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Does water go bad if you keep it in a sealed barrel for too long? Why would it go bad? Does this mean some amount of chlorine is usually necessary or some other chemical?
aluminum is great it keeps out the UV rays and is very durable, problem is that the new aluminum cans are lined with a food grade plastic to keep the metallic taste out of the product so you also have the problem of the chemicals leeching out of the plastic this normally does not happen for at least two years or so (take a look at the inside of a beer can) its not always been this way used to have no lining and the beer or soda would develop the metallic taste after about a year or so.How long is too long, what about using aluminum?
In extreme climates, the risk can increase. We were seeing that in Kuwait and Iraq near the beginning of the campaign. It is also one of the suspects of a lot of illnesses from the first Gulf War. We had clear plastic bottles by the pallets just sitting under a blistering sun.Leeched chemicals are trace amounts and unless you drink this stuff exclusively, highly concentrated, the harm is truly minimal. (young children and infants are more susceptible.)
Dehydration on the other hand will kill you quick.
I would treat and boil swamp water drained over an outhouse and drink it if need be. I sure as heck am not going to worry about space age chems in my Pepsi bottle - in a pinch.
Call me reckless.
My experience agrees with Canadian - it is for bacteria of one form or another to be added to stored water when reusing or refilling containers; I've seen it myself in refilled & stored water bottles. This is a much bigger cause for concern than chemicals leaching out of plastic (unless the bottles were made in China or other places without quality controls; then who knows!).If even a small amount of bacterial gets into the container and it sits for long enough the bacteria will breed and get you when you drink it. This is especially true if the water is allowed to fluctuate in temperature.
Even in the wild non moving or "still" water should usually be treated as suspect. When water sits it is easy for bacteria to grow. A fast moving source of water is oxygenated by the movement of the stream and less likely to grow nasty bacteria.
You could always use a quart of mild OTC (3%-5%) Hydrogen Peroxide solution to rinse out the tank after emptying it.What about water stored in a camper's fresh-water holding tank. What is the extent of life expectancy of water sitting in there. Will bacteria drain-away when the tank is emptied, or, would the bacteria have the ability to "stay alive" even when dry for extended periods of time?
Thanx Blob, I am just about to get my campers fresh water holding tank cleaned and running again after 30 years. (if it's any good.) I don't think I would use it for potable water though unless I boiled it. The container is an old metal one. I may even replace it in the future as finances permit. I was thinking of cleaning it with Chlorine and then Hydrogen Peroxide.You could always use a quart of mild OTC (3%-5%) Hydrogen Peroxide solution to rinse out the tank after emptying it.
Do you drink or use any of this water? What kinds of drums do you use? food grade? Where did you get them?I have four 55 gal. barrels that I fill and empty every 6 mos and don't have any problems with them.