Storing Water

"It’s water that creates the biggest problem. We cannot live without it. [But] water weighs over eight pounds a gallon!" - the Arnass blog

The most difficult item to store for emergency preparedness is water because it is so darn heavy. The preparedness rule of thumb for clean water is one gallon per person per day for drinking and cooking. On top of that you'll need a second gallon of water (not necessarily clean) for flushing toilets and bathing. For a family of five with a pet that means 88 pounds of water per day, 264 pounds (33 gallons) for 3-days/72 hours.
Where do you keep all this water? There are several options:
1. Store it dispersed: in new/unopened water bottles that you buy on sale when the price is low, in cleaned soda bottle, in small camping containers that are 3-5 gallons in size. Do not reuse milk/cider gallon jugs. There are often biodegradable and will leak over time. We tried this and yes, they did leak. Soda Pop bottles use a heavier plastic.
2. Store it large: you can buy 55-gallon food-grade barrels but once filled don't plan on moving it! It will weigh over 400 pounds so find a strong floor space. You may also need a special wrench to open the container and a syphon to empty it.
3 Store it outside: for gray (dirty) water consider your swimming pool or large trash barrels. This only for external use, not for drinking! A plastic trash barrel worked well for us but split and broke in the winter when the water froze and the ice expanded.

Bottom Line
Clean water in a sterile container kept in a dark location will be safe for six months. Beyond that the risk of bacteria growth increases. If your stored water is old, boil it first, or filter it or use iodine. If your old water tastes flat, pour it between two clean buckets to put air back into the water.