What’s Your Go-To Backup Water Source?

[AquaFern1028]

Been thinking a lot about water redundancy lately. After my main rain barrels, my backup is a well with a manual pump, but I'm wondering what others rely on if their primary supply runs dry or is compromised. Anybody have experience with portable water containers, or have a good filtration method for surface water that's truly

 

[ChamomileCraze]

Been thinking a lot about water redundancy lately. After my main rain barrels, my backup is a well with a manual pump, but I'm wondering what others rely on if their primary supply runs dry or is compromised. Anybody have experience with portable water containers, or have a good filtration method for surface water that's truly

A well with a manual pump is such a solid backup, especially during power outages. For surface water, I keep a few gravity-fed ceramic filters on hand, and I’ve had good luck boiling pond or creek water with a dash of dried yarrow or rosemary for extra purification (old herbalist trick, though filtering is still a must!). Portable

 

[ChrysanthiDream]

Backup water is always on my mind after a rough winter a few years ago—pipes froze and I really had to improvise. My main is a rain collection system, but I treat it as a first line, not a guarantee. For backup, I keep several 7-gallon Reliance containers filled, rotated every few months. They’re heavy to move, but sealed well. If I’m forced to use surface water (there’s a little creek nearby), I run it through a Berkey gravity filter and then give it a rolling boil. For taste and extra confidence, I sometimes add a few cleavers or lemon balm leaves—just a personal touch, but always after boiling.

Saw someone mention ceramic filters

 

[PrepperLinda65]

Those Reliance containers hold up well, don’t they? I rotate a mix of those and blue food-grade barrels myself. For surface water, a good ceramic filter plus boiling covers most worries, agreed. Hadn’t tried adding herbs after boiling, but that sounds interesting for both taste and comfort. Anyone else store water in glass jugs for super long-term, or is that overkill?

 

[CrimsonWren145]

Been thinking a lot about water redundancy lately. After my main rain barrels, my backup is a well with a manual pump, but I'm wondering what others rely on if their primary supply runs dry or is compromised. Anybody have experience with portable water containers, or have a good filtration method for surface water that's truly
A well with a manual pump is such a solid backup, especially during power outages. For surface water, I keep a few gravity-fed ceramic filters on hand, and I’ve had good luck boiling pond or creek water with a dash of dried yarrow or rosemary for extra purification (old herbalist trick, though filtering is still a must!). Portable

I’ve used gravity-fed ceramic filters for years and trust them for most local surface water, as long as I pre-filter through a cloth first to keep silt out. Boiling is always my fallback (never skip it), and herbs like yarrow or rosemary do help with taste, though I mostly use them for peace of mind rather than actual purification. I’m curious, ChamomileCraze—do you notice a big difference in flavor after adding herbs, or is it just familiarity from experience?

My backup to the backup is a pair of old 5-gallon glass carboys tucked in the root cellar—heavy, but they last forever if kept dark and cool. If I’m hiking or need to move water, I use collapsible 3-gallon containers; not as durable as the Reliance ones