What You'll Need
Before starting, acquire:
| Item | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 55-gallon food-grade HDPE drum | Primary storage | Blue barrels standard; new or food-grade used |
| Wooden pallet or platform | Elevate drum off concrete | 2 pallets stacked provides pump clearance |
| Bung wrench | Open bung holes | Required — bungs are very tight |
| Hand pump (barrel pump) | Extract water | Fits standard 2-inch bung hole |
| Food-grade drum spigot (optional) | Gravity drain access | Install in lower bung hole |
| Garden hose adapter or fill tube | Filling | Standard hose-to-bung fitting |
| Unscented household bleach | Treatment before storage | 6-8.25% sodium hypochlorite |
| Label / marker | Date and source labeling | Masking tape + permanent marker |
| Water treatment strips (optional) | Verify chlorine level | Basic pool test strips work |
Placement
This is permanent. Full drums cannot be moved without emptying them. Set it up right the first time.
Location requirements:
- Level floor or platform — an uneven drum is a tipping risk at 458 lbs
- Cool and dark — basement, garage (if not extreme heat or cold), dedicated storage area
- Away from chemical storage (separate room or separated by at least 6 feet from gasoline, pesticides, fertilizers)
- Off the concrete — wooden pallet, plastic pallet, or rubber mat
- Enough clearance above for filling from a hose or jug
- Clearance around the drum for access to both bung holes
Multiple drums: Space them 6 inches apart for access. Placing them against a wall is fine on three sides; you need pump access from at least one side.
Setup and Filling
Annual Maintenance
Once a year:
- Open the drum and test the water — taste it and use a pool test strip to check residual chlorine
- If it tastes good and shows some chlorine (1-2 ppm): add 1/2 teaspoon bleach, re-seal, mark the date
- If it tastes flat or shows no chlorine: do a full refresh (see below)
- Check the drum exterior for cracks, discoloration, or warping (rare but possible in extreme temperature environments)
Full refresh (every 3-5 years, or when water seems off):
- Drain the drum completely using the spigot or a pump into the garden or a gray-water use (watering plants, flushing toilets)
- Rinse with a bleach solution (1 tablespoon bleach in 1 gallon of water) — pour in, swish around, let sit 5 minutes, drain
- Refill with fresh municipal water
- Add 1/4 teaspoon bleach before sealing
- Mark the new fill date
Accessing Water
Hand pump method: Insert the pump through the large bung hole (most pumps are designed to fit standard 2-inch openings). Pump up and down to extract water into a container.
Spigot method: Open the spigot valve, fill your container, close the spigot. Clean and simple, requires no pump, gravity does the work.
Siphon method: If you have flexible tubing, prime a siphon by filling the tube with water and capping both ends with your thumbs, then releasing — the pressure differential maintains water flow. Requires the collection container to be lower than the drum bung hole.
Two-Drum System
Two drums in a simple series system provides both bulk storage and treated-water staging:
- Drum 1 (raw water): Filled from tap or collected water. Sealed for bulk storage.
- Drum 2 (treated/ready water): Smaller, more accessible. You pull from this drum daily or as needed; it feeds from Drum 1. Add a carbon filter inline between drums if desired.
This keeps your main bulk supply sealed and undisturbed while providing convenient daily access from a smaller working supply.
Calculating Your Stack
One 55-gallon drum at 1 gallon per person per day:
| Household | Supply Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 person | 55 days |
| 2 people | 27 days |
| 4 people | 13-14 days |
| 6 people | 9 days |
For a family of four wanting a 30-day supply: 2-3 drums. For a 90-day supply: 7 drums.
The incremental approach: start with one drum, use it and rotate it, add a second, then a third as space and budget allow.
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Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should you place a 55-gallon water drum?
Decide before filling — a full drum weighs 458 lbs and cannot be moved. Choose a level surface on a pallet or wood platform (not directly on concrete, which can leach chemicals through the plastic over time). Location should be cool, dark, away from chemical storage (gasoline, pesticides), accessible year-round, and with enough clearance to fill from above and pump from the bung hole. Garages work if they don't freeze hard.
How do you get water out of a 55-gallon drum?
Three options: (1) a hand pump inserted through the large bung hole that pumps upward when you push down — most convenient, (2) a siphon hose, and (3) a drum spigot installed in the lower bung hole, which allows gravity drain. The drum spigot is the easiest long-term solution but requires a drill and fitting installation. A hand pump is the most practical for an upright drum.
How long does water last in a 55-gallon drum?
Water stored in a sealed, food-grade drum in a cool dark location from a treated municipal source (which already contains chlorine): 2-5 years before rotation is typically recommended, though the water remains safe much longer if the drum stays sealed. Annual taste testing and chlorine refresh (1/2 teaspoon bleach added and re-sealed) extends usability. Open drums or drums accessed regularly should be rotated every 6-12 months.
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