Shooting Star
Veteran Member
We have several 55 gallon drums we are going to fill with water today - How much clorox do I need to add?
Stage 1 – Drinking Water Storage
A 30-day supply of water should be stored in the Stage 1 Shelters. The surface water supply and to a degree, the underground water supply will be contaminated by the impact event. This 30-day supply of water will allow the shelter time to transition to a post-impact source of water and to develop a water treatment capability.
One method for storing water is the use of 55 gallon plastic water barrels. An average person requires a minimum of 2 quarts of water per day. For a Shelter Complex containing 800 individuals, this would equate to a requirement of 400 gallons of drinkable water per day. Eleven barrels per shelter should provide storage for a 30 supply of water. The barrels should be lowered into the shelter and then filled. For long-term storage, water should be sterilized or disinfected. Water stored in plastic or glass containers can be chemically disinfected for long-term storage by treating each gallon with 16 drops of liquid chlorine bleach (Clorox or Puree type bleaches, containing 4% to 6% sodium hypo chlorite). Only regular household bleach should be used, not "fresh scent" bleach. Eleven teaspoons of bleach will disinfects 55-gallons of water. This level of treatment will prevent growth of microorganisms during storage.
If your city water is treated by chlorination then I'd go with just one tablespoon and even that may be overkill. This presumes the barrel is sqeaky clean inside and that you seal it tightly after filling.Shooting Star said:Alan, we have city water - will that make a difference? 3 tablespoons for 55 gallons? Thank you....