Cohousing-L Mailing List: Emergency water storage

[Melanie Mindlin (sassetta]

Hi Paddy,

Here are a few things I know about IBC totes.  
You can stack them. 
They should be kept out of the sun—mostly to prevent breakdown from UV, but 
also to preserve water quality. You can wrap them with any sun blocking 
material. Some people paint them.
The outlet plumbing is a bit tricky to integrate with other plumbing and hose 
parts.
You can buy them used for a modest amount. The best ones were used for shipping 
alcohol before they come to you. This means they will be squeaky clean. 
Otherwise you may need to wash some kind of oily substance out of the tote—a 
difficult job at best.
We’ve had some for about 5 years that are doing fine. I don’t know how long 
they will last.
Hope this helps.
Melanie
Ashland Cohousing
Siskiyou Permaculture