What you'll need
- 55-gallon food-grade water drumSee it on Amazon · ~$130
- Drinking-water-safe hoseSee it on Amazon · ~$25
- Siphon pumpSee it on Amazon · ~$20
- Bung wrenchSee it on Amazon · ~$12
- Water preserver concentrateSee it on Amazon · ~$22
- A pallet or a few boards
- 1
Pick the spot first
A full drum weighs about 460 pounds, so you won't move it. Choose a cool, dark spot out of the sun: a garage corner, basement or closet.
- 2
Lift it off the floor
Set it on a pallet or boards. It keeps it cooler and makes it easy to clean around.
- 3
Clean it
Rinse with a little dish soap and water. To sanitize, slosh around a gallon of water mixed with 4 teaspoons of unscented bleach, coat every side, pour it out and let it air out.
- 4
Fill it in place
Use a drinking-water-safe hose (a regular garden hose can leach chemicals). City tap water is already treated.
- 5
Add the preserver
Add the water preserver per the label so the water keeps up to 5 years. On well water, treat it first.
- 6
Close and label
Tighten both caps with the bung wrench. Write the fill date and the next change date on the drum.
- 7
Keep the tools on top
Tape the pump and the bung wrench to the drum so you can always find them.
- Fill a few clean jugs from the drum each month to cycle a little at a time.
- Store a jug of plain bleach and a filter near the drum as a backup.
- Tipping a full drum to pour. Use the pump.
- Using a drum that held anything except food or water.
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