In an emergency, like after a natural disaster, you might not have a reliable source of water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, or taking a bath. To be ready, many people choose to store clean, drinkable water in one or more containers. Take a look at the top products listed below to get a better idea of what some of the best water storage containers have to offer.

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Water Storage Container

Form

There are many different kinds of containers for storing water.

• Drums and barrels are great ways to store water for homes and shelters. Most of the time, these barrels can hold 55 gallons or more.
• There are two main types of standard water containers based on their shape. Water storage containers that can be stacked come in different sizes and can be stacked on top of each other to save space. Containers that can’t be stacked can also be different sizes, but they can’t be stacked on top of each other.
• When empty, water storage bags or bladders are made to be portable, but they can hold as much water as a drum or barrel, which is a lot.

Material

Plastic, glass, enamelled metal, fibreglass, and other materials can be used to make water storage containers. Plastic is the most common material because it is cheap, easy to work with, and light. Rust and corrosion won’t be a problem either. Make sure that your water storage container is made of food-grade material.

Size and Amount of Water

Before you choose a water storage container, figure out how much water you want to store, where you will store it, and if you want it to be portable. The rule of thumb for being ready for emergencies is to store about 1 gallon of water per person per day. With this as a starting point, you can figure out how much water you need to store for your family and what size container will work best.

Remember that when a container is full of water, it is much heavier than when it is empty.

Simple to Use

• Depending on a few important features, it can be easy or hard to use a container to store water.
• Some spouts come with a container to hold water that helps you control the flow of water when you pour.
• Spigots are easy to use, work well, and are very convenient. This is why they are the most common way to get water out of a storage container. A spigot can be built into the container or attached when it’s needed. Just open the spigot to get water and close it when you’re done.
• A syphoning pump on a large storage container or a water storage bag or bladder can be used with a hose to pull water.
• Caps keep water from getting dirty or leaking out of water storage containers.

Storage

Small, portable water containers are easy to move and can be kept in a closet, a cold room, or even in your car. Most of the time, storing the same amount of water in one large container takes up less space than storing the same amount of water in a number of small containers. But once big containers are full, they are hard to move without a lot of work.

Portability

If portability is important to you, you might not want to use just a barrel or drum because they can weigh more than 400 pounds when full. Standard water storage containers take up less room and usually weigh between 50 and 100 pounds when they are full.

Small water bags are also a good way to bring water with you, but they can’t hold as much water as standard water storage containers. When full of water, it can be hard to move around large water bags.

Safety

Water storage containers are made to keep your water sealed and away from possible contaminants, but you need to think about the shape and weight of the container before you start stockpiling water. Only stacking containers are made to be strong, last a long time, and fit together well, which is what you need for safe and effective stacked storage.

Once a container is full and sealed, it should be kept somewhere cool and dark.

Best Water Storage Containers In 2023

#1) Reliance Products Jumbo-Tainer

This water storage container is made of BPA-free plastic and has a spigot that can be hidden inside the container or put on the outside to get water. The spigot has a wide spout that lets a lot of water through easily. If the flow seems too fast, you can just turn the tap-style spigot control to slow it down.

This water storage container is a great portable option. Even though it is small, it can hold up to 7 gallons of water and fits easily in the trunk of the average car. The container is shaped like a jerrican, so it can sit horizontally or vertically. It also has handles at the top and on the side, so you can pick it up in either position. Because of this, you can store the container in different ways depending on how much space you have for water.

#2) Reliance Products Aqua-Tainer

This option from Reliance Products can hold 7 gallons of water in a container that is made to be carried over short distances. The top of the container has a wide handle, so you can move it around your storage area, take it to your car, or even walk away with it if you need to. This container for storing water can be stacked, but only when it is empty. When they are full, they will be too heavy to safely stack.

The spigot that comes with this container can be attached to get to the water inside, or it can be turned around to hide inside the container so that it doesn’t break off while being moved or stored. The container is made of BPA-free, recyclable plastic, and there are measurements on the side so you can see how much water is inside.

#3) WaterStorageCube BPA-Free Collapsible Water Container

Keep a water storage container like this one on hand in case you need to move clean water from a larger barrel, drum, or bag to a smaller one. This flexible container has a firm handle on top, and when the container is empty, the sides can fold down to a quarter of their size.

This portable water storage container can hold up to 5.3 gallons of water, and the spigot can be moved so that you can get water when you need it. If you want to go hiking, fishing, or camping, this storage tank is a great choice. It is made of a flexible material and is small, so it fits easily in a car trunk. The lid doesn’t have a rubber gasket, so you don’t have to worry about losing it when you fill the container.

#4) WaterBrick Stackable Emergency Water and Food Storage

This is a small storage container that can be stacked. It has a capacity of only 3.5 gallons. Each container is made of food-grade plastic that doesn’t contain BPA, and when it’s full, it weighs about 25 pounds.

#5) WaterPrepared Blue 55 Gallon Water Storage Tank

This 55-gallon storage tank is made of BPA-free blue plastic. It is also resistant to UV light, so your water will be safe even if it is in direct sunlight.

If you need to store more water for your family, you can buy a second container and stack it on top of the first. This will double the amount of water you can store without taking up more floor space.

At the bottom of the container is a spigot the size of a garden hose that makes it easy to get to the water you’ve stored. At the top is an extra-large cap and opening that makes it easy to fill up.

#6) Extra Packaging Corp. Water Storage Bag

This water storage bag is made well. It has a pillow-like nylon shell that is resistant to punctures and a food-grade, BPA-free polyurethane lining. When it’s full, it’s 36 inches long, 48 inches wide, and 16 inches tall. The bag can hold 60 gallons, but when it’s empty, it weighs less than 5 pounds. The garden hose thread connection is used to fill the bag, and the same connection is used to empty it.

#7) Scepter 05935 Military Water Container

The Scepter costs more than some other ways to store water, but the extra durability is worth it if you tend to be rough on your containers. The container is 13.7 inches tall, 6.8 inches wide, and 18.8 inches deep, and the opening is 4 inches wide. It also has a smaller opening on the cap that can be used to fill small water bottles.

This water storage container is made of military-grade LDPE and HDPE plastic, which doesn’t contain BPA and can take a lot of abuse. It can hold 5.2 gallons and has a strong handle on top, so it’s easy to pick up and move when it’s empty. The dark colour of the container keeps it from breaking down in direct sunlight. When it’s full, it weighs 44 pounds.