Okay, here's another one. I was at a disaster prep meeting that my local town hosted this afternoon. Not particularly helpful, but the person from the health department started talking about water going bad, and when I pressed her on it, she basically punted.

So, let's say I've got clean water I store in a 50-gallon barrel. I've got 2, actually. They're in my basement. Can this water "go bad"? The basement can get a bit damp in the summer, but I run a dehumidfier. If it still looks clean and smells clean, how long can I store it before changing it out? 1 year? 5 years?

What about water in the 1-gallon jugs you buy at the store?

Thoughts?