jugs – Readily available, easy to fill. Their drawback? Not only is the plastic made for milk jugs meant to break down quickly, the lids aren’t meant for long term storage and pop off easily, AND there is danger in the milk proteins left in the container contaminating your water if you haven’t cleaned and disenfected it properly.
- Juice Containers – Easy to refill, readily available, store easily on a shelf. Their drawback? They don’t stack well.
- Canning Jars – easy to refill, readily available, no plastic, double duty. Their drawback? Other than the fact that they are small, glass and easily breakable, you can’t really stack them easily unless you keep the containers they come in.
- Water heater – Already filled, secret stash. Its drawback? It’s not easy to get to, may contain sediments as it ages.
- Water Bob – Easy to fill, easy to store. Its drawback? If you wait until an emergency to build your water storage, you may be too late. This is best in weather-prone areas when you have time to add that extra at the last minute.
- Water Barrels – Great for water storage, free refills, stores large quantities of water. Their drawbacks – setting them up, filtering, and keeping out mosquitoesand other pests.
- Dedicated Water Storage Container – Easy to stack, made to store water long-term, large quantities. Their drawback, a little pricey and can be heavy.
While we do have our fair share of water jugs we purchased from the store (we buy a brand that stacks on itself, and grab quite a few when they go on sale for .50), and a stack of water bottles, we knew that neither of these methods would work for us for long-term use. So when we began  looking for storage solutions for our home, we wanted something that could stack easily without being a hazard, give us more than a gallon at a time, and that was easy to manuever. We finally settled on the Water Brick as being the storage method of choice. We do want a line of water barrels against our back wall outside the house, but for indoors and ready access, we wanted something that made more sense to us.
We began our purchase of one brick at a time, and then I happened to win a set of 4 from Food Storage Made Easy during one of their many fabulous challenges. For drinking, cooking and cleaning/bathing, we judge that 1 brick will last each person about 1.5 days. The bare minimum that FEMA recommends is 1 gal. a day.
What makes the Water Brick Special?
- Long-Term Water Storage Solution – Water Bricks are made for a permanent water storage solution to water jugs or large barrels.
- Made with Quality –Â Made of rugged, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with an easy grip comfort handle.
- BPA Free
- Easy to Carry – The 3.5 gallon filling capacity makes these easy to fill and move. They have a convenient handle for each brick. When full, each Water Brick weighs about 30 lbs.
- Safe to Stack – these bricks are made to stack – and stack high. You can configure them in a number of different ways to work with your storage space.
- Stores more than water – you can also store dry goods in these water bricks, as well!
Things to Keep in Mind about the Water Brick
- When you first receive your Water Brick, they will smell of plastic. But don’t fear.
- Wash the inside with hot soapy ater and rinse to remove all soap residue
- Fill about 1/4 up with water, and drop in 2-3 drops of household bleach (not the scented or color safe bleach, and make sure it’s not older than four months), then swish around the entire surface of the container.
- Let sit for awhile, then rinse.
- Fill with water. I found it easiest just to sit it next to my sink and fill with my 4 cup measuring cup. Less mess that way. If you are using city tap water, there’s nothing more to do. If you are using untreated well water, add 2 drops of household bleach before storing.
- If you’re using water that’s been stored for awhile that was untreated, you must treat it before using.
- Water may have a stale taste when you pull it out of long-term storage. Just reoxygenate by pouring between two containers a few times to introduce oxygen back into the water – good as new!
I love the water wall we’re building with our Water Bricks (and no mortar involved!) It does give me a sense of security to have water put way in case something happens to our local water supply (remember West Virginia and Toledo, Ohio this year?) And for anything long-term, we have a great start on our water storage.
We do use one to drink from as we rotate through the storage. We have a handy spigot that allows us to do it from the stack we have in the dining area. This just attaches to the opening of a water brick and you can get to your water easily without having to pour the contents elsewhere.
Your thoughts – what are you storing your water in for your family?
Waterbricks are available at Amazon and other stores where emergency preparedness items are sold.
Katy Willis is a writer, lifelong homesteader, and master herbalist, master gardener, and canine nutritionist. Katy is a preparedness expert and modern homesteader practicing everyday preparedness, sustainability, and a holistic lifestyle.
She knows how important it is to be prepared for whatever life throws at you, because you just never know what's coming. And preparedness helps you give your family the best chance to thrive in any situation.
Katy is passionate about living naturally, growing food, keeping livestock, foraging, and making and using herbal remedies. Katy is an experienced herbalist and a member of the CMA (Complementary Medical Association).
Her preparedness skills go beyond just being "ready", she's ready to survive the initial disaster, and thrive afterward, too. She grows 100% organic food on roughly 15 acres and raises goats, chickens, and ducks. She also lovingly tends her orchard, where she grows many different fruit trees. And, because she likes to know exactly what she's feeding her family, she's a seasoned from-scratch cook and gluten-free baker.
Katy teaches foraging and environmental education classes, too, including self-sufficient living, modern homesteading, seed saving, and organic vegetable gardening.
Katy helps others learn forgotten skills, including basic survival skills and self-reliance.
She's been published on sites such as MSN, Angi, Home Advisor, Family Handyman, Wealth of Geeks, Readers Digest, and more.