We are making plans to demolish a decrepit shed behind our house and I am cleaning out the stuff stashed there over the decades - talk about a perfect job for an archaeologist!

For-about a decade, I have been storing water in this shed, in a dark corner, using recycled beverage and juice bottles. The space in unheated and ambient temps range from 35 to 90 F. All told I have stashed 45 gallons in clear plastic containers, and an addition twelve gallons in dedicated BPA-free water containers (Reliance Armor-dillos).

The water looks fine; no algal growth or strange life forms. If we needed to use this water, i would prefer to boil it first, but I have drunk from far more questionable sources without incident in the past, old desert rat that I am.

This note is sort of an adjunct to the camping in your home after a quake thread. Camping is such a drag sans water...

I have a rain barrel in my basement, with an aquarium filter in it that I run occasionally when it gets scummy. It might not survive an earthquake, but those are pretty unlikely in MN. It was originally intended as a backup for my outdoor rain barrel which I use for plants, but then I realized it's also good emergency water. If I have to use it for drinking water, I'll pull the water filter out of my camping gear.
I also have a couple 2.5 gallon Reliance water jugs that I keep full, with a dash of bleach in them. The water in them came from my RO drinking water system, so it's quite clean. They're under a WW2 style steel desk, so they'll probably survive my house being destroyed by a tornado.

I've been lucky in the last two hurricane events (20004/5 and 2017) in that the city water has not been disrupted...it does make the heat more tolerable with the ability to take a shower, even though it is a little cool...

I have an existing shallow well casing, which I retro fitted a deep piston pump several years ago... I do store about 20gal in 2 Scepter cans and 2 Aqua Tainers (one of which is at least 20 years old... I add a couple of milliliters of clorox when I change out the water, which I try to do at the beginning of at least every other season, or when a projected track is forecast

for Irma, the case of bottled water was sufficient...an insulated cooler mug was a pleasant addition so at least cool ice tea was available

Wife and I are discussing the addition of 55 gal drums and smaller 15-30 gallon containers. More for the non-potable uses like flushing etc. Drinking is by cases of water. 12 cases (48ct) for 3 people.

re: non potable water....for hurricane use I fill a 33 gal plastic trashcan in my single bath shower to use for bathing and flushing.. that way I have access to the shower's drain, and still room to stand... an additional 33 gallon can is placed at the end of my eaves where I knock out the end cap

my water heater holds heat over for about 2 days, so warm showers are still available for a time... don't overlook the water heater as a storage tank... make sure the tank drain is not covered with silt... a short piece of hose can make access much easier