Can Water Go Bad?
It may seem contradictory to everything we said at the beginning of this post. Yes, water can go bad. That is, some types of water can go bad when stored improperly. It all comes down to minerals. The more minerals water has, the faster you should use it. For example, distilled water has no minerals and thus, is the water we recommend for long-term storage. Spring water has lots of minerals. If it is in direct sunlight or fluorescent lighting, it will turn green. You should keep spring water out of brightly lit areas. You should also rotate the bottles ensuring that you use the oldest ones first.
Storing Water in 5-gallon Containers
It is always a good idea to store water for emergencies. And, 5-gallon bottles are an excellent choice. We recommend keeping at least four gallons of emergency water per person. A three-day supply is great. But in certain situations, two weeks is optimal. Follow these tips for 5-gallon water jug long term storage:
- Store in a cool, dry, and dark place.
- Do not keep them on a concrete floor.
- Do not stack the bottles on top of each other.
- Use a water bottle storage rack.
- Rotate your bottles using the oldest ones first.
As you can see, you do not need to worry about how long 5-gallon water jugs last. Distillata provides only the highest quality food-grade bottles filled with properly treated water. Use this infograph as a guide on how to store bottled water:
