Good idea about using rubbermaid containers Eric. Thanks for the idea!

I just stockpile Coors and cheap whiskey.

(I jest: I have three 7-gallon HDPE water containers stashed in the garage. I'll add more when I have room.)

Perhaps consider using a Watersafe!

They make three sizes, a Watersafe Mini, 5 gallon sink/stand alone tank, Watersafe, 65 gallon bath tank, and a Watersafe Heavy Duty, 55 gallon stand alone tank.

All are easily filled, have closures, and outlet handpumps, but best of all, they pack small till you need them.

I saw these about a year ago and thought they were a sensible addition to a household kit.

Watersafe

WaterSafes are only good for one use, since you can't dry them out and mold will form.

One of the simplest water collection units is an above-ground swimming pool. A pool 48" deep x 12' across holds just under 3,000 gallons of water.

And keep in mind that there is a difference between algae and moss.

Algae is the stuff that grows in the water and makes it a cloudy green, and sometimes it forms in strings; this can be deadly toxic.

Moss grows on the sides of the water storage tank in clumps. Moss is a cleanser of water. It was discovered in WWI that soldiers whose wounds were packed with spaghnum moss had a higher survival rate than the wounds packed with cotton bandaging material. That has been translated into a new way of cleansing water .

That's a big plus for those of us who live in the PNW. It grows on anything that holds still long enough.

Sue