Hi,

I don't post very often, but this topic is something I am very interested in as well. I have some comments I'd like to add to the thread.

I am considering storing water in underground storage. The reason I'm thinking about doing this is because the earth's temperature below 6-7 feet underground stays at a constant temperature of around 50-70 degrees. And this is all over the earth. I have a few sources for these figures somewhere. I'll post them later. Just want to get the idea out here first.

I know this information doesn't really apply to your water storage needs because you said you wanted to store your water in your car, but maybe you and others can use this information.

I also have a comment on plastic milk jugs. I know that plastic milk jugs may seem flimsy, but I know they are very sturdy. We used one as a childish prank filling it with some chemicals to get it to explode. And let me tell you it took forever for anything to happen. Nothing happened so one of my friends started kicking it. Still nothing. About ten minutes later we were actually throwing this thing into the ground with all of our might. Still nothing. Finally one of my friends gets this thing and throws it with all of his might at a boulder and the thing finally explodes in a shower of bubbles and foam. Lesson: Don't leave teenagers alone to entertain themselves. The other lesson: Milk containers don't break or even leak under extreem abuse. I'd like to point out that it had a twist on cap not a pop on tab.

Placing them in a crate may reduce their ability to expand outward. So I'd put a little more headroom at the top.

BTW, this summer I found a small water bottle I had stuck in my storage tub (no trunk in the '91 Montero). It had been in there all winter and was still intact.

I have to disagree with Wayneburg's observations of milk jugs. While they are generally pretty tough, I've had them rupture when they hit the ground after the grocery sack ripped open. This was factory sealed, & full of milk, & required a trip back into the store for a replacement. I've also dropped one onto the floor & had it rupture.

I've also seen 2 & 3 liter soft drink bottles rupture when dropped (shatter is more like it). They're especially vulnerable when the cap hits the ground. I still have Pepsi spots on the interior ceiling of my Suburban from one dropping to the pavement when the grocery sack ripped open (Hmmm...maybe I'd better either sack my own groceries, or change grocers...) This has happened more than once.

Extreme temperature changes for a long term, and especially exposure to sunlight (UV rays?) will weaken milk jugs & soft drink bottles.

It seems as if they're tough as nails when I'm trying to destroy one, and fragile as glass when I'm not expecting it to break. YMMV.

David

milk jugs are ment for short term storage, the plastic it is made of, deteriates very rapidly compaired to others, so it might be ok wenn new, but wenn you leave it a little longer it will get cinificantly weaker.

Thanks Presumed_Lost, you answered my question!

Very good logic, I've pretty well much got all the equipment you mentioned, so why keep adding bleach etc to my stored water - effectively poisoning it. Just treat it as a stream and treat as and when for drinking, bearing in mind it may go down the toilet or in the sink for washing myself or clothes.

Cheers for that!

My experience has been that the yellow milk/juice gallon containers seem to have a greater bursting strength than the white material. Admittedly, this is anectodal evidence, and I'm not sure if there is an actual difference in the plastics between the two.

Thanks- I've never seen the strategy in print, so, all I can say is that it makes sense to me. Could be some hidden flaw- but if the water is purified, I don't see any downside to it having been done recently.

Rembember what a friend of mine once said- "the art of food preservation is poisoning it just enough so that bacteria are too smart to eat it- and you're not". <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I leave water in my car in the UK and whilst we don't get temperatures of silly below, we often get -5 to -10 (or worse in the hills). I've noticed that the water rarley freezes completely. Since the ice forms at the top of the container first I simply store them upside down (they are leak proof!). That way the ice really forms at the bottom of the container and the top/spout is clear. Simple but effective.