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Do not think you can come to my house when there’s an earthquake in soCal, because I won’t have enough water for you. What about all these barrels, and why do I have them if I won’t share?
Fourteen 55-gallon water barrels. This is at least a 4 month supply of basic water for my family. Too bad these aren’t mine.
I arranged a group purchase for used 55-gallon water barrels for my friends and fellow church members. On Saturday, the water barrel guy delivered them. How much do these babies cost? Well, if they were new, they’d be in the $70-100 range. These, on the other hand, are used barrels and they were $25 a piece. That’s a huge savings! I have to rinse and sanitize them, but that’s pretty easy, and I think it’s totally worth it to save $45+.
Where exactly do these “used” barrels come from? Companies use this type of barrel to hold food items. These particular barrels held either fruit or fruit juice concentrate. They were used exactly ONCE. After these barrels have been used once, companies may not reuse them. Some entrepreneurs buy these barrels and resell them to consumers. I love that! I save money while I’m saving the planet. GO ME! See? Now I have 5 barrels.
I really wanted to have a bit more water on hand, so I bought another 55-gallon barrel. The one on the left is my new (used) one. I need to rinse and sanitize it before I fill it with water.
I’ve told you before that I live in a desert. If there is any disruption to our water supply (earthquake anyone?), I can’t run to my local river or stream and get water. The one “river” in my city is dry. I’ve only seen water in it a few times, and it didn’t last very long. It’s super dry now that California is suffering from a horrible drought.
You don’t need to worry about water, right? Wrong. Remember that chemical spill in West Virginia? How long were the 300,000 people affected unable to use the water from their faucets? Several weeks! What about a power outage? Much of the country’s water is transported using pumps. Electric pumps.
I’m not trying to freak anyone out, but it is important to be aware of how fragile our water supply system is. And it’s VERY important for you to learn what you can do to be prepared and to act.
What can you do? Do you have to buy water barrels? Nope! Buy some bottled water from the store and always have at least a 3-day water supply on hand. How much is a 3-day supply? For my family, 2 packs of Costco water bottles covers it.
You can buy a couple cases of bottled water to have on hand. Stick it under your bed.
Don’t want to buy bottled water? Do you ever buy 2-liter soda bottles? Rinse and sanitize those, then fill them with water. Old soda bottles are perfect for storing water.
Wash, sanitize, then refill old soda bottles, for quick, easy water storage.
I challenge each of my readers to take a few minutes this week to evaluate your water storage. Do you have any? Do you have anywhere to store water? (Most people can fit a few refilled soda bottles of water under their beds.) What are you going to do this week to build at least a 3-day supply of water?
Think I’m paranoid? Maybe. But FEMA and the American Red Cross agree with me about having water on hand. In fact, they recommend having a 2 week water supply on hand. Check out their brochure about food and water in an emergency here. If you’re not there yet, don’t stress. Start with a 3-day water supply.
Think barrels are a great idea, but don’t know where to get them? You can order them new online from my giveaway sponsor, Emergency Essentials, by visiting their website here. In fact, they have an awesome “starter” kit for about $93 which includes an emergency syphon (needed to get the water out of your barrels), a bung wrench (makes opening and closing your barrels SO much easier), and a water treatment (to keep your water safe to drink). It’s really quite a good deal for a new barrel. In fact, it’s one of the lowest prices I’ve seen for this type of set. Here’s a picture.
Emergency Essentials Water Barrel Combo Set for just under $93. See it here.
Are new barrels out of your price range? Check Craig’s List in your area. Many entrepreneurs are selling these barrels in different parts of the USA. Maybe there’s someone near you selling these barrels.
Let’s walk the walk and not just talk the talk. Get some water! It will give you peace of mind, and help you be more self-reliant in an emergency, which will free up resources for those who were unable to prepare.
My Foray Into Food Storage 