Well... no.

Don't confuse the O in H2O with the dissolved gases in water. Fish breathe by extracting dissolved oxygen gas from water... they don't break apart individual water molecues to get at the oxygen. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The stale taste is mostly a result of the dissolved gases leaving the water. Which is why most water storage FAQs recommend aerating the water before drinking, usually by pouring it back and forth between two glasses several times.

Approx. 24 hrs, but it will depend upon the amount and concentration of bleach used and the presence of organic material and/or other chemicals present in the water.

Pete

I think maybe I confused the container sanitizing instructions with the water storage instructions. <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

I'll go with 1/2 tsp. per 5 gallons from now on. Even that might seem a little heavy on the chlorine side but this stuff is stored in an unheated/uncooled trailer in temps ranging from 0 to +100 degrees F. for 6 months at a time.

Regards, Vince

1/2 teaspoon chlorine bleach per 5 gallons of water gives you 6.8 PPM chlorine (assuming clean water). This matches the water storage concentration recommendations from Homeland Security.

Pool person here.

For container sanitation they usually recommend 100-200 PPM, which is 1/2 to 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach per gallon. This is supposed to "soak" for at least 2 minutes, and preferably longer (time is an important element of chlorine sanitation).

For drinking water most municipalities seem to target that same concentration as pool water - 1-3 PPM, which is 2-4 drops per gallon, but most seem to recommend higher concerntrations for sanitizing drinking water - 5-8 drops per gallon. This is probably because all the PPM calculations assume the water is pure to begin with - and it might not be. Unclean water will end up with lower PPM levels as the Chlorine does its work.

Liquid bleach will dissipate in water VERY fast if stirred. Even in my pool the motion of the pump dissipates it quite fast.

Chlorine sanitation works best at room temperature 70-80 degrees. Sun spontaneously causes chlorine to convert to a gaseous form and "dechlorinates" water fairly quickly - a good sunny day with clear of pool of chlorine in just one day unless stabilizer is used.

Pool owners have use cyanuric acid to "stabilize" chlorine in a pool. The cyanuric acid essentially acts like a sunscreen for the chlorine. Without it, chlorine would disappear all to rapidly on a sunny day.

Heat also causes chlorine to escape from a solution. Boiling would certainly drive out the chlorine, but you wouldn't really need to get it that hot.

An easy way to check your water is to go to a local pool store and purchase some pool testing strips. They are a simple pieces of paper that you dip in the water and within 30 seconds tells you how much chlorine (free and total - "unfree" chlorine is that which has done its work and latched onto and sanitized organic matter - it is called chloramine) in the water with pretty decent precision.

I think drinking water up to 20 PPM or so is considered OK to drink, but I would't let my kids drink it. I'd rather it came down to 5 PPM or so.

Thanks.

So it sounds like all is not lost if you've overdone the bleach. Let the water sit, open to the air, for a day or so and it should be ok. Would a safe rule of thumb be to wait until you can't smell chlorine anymore?

The fastest way to reduce chlorine is to set the container in the sun (if a clear container).

Actually, it is best if you do smell a bit of chlorine - just a bit, like in a swimming pool. If all the chlorine is gone you run the risk of nasties starting to grow again.

Again, go get the test strips. They aren't too expensive and are your best bet.

So I have a partly used bottle of bleach that's several years old. Has its lost its strength? Should I buy some more? I don't use it for laundry very often.

Clean up your bathrooms & kitchen with it and buy new stuff -- c'mon, like its expensive?

Recapping:

Aerate to get rid of chlorine & stale taste, also recommended to improve taste of boiled water. Store in a cool dark space. Rotate stock. Shelf life from 1 to 3 years (varying opinions).

My work consists of installing municipal water pipes. When tested our water must show 0 bacteria. So, in theory, you could store city water indefinitely in sterile & airtight containers as it has no bacteria to reproduce and make you sick.