Drinking water in an IBC tote

Which grades

The test is whether the bottle can show a history that is only food or drinking water. A bottle that held a fruit concentrate is one example. A bottle that held a cleaner, even a mild one, is not.

The fittings matter too

The valve, the gasket and the cap touch the water as much as the bottle does. Replace a stained gasket. Flush the valve before first use. Run the first fill to waste, then fill again. A brand new tote with a used, stained valve is not a clean system.

Keeping it clean

• Fill from a food-safe hose, not one that has lain in the sun or the dirt.
• Keep the cap on and screened.
• Keep the tote out of direct light, which feeds algae.
• Draw water through the valve, not by dipping a bucket.
• Change the water every six months.
• Never use the tote for anything else in between.

When in doubt, use jugs

A household that wants a small drinking store and a larger utility store usually does best with food-grade jugs for the first and a tote for the second. Jugs are cheaper to replace, easier to carry in an evacuation and less likely to fail all at once.

Buying and checking

Ask the seller for the label, the shipping paper or a letter from the plant that emptied the tote, and compare the bottle to what they say. Open the cap in daylight, look for staining at the waterline, smell for sweetness or solvent, and run a finger around the gasket. A clean, odorless, unstained bottle with a documented food history is a good sign; a vague answer is a reason to choose rebottled stock instead.