Carrying water improvised – only in clean, food-grade containers

Plastics and metals are not all the same. Containers intended for food are made from materials that do not release harmful substances into drinks or food under normal conditions. Other containers – such as bin bags, builders' and paint buckets or technical canisters – are not tested for this and can contain additives that do not belong in drinking water.

Then there are residues. Chemicals, cleaners, pesticides, oil and fuel partly soak into plastic or stay stuck in crevices and threads. They therefore cannot be reliably washed out, not even with lots of washing-up liquid. A container that has once held something like that stays off-limits for drinking water.

When carrying, physics plays the main role. Water is heavy and sloshes. Sloshing water pulls you back and forth with every step and tires you faster. Full or nearly full containers, carried close to the body and centrally, are much more comfortable than a half-full bucket at arm's length.

The history of the container must be known for certain. Empty drinks bottles, freezer bags, pots and canisters that have only held food are suitable. In the EU a symbol showing a glass and a fork marks materials intended for contact with food. When in doubt: if you do not know it for sure, do not use it.

Clean every container with clean water and a little washing-up liquid and rinse thoroughly. Do not forget lids, caps and threads – dirt likes to settle there in particular. When filling, do not put your fingers into the opening.

Freezer bags are best used doubled; do not fill them completely, squeeze out the air and seal them. Then stand them upright in a pot, a bowl or a backpack so they do not tip over or burst. Label containers “drinking water” with the date, store them cool and dark and use the water soon.

The container only decides whether water stays clean on the way – not whether it was safe to begin with. Water from streams, lakes, rain barrels or a tap under a boil-water notice must be treated before drinking, for example by bringing it to a rolling boil. Always follow the advice of local authorities. An improvised filter alone does not make water safe.

Keep untreated and treated water apart and label the containers. Otherwise someone may drink from the wrong one by mistake. A container that once held untreated water should be cleaned thoroughly before it is used for drinking water.

Water is heavy, and carrying it can overload your back and joints. Split the loads, carry them close to the body and take breaks. Two people can carry a bucket or pot on a pole between them – then the weight is shared.

When the water supply fails, authorities often set up distribution points, for example water tankers or drinking-water stations. Bringing your own clean containers helps a lot there. Several bottles in a backpack or a bag of freezer bags inside a pot are easier to carry home than a single large canister.

In a camp outdoors you might fetch water from a stream. Then carry it in a pot with a lid or a collapsible container back to camp – and boil it there before anyone drinks it or brushes their teeth with it.

Improvised containers, especially single-use bags, are not meant for long-term storage. Anyone who wants to build up an emergency water supply uses suitable food-grade containers and follows the authorities' recommendations.

Civil protection authorities recommend clean, food-grade containers for drinking water and explicitly advise against vessels that held chemicals. The rule is simple, but it applies even when things have to happen quickly.

A common mistake is grabbing “any” canister from the garage in a hurry. Those canisters in particular have often held oil, fuel or cleaners. Several small, safe bottles are better than one large, questionable container.