In any emergency situation, one of your first concerns should be finding access to potable water. A typical person can last up to a month without food, but they can only last a few days without water. And the longer you go without water the less energy you’ll have to search for it.
Water is worth its weight in gold wherever and whenever there is a shortage. Whether it’s the aftermath of a hurricane or a prolonged drought, you should have a plan for accessing a ready supply of stored water. But that doesn’t mean you have to have your very own water tower. From bladders to vertical tanks, the options for storing water are as varied as the amount of it you’d like to store.
In this guide, we present five of the most popular ways to store water in preparation for an emergency.
Perhaps the most basic option, plastic tanks some in all shapes and sizes. Molded from Food Grade polyethylene and shielded with UV light-inhibiters, plastic water tanks can hold hundreds of gallons of potable water and withstand most of what nature can throw at them. Plastic tanks are lighter and cheaper than steel or concrete alternatives, and can be buried underground for added cooling and protection, or they can be stashed anywhere on your property for easy access. Color options allow you to match the tank to local scenery or boost its protection from penetrating UV light. (White tanks reflect more heat than darker-colored tanks.) And if your space is limited, you can always go small: There are plenty of polyethylene tanks designed to fit no more than 20 gallons of water at a time.
Malleable by nature, plastic tanks can be refashioned for other purposes. These same tanks are often used as rain catchers, which would require the installation of a catchment system and a pipe inlet, which can easily be drilled into the top of the tank. As a strong plastic, polyethylene tanks are also great for storing food liquids, fuels, oils, and other substances that prove valuable in an emergency. They’ve even been used as groundwater casings, which help buffer dirt and soil at the bottom of a well.
Experts recommend storing these tanks on a concrete “pad” or surface. This helps stabilize the tank and prevent it from tipping or spilling over in adverse weather. You can also use plastic pads as a base—really any flat, weather-resistant surface will do.
Less durable but lighter and more portable than plastic tanks, bladders are ideal for any location where a plastic tank won’t fit. They can fit in crawl spaces, beneath an outdoor deck, or underneath a counter, and can even be fitted to a faucet to provide running water. As bladders can be stored overhead in a crawl space, you can use gravity to your advantage, running a hose line from the bladder valve to a faucet or other outlet. In emergency situations, bladders can supply a source of casual drinking water, whereas a vertical tank can serve as your main source of water storage and collection. Made from a soft plastic, water bladders can also be folded up and stored in a compact space when not in use.
But don’t be confused by their shallow, portable design. Bladders can store about as much water as any plastic tank—if not more. Small bladders can fit just 25 gallons, but capacities range incrementally up to 30,000 gallons! Bear in mind the size and shape of the bladder, as it will likely consume a wide area. Many manufacturers, including Go To Tanks, provide custom sizes to suit your needs.
Bladders and vertical tanks both have their uses, but they can be quite large. And while bladders are more portable than tanks, they’re not really meant to be moved around once filled. That’s where doorway tanks come in handy. These tanks are not as large as vertical storage tanks or fresh water bladders, but they can fit through a doorway, making them ideal for residential situations.
Doorway tanks are made from the same UV-resistant polyethylene plastic that protects the material from corrosion. The materials are translucent and include level lines, both of which provide a visual indication of how full the container is. And despite being designed to fit through any doorway, water tanks come in a variety of sizes and capacities. The smallest doorway tanks can fit about 250 gallons of water, but they range in size up to about 1000 gallons. These vessels make a great water storage solutions for apartment buildings, commercial properties, and other locations where indoor access to large supplies of potable water is essential.
Maybe you have need for a more “on the road” source of potable water. Bladders, vertical tanks, and doorway tanks are all great for providing a steady supply of water in one location or residence, but they’re not really ideal if you’re trying to supply water from a camper, RV, boat, or pick up truck.
As the name implies, pick up truck tanks are designed to fit in the back of a pick up truck. With a bottom-heavy design, these tanks provide a source of water for long-distance transportation and are made from UV-inhibiting plastic that’s designed to last for years. They also have translucent walls and gallon indicators, allowing you to keep tabs on how full the vessel is at a given time.
As they fit into most pick up trucks, they are an ideal solution for transporting much-needed water to an emergency situation. Alternatively, they provide a source of transportable water for long journeys on the road.
Many of the tanks in this guide cover portable or permanent water storage, but none of them is truly suited for both. Emergency situations demand on-the-fly thinking and an ability to adapt to changing environments. Portable utility tanks provide the best solution for both stationary and portable water storage.
Available a wide range of shapes and sizes, utility tanks are designed, first and foremost, for versatility. There is no situation where a portable utility tank will not serve the fundamental task of providing much needed water. Some can be bolted to walls or surfaces, others include handy measurement lines and handles, and they’re all shaped to fit the widest assortment of storage locations and situations—be it a truck bed, a field hospital, or a residence.
While smaller on average than other water storage tanks in this guide, utility tanks provide a truly “on the go” solution for emergency water storage. They come with the same UV-resistant, translucent materials, and they range in capacities from a mere 2.8 gallons all the way up to 68.
Whether you go with a small or large container, a portable utility tank or an underground storage vessel, Go To Tanks has a large variety of options. With water storage tanks, rain harvesters, chemical tanks, and septic systems, our tanks come in many different of different sizes, styles, and colors. We can help you find whatever you need in preparation for any emergency.
Call 1-877-468-2657 and we’ll help you find the tank that suits you.
SALES@GOTOTANKS.COM 
