Residual Water in Fresh Water Tank....

[ShrimpBurrito]

I solve this problem simply by storing my water tank full all the time. Like most municipal water supplies, our water is chlorinated, so I don't worry about stuff growing in it, particularly when it's full (and with more chlorine to surface area ratio). In fact, emergency agency recommendations I've read say you can store tap water for 6 months without any safety concerns, although the water in our tank gets replenished every month or 2 when we camp. I find doing this achieves 3 things:

- nothing growing in the tank
- a 20-gallon emergency water supply
- one less thing I need to do in preparation for a trip. It's ready to go.

Works for us!

I wonder how cold it would need to get over winter to freeze a 20-gallon tank. Out of pure intellectual (and not practical) curiosity, if I lived in a cold climate, I would experiment with this with some large buckets. I wouldn't be surprised if a full 20-gallon tank would never freeze completely during winter in a good part of the country (except Chicago).

Dave

[TrailManorMan]

Last winter -21 degrees in NE Ohio, would have made that one big ice cube!
We often get 20 inches of ice on local lakes and ponds, they even drive full size pick ups on the lakes for ice fishing some winters!

[grubbyjeans]

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

I solve this problem simply by storing my water tank full all the time. Like most municipal water supplies, our water is chlorinated, so I don't worry about stuff growing in it, particularly when it's full (and with more chlorine to surface area ratio). In fact, emergency agency recommendations I've read say you can store tap water for 6 months without any safety concerns, although the water in our tank gets replenished every month or 2 when we camp. I find doing this achieves 3 things:

- nothing growing in the tank
- a 20-gallon emergency water supply
- one less thing I need to do in preparation for a trip. It's ready to go.

Works for us!

I wonder how cold it would need to get over winter to freeze a 20-gallon tank. Out of pure intellectual (and not practical) curiosity, if I lived in a cold climate, I would experiment with this with some large buckets. I wouldn't be surprised if a full 20-gallon tank would never freeze completely during winter in a good part of the country (except Chicago).

Dave

https://beprepared.com/blog/9182/5-m...water-storage/
Myth #1: Water can expire.

Fact: Water does not expire. It can become contaminated (chemically or biologically), but it doesn’t “go bad.” Water can have a stale taste, but that taste can be eliminated by rotating your water and purifying it. If a water storage source is in ideal conditions (it started out clean and was stored in a dark, cool area, not directly on concrete or near harsh fumes and chemicals), it technically can store indefinitely. Rotate water for peace of mind or if there is a risk of contamination.