diy solar

diy solar

Is my water tank safe?

J

JRR

New Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2020
Messages
25
I just picked up a 275 gallon water tank to use as part of a rain catchment system. I was told it had only contained "salt water." After a bit of research, I find out that it's an Aqueous solution used for cleaning, and the salt probably wasn't sodium chloride. Any idea what is in those containers?

Thanks.
 
I looked. I couldn't find any. I'll look again tomorrow, but I don't think there are any labels.
 
Rinse, flush, and repeat. Use water, beer, whiskey but never scotch. You could let the water sit in the tank for several days and then take a sample to whatever local agency in your neck of the woods does water testing (i.e. well water) to see what they report.

In the end, what will the water be used for?
 
marionw said:
Rinse, flush, and repeat. Use water, beer, whiskey but never scotch. You could let the water sit in the tank for several days and then take a sample to whatever local agency in your neck of the woods does water testing (i.e. well water) to see what they report.

In the end, what will the water be used for?
Click to expand...
Keep in mind with water, blood or any other kind of test, they are only testing for the specific items you request.
In the case of water it’s the standard lead test that and maybe 10 other chemicals unless you specify something else and how do you know what was being stored in it.
I would not use that water unless it was to water my plants.
 
Food grade IBC's are commonly available and quite cheap (I paid under $180 for my four) they used to contain canola oil used for cooking at 'fish and chip shops' but were pressure cleaned before I even got them...

On the way to the campsite on my then new property
1716193896179.png
3 were used as 'storage', the fourth used for transporting water from the local 'council water stand' (you can just see the two solar panels on top of the two tanks on the right)
1716194271888.png
They fed drinking and washing water to the caravan while building the shed from a 12v mains pressure waterpump run from an old 'dead' car battery, charged by the two panels on top of the IBCs
1716194452257.png
These days, just used as 'ballast' for the 'temporary arrays' at the shed...
1716194524693.png
Each IBC holds 1000L (265 gallons) and cost me $45 each (and about $10 in diesel to pick them up lol)

Without knowing exactly what those containers of yours held originally, I would be dubious about using them for drinking water- they 'probably' are safe- but unless you can find out exactly what cleaning chemicals were actually used ('salt water' can mean many different things, some not so good to drink), I'd be dubious about using them for drinking water at least unless they were triple washed and left filled with water for at least a month to 'soak out' any traces, then triple washed again....
 
Hi all. Consider that it is really tough to keep drinkable water in any of these containers. The tank itself is not usually under pressure, and out of the elements like a residential well pressure tank. The pressurized side is only after the pump in this case. I use a tote like those at an off-grid cabin myself, for shower, toilets, etc. but not for drinking. Very easy for things to grow in the tanks.

Not trying to be one of those negative on ideas people, but just throwing it out there.
 
Agreed. I’ve had mine for around 20 years. Surprised they have lasted that long. I did spray paint the top to provide some uv protection.

A cup of bleach every once in a while helps.
 
My 55 gallon poly drums were $15/ea and previously held Pepsi syrup.

It's relatively easy to filter out any biological contaminants or anything that might be growing in water stored in these containers. Some bleach as mentioned earlier, a particulate filter and UV sterilizer in the water line, or an RO filter on the drinking side, no big deal.

It's hugely more difficult to filter out industrial contamination or poisons, and the potential dangers can be far more than just an upset tummy for a few days.
 
SunDave said:
Hi all. Consider that it is really tough to keep drinkable water in any of these containers. The tank itself is not usually under pressure, and out of the elements like a residential well pressure tank. The pressurized side is only after the pump in this case. I use a tote like those at an off-grid cabin myself, for shower, toilets, etc. but not for drinking. Very easy for things to grow in the tanks.

Not trying to be one of those negative on ideas people, but just throwing it out there.
Click to expand...
They are quite ok for drinking water as well, if kept out of the sunlight (I ended up wrapping mine in shadecloth- also kept their temps down in 40C plus temps) plus add either 'tank treatment' tables (widely available from most hardware stores or rural suppliers in Australia, or even a small amount of bleach (which in the proper proportions is quite safe to drink after the water has been treated)

Many people are 'overly cautious' about rainwater tanks- a good 20% of Aussies live on them with zero issues (many never treating them in any way lol)
Mine are only relying on the first flush diverters..., I did treat the big tank at the shed with bleach after frogs got into it, but only used it for showers and washing clothes for the first tankload, but been using it for drinking after that...
1716216745280.png
22500L in that one (9000 gallons)- now fitted with first flush diverters and the tank inlet sealed to stop frogs spawning in it again...
:-(
 
Bop said:
They are quite ok for drinking water as well, if kept out of the sunlight (I ended up wrapping mine in shadecloth- also kept their temps down in 40C plus temps) plus add either 'tank treatment' tables (widely available from most hardware stores or rural suppliers in Australia, or even a small amount of bleach (which in the proper proportions is quite safe to drink after the water has been treated)

Many people are 'overly cautious' about rainwater tanks- a good 20% of Aussies live on them with zero issues (many never treating them in any way lol)
Mine are only relying on the first flush diverters..., I did treat the big tank at the shed with bleach after frogs got into it, but only used it for showers and washing clothes for the first tankload, but been using it for drinking after that...
View attachment 216519
22500L in that one (9000 gallons)- now fitted with first flush diverters and the tank inlet sealed to stop frogs spawning in it again...
:-(
Click to expand...

I imagine that's helpful for fire fighting as well.
 
JRR said:
I just picked up a 275 gallon water tank to use as part of a rain catchment system. I was told it had only contained "salt water." After a bit of research, I find out that it's an Aqueous solution used for cleaning, and the salt probably wasn't sodium chloride. Any idea what is in those containers?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Safe for What ?

Drinking Water ?

Roof catchment water “could have” bird poop or other toxic materials on the roof. So in my mind the question should be is the system safe if you want it “Potable”.

In my career, I have had to disinfect public drinking water systems. Typically that process utilizes a “chlorination process”. Further the municipality water system will be “chlorinated”.

Be aware if you are drinking from catchment water.



Water Treatment | Public Water Systems | Drinking Water | Healthy Water | CDC

Water treatment plants use different methods to provide safe drinking water to communities. Learn more about common water treatment steps.
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov
 
Yeah you have to be careful of drinking rain water. I put in my rain catchment system 26 years ago. It uses a sand and gravel setup before the tanks and after I have a whole house filter unit. It has been the supply for me, my Dad when he was still alive and several pets through the years. I do occasionally treat with bleach (especially in Spring when pollen is everywhere).

My experience with this long term exposure may be a warning to others. While almost never getting sick or suffering any direct effects from drinking the water I have noticed some negatives. When I first started drinking rain water 26 years ago I had a full head of hair, I was strong and quite handsome. But as the years have gone by drinking and washing in the water a lot of my hair has fallen out, I get fatigued after minor physical activity. My looks are no longer that great and my memory seems to be hit or miss.

So before you embark on setting up a rain catchment drinking water system you may want to consider what it might do to you 20+ years from now. You don't want to look back and realize the harm it might have done.
 
Hi all,
Jokes aside (good one by the way Matt), I agree with RV8R that you should just know what you are getting into. I have some experience with camp drinking water systems that families use, and I take that very seriously.

Just don't get in the situation where you have no clue what the risks are, and are feeding experiment water to people that have no idea what it is. Experiment on yourself all you want!

If you go into it with a learning mindset, and get the info you need for it to be safe, then great. There are places that test water for cheap or free, so it wouldn't hurt to test it when installed, then also months down the line to see if you are staying relatively free of some of the common bacteria. Also know that this type of system is not something you can just leave alone for weeks at a time, then come back to it and use. Not for drinking anyhow.
 
I don't know about you but I just lay out under my eaves with my mouth wide open under my downspout when it rains. Refreshing!
 
RV8R said:
Safe for What ?

Drinking Water ?

Roof catchment water “could have” bird poop or other toxic materials on the roof. So in my mind the question should be is the system safe if you want it “Potable”.

In my career, I have had to disinfect public drinking water systems. Typically that process utilizes a “chlorination process”. Further the municipality water system will be “chlorinated”.

Be aware if you are drinking from catchment water.
Click to expand...
This!

The container likely wont be the one to contaminate the water. The water should already be considered contaminated by something.... bugs, bird poop, pollution and so on. The process to filter and treat the water will be the most important.
 
Without serious filtering and cleaning rain water from the roof is only good for watering the lawn.

I am on well water and have had to shock it once when the test came back with bad stuff. I still use an undersink RO filter setup with UV light as the final stage. I test it once a year through the county health dept - not required but only costs $20

When I change the filters on it I put 1/2 teaspoon of bleach in at the start and run it until I smell it at the end, then let it sit 30 minutes and flush then put in new sealed filters.

For anything other than drinking the well is perfectly fine... well I admit I drink the well water to but it is basically liquid rock with a PPM reading upwards of 800 in spring and 450 the rest of the year. The RO was primarily put in to lower that down. It has 8 stages - 3 particle, the RO filter element, then for drinking another particle filter, a remineralizer, then the UV light. I have a switch to run through a DI canister set and put out 0 PPM water for my wife to water her carnivorous plants.
 
Update: The seller has informed me this tank contained a saline solution used to flush the lines on the machinery at a chicken processing plant.
seneysolar said:
This!

The container likely wont be the one to contaminate the water. The water should already be considered contaminated by something.... bugs, bird poop, pollution and so on. The process to filter and treat the water will be the most important.
Click to expand...
I fully intend on making sure the water is potable. I've been mostly off the grid for going on 6 years now, but I have problems with my well running dry in July and August, hence the need for a water tank.
 
OM617YOTA said:
I imagine that's helpful for fire fighting as well.
Click to expand...
It is actually a legal requirement in many council areas that tanks have an approved standard fitting that the bush fire brigade can connect to...
(in my case a 65mm Storz outlet is required at the tank itself...)
One of these
1716243935699.png
Basically, a T fitting is fitted to the tanks outlet valve, one line goes to your own waterlines, the other has the Storz vavle fitted to it... Should the bushies need to fight a fire on your property, they can connect to your water tanks to get extra water...
(it is also a requirement that if your water pump is mains powered, it must have an alternate source of power, or an alternate pump powered by some other source available be available for fighting fires)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

G
(UK) Can one safely use a stream on your land for drinking water also what about rainwater?
2 3
Replies
57
Views
1K
wpns
W
Subdood
Running 240V water heater on 120V?
2
Replies
40
Views
2K
efficientPV
efficientPV
S
New off-grid home build -- passive cooling & materials
2
Replies
25
Views
689
dopeassjackson
D
O
Window AC unit conversion to water heater
Replies
0
Views
130
orangezero
O
M
dc water heater
Replies
3
Views
290
mxhowes
M

diy solar

diy solar
Back
Top