Water storage containers

I go out with our club once a month and take out a couple of the 10lt white see thru plastic containers that are available at all camping shops. Are these safe to leave water in for a period of time as I have noticed that plastic taste in the water at times. What are the best containers you guys recommend.
Paul

Every so often it is a good idea to put a couple of anti bacteria tablets in the containers; the same kind you would use for babies bottles. The stuff is harmless and will keep your containers free of any nasties. Just re-fill after a soak with the tablets.

geolit

Gday

I think if you can taste a plastic taste in the water then you are ingesting chemicals,that are being leached out of the plastic, whether they can be of any harm to you who knows, some containers I have used taste worse than others, I had some blue coloured ones that I would not drink from and only used the water for washing etc, because the water from them tasted odd.

I have two orange coloured ones that dont seem to leave the taste in the water, I bought them from a guy at a market, as brand new, he said that they are made for beverage syrups, like post mix coke or similar, so I guess there is a difference in the plastic type and quality, I use these for carrying additional drinking water.

The black plastic tank in the camper does not seem too bad either, but like all water containers you need to empty them and dont store the water in them for any longer than necessary, I empty the water when I get back on to the pot plants or lawn so as to not waste it.

There was a warning I read some time back about the chemical leaching from the plastic water bottles that you buy at the shop, and it said that it was particlarly bad for women as it was linked to breast cancer, the chemicals could be leached from the plastic by either heat or cold, like being left to warm up in a car, or by being frozen and thawed out and it recommended they be kept cool not frozen, and if used in the car then kept in a cool cover.

Geolit, thats a good idea about the anti bacterial tabs, I will give that a go as well.

cheers

stayyerAU

Hi all:

Regarding plastic taste in the water stored in barrels or small containers’ make sure the container is marked as food quality. These are supposed to have zero or minimal chemical migration to the container contents.
I am not an expert on this but have been told newer containers will have a number inside the recycle symbol on the container. The number should be 2 or less.

Maybe someone on this forum has better information regarding the labelling!

I have orange containers manufactured in Melbourne with no code on them. They are quite a few years old but I have never had “plastic taste” problems. I also have a 25litre blue barrel (no manufacturer information) with the code 2 on the base, also no problem even with the container partially full for long periods in tropical conditions. I have a friend who had the plastic taste using a similar blue container. Different manufacturing batch? Different manufacturer? Without labeling how would you know

The Australian consumer is protected by the strict control on products manufactured within Australia. Unfortunately with our habit of purchasing the cheapest drives the locals out of business and we become exposed to imported goods which don’t appear to be subjected to the same controls. Rather than complain (thereby bringing it to the attention of the authorities) we throw it away and buy something else. More land fill!


There are two schools of thought regarding caravan water tanks.
I used to do what stayyerAU said i.e. drained at the end of a trip and refill at the beginning of the next.
I have been told that as you can’t fully drain the tank, in hot conditions condensation or water vapour in the tank is likely to generate fungal growth. Similar to hanging damp clothes in a wardrobe!
I have been told the best way is to completely fill the tank, reducing the amount of surface exposed to air and limiting condensation. Draining and refilling before the next trip hopefully removing the nasties.
I haven’t had any problems since using this method for the past ten years.

geolit, I agree with stayyerAU, "thats a good idea about the anti bacterial tabs".

Hope this helps
Scrat

I find the 10lt plastic water bottles you buy drinking water in, that Safeway stock, are tasteless.

They have a plastic plug similar to wine casks, that pulls off for refilling, and also allows you to place them on a table, with a little over-hang, so you can pour with ease.

I don't see the need to buy drinking water generally speaking, and it did go against my beliefs to purchase a few of these initially, but now I'm re-filling from home, so no problem.

When you consider it costs several dollars to buy water containers from a camping supplier, and these are only a few dollars anyway, the are food grade, and you get them full of good water to begin with.

How about very large diameter, thick walled ABS or PVC pipe with a threaded cap assembly glued on at both ends?? Easy to clean out and store water in. Is this kind of plastic food safe, for water??

White is always better than black. A variety of types of taps can also be threaded into one end of the pipe through a cap to restrict the water flow to fill your tea pot.

Also how about a very large soft plastic water bladder?? (Like the small hydration packs used on a backpack.)

http://www.zimbio.com/Bottled+Water+Facts/articles/11/Best+Containers+Storing+Water

hi all found this on the web hope this helps

Gday all,

I buy those 10lt boxes of water from the supermarket, break them out of the cardboard package and store them in the back of my car! Its amazing the shapes they take up, they fill those little nooks and crannies without having to dedicate space for jerrys. I have been doing this for years and havent had one break yet (touch wood) They will sit flat in the bottom of your Engel, and when you get home you can put them in the fridge and finish them off.

Regards to all,

Jim.

Dark colored containers are best as exposure to sunlight will cause Algae to grow in the clear or white ones over time especially if you get fresh water from a bore or well like in WA.
Also I put about a tablespoon of Sodium Hypochlorite (Bleach) in each container before filling, dont worry about the plastic taste, the old timers would have considered it a luxury..
Snoty

Brilliant idea Jim!! I know what you are talking about. I also like those 4lt boxes of wine, I break them(the plastic bladders) out of the cardboard package too to finish the last drop into my mouth. Most of the time I mix wine with water in equal portions and drink it like a cordial.

Drinking and Driving don't, but Beer and Beeping do mix. Yes Jesus Christ does save peoples souls but Ice cold beer has saved many lives! It can make you feel that you can live again and once more with hope when the stomach is crook.

Adding to Jim's idea, I have seen a prospector using a similar thing with the bladders, but he has an old milk crate with a slot cut up one side.

He stacks the bladders on top of each other, with the nozzles hanging out the slot. The principle is the weight of the above bladders, puts pressure on the bottom one, and as the nozzle is out, you can get to it easily, right to almost the last drop.

As each bladder empties, the next becomes the bottom, and so forth until all are used.

Another handy way of taking water to the bush, which we found very useful.

Obtain from local cafe/friend/tearooms a quantity of normal domestic 3 litre plastic milk containers. "Borrow" milk crates and travel these fully packed with the 3litre cartons water. (crates make seats at campfire, also fill ém with nuggets)

Very easy to handle when pouring, easy to ration ie one a day !

regards

Johnno

Interesting topic,
Regarding caravan/camper tanks not emptying completely, a sure way of overcoming this.
As mentioned, empty tank when returning home, when you next pack to leave on next trip using your "potable water hose" connected to tap fill tank and let it overflow for a few minutes.
So many use their garden hose to fill their tank and wonder why the water has a plastic taste.
***POTABLE HOSE ONLY****
All that aside, we can understand why our ancestors suffered trying to survive with limited water supply on their exploration trips.
This image is of a Gnamma hole on the Great Central Highway between Laverton and Warburton. The indigenous population and travellers would have had to rely on this and many other holes for their only supply of water, long before the track was upgraded to a national access road.
Two dingoes drinking from this foul hole brought our attention to its existence.



Cheers
Peter

Gday

If you go into the link that monoman put in and read the section on "the truth about bottled water' it says that chemicals do leach from the plastic into the water, and they are cancer causing.

Sounds as though you take a risk no matter what type of plastic you use, but I suppose that you can only try to minimise the risk by not storing the water too long and adding cleansers (anti bacterial tabs) etc to keep the water as clean as possible.

I also do as Nightjar suggests when filling the van tank I let it overflow for awhile to circulate the water and hopefully flush out anything that might be living in there, I am going to fit a drain plug to mine, using one of those screw out type bungs that are used on boats, it got about a 1" opening so you can at least give it a bit of a flush out.

The other thing about plastic containers, is that unless they are good heavy quality ones like the plastic army type jerrycans then they are prone to hardening and becoming brittle if left in the sun, or say on the roof rack or in a jerrycan holder, the top setion with no water in it goes first and then they split, so when you are not using them, give them a rinse out and store them in a shady place.

You are asking for a disaster if you are carrying water inside your vehicle or carvan, friends had one rupture inside the van, like i said it was an older light plastic type, they had to empy out everything and lift all the vinyl, but it could be worse, my nephew came on a trip with me one time and had a two litre bottle of orange cordial in his food box, which was shoved into the fold down camper van, and you guessed it, it split open and there was orange cordial seeping out of every nook and cranny for ages, not to mention the red dirt sticking to it and the hordes of ants that were coming to lick it from the chassis.

cheers

stayyerAU

G'day Members and Stayyerau,
as you're obviously aware, the water cartage and storage problem is important for all us who use the bush and prefer to live in it rather than shack up in the nearest motel. (Just kidding, people. If you can afford to live in air conditioned motel rooms, then the best of luck to you).

Some good ideas have come up and most make a lot of sense - particularly the suggestion of water purification tablets (Puritabs?). If you're working the desert stretches of WA or NQLD where water just isn't available within a day's drive, Puritabs or any equivalent is the the answer.

Yes, as has been pointed out I believe, some plastic containers make potable water taste like camel piss. This becomes particularly distasteful when it becomes necessary to drink bore water. However, mixing the resulting liquid with lemon juice makes it taste much more palatable - to the point where it tastes like camels' piss with a delicious lemon flavour. No matter, at a pinch water is water, and it'll keep you alive. No frills with water.

As has been pointed out, the clear or white plastic containers certainly do mean that the water will be tainted with a plastic taste. But for making coffee, tea, or cooking, it's certainly not a problem. For those who live within close proximity of a disposals store, as for the army issue olive drab water jerries. Can't beat 'em. They're strong and - being ex army - there might even be an after taste of Bundy when you clean your teeth in the morning.

MikeW

My mother-in-law buys her liquid washing detergent in bulk in 25 litre white plastic containers. She saves the empties for us and we use those containers for carrying the "washing" water, and it beats paying $25 a container in the camping store.

For "drinking" water I have several 25 litre blue plastic containers with handle built in, the same ones you see on office water cooler dispensers.

For "cold drinking" water, I freeze 1 and 2 litre plastic soft drink containers of water. They stay in the "7 day esky" - dual purpose - keep the food cold and you can drink the defrosted ones, or refreeze them in the Waco freezer before putting them back in the esky.

I've heard reusing plastic containers causes cancer, but so does burnt meat on the BBQ (they've tasted my cooking!) , chemicals in your shampoo, preservatives in food, food colouring in prawns, insecticides on vegetables, not eating enough roughage, being in the sun, etc etc etc......

Cheers

Mrs Fly

Hi all,
Have been trying something different in last few years. Using freezer bags filled with water placed in the Engel freezer section over night. Next morning a couple of smacks with a bit of wood breaks up the ice and it is easy to feed into the camelbacks and topped up with water makes for cool drink for several hours detecting.

Peter

Hi All
Saw this subject when checking through old posts. In the hospitality industry you can buy 20L containers of vinegar in plastic containers approx 400mm square 500mm tall they come with a tap that screws into the side to dispense the liquid, it may be worth checking local resturants for their empties these containers are made of food grade plastic eg, less chance of chemical leaching, I buy the bulk vinegar as weed killer for my organic vegie garden.( i have some spares )

G'day,
Some plastics will release cancer causing chemicals into the liquid stored in them, and this degeneration is accelerated by ultraviolet light. One of the safest types of plastic to store liquids in is PET (PolyEthylene Tephthalate) often used for soft drink and mineral water bottles etc., recycle number 1.

They are recommended for chemical free solar water disinfection in 3rd world countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_disinfection
http://www.sodis.ch/Text2002/T-PETBottles.htm

On prospecting trips if we only have access to lower grade water, we filter it through a carbon filter drink bottle, and then leave it exposed to the sun for the day in clear 2 litre PET bottles. The carbon filter gets the big nasties out, such as parasites that are immune to temperature and UV, and the sun’s UV kills the smaller bacteria such as e-coli that get through the filter.
This is for areas where fires are banned and we have to back pack in with minimal amounts of cooker fuel.

Cheers
Grey.

Hi folks, first post, just thought I would offer an idea we used a while back when remote detecting/camping. First off, we are three adults, hubby, daughter (slightly disabled) myself SWINO, and our 4 legged security system called, 'Cooper.' Hubby does extreme research and, after applying to property owners, we often camp in places 300kms from civilization. We have a 140ltr water tank on our camper trailer and we also take 9x20 ltr water jerries on a custom-built tray on the back of our ct. For obvious reasons, we don't fill these up until we get to the closest town to where we are going to camp. We use the ct tank-water for drinking and food prep only. The jerries are used for all other purposes and we have got down so low that we have boiled it to use for human consumption.
On one trip, we had a brackish creek near by and we getting low on H2O, so I syphoned some into one of our jerries through a funnel, filled with fish-tank filter-wool. As the water was still a little yellow, I then put a couple of tablespoons of swimming pool chlorine into the bottle. The bottle, with lid off, was then left in the sun all day while we were detecting. When we got back the water was sparkling clean and smelled good enough to drink as-was. Not that we did! It did make for worry free showers, wash-ups, porta-potti etc,
Sheila.

When I buy new containers I always put Bi-Carb Soda (Baking Soda) in it overnight and all is good.