PEP-C sells food-grade poly barrels that have been previously used for such things as Coke syrup, soy sauce, vinegar or pickles. To use them for water storage you will need to thoroughly clean them before filling them with fresh water. To clean the barrels, simply rinse them out with a solution of 1/2 cup household unscented liquid bleach for every 2 gallons of HOT water. Close the top of the barrel and shake it, roll it and swish the solution around in the barrel until it has been well rinsed. Make sure that the bungs and threads of the barrel are also thoroughly rinsed in this bleach solution. Open the barrel and pour the solution into the next barrel or water storage container. Repeat rinsing action. This solution will clean several containers. Dispose of the bleach solution into a white wash in your washing machine. Make it do double duty for you!
DO NOT DISCARD BLEACH SOLUTION INTO LAWN OR PLANTS
it will kill them
Once you have thoroughly rinsed your barrels, place them where you are going to store them and fill them with a garden hose. Then add measured unscented liquid chlorine bleach to sanitize:
4 1/2 teaspoons unscented liquid chlorine bleach
with 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the active ingredient /
per 55 gallon barrel
and seal the barrel. Every 6 months, empty the barrel(s), rinse the containers again as above, refill and add sanitizer.
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