How to store RO water and keep it fresh for a month?

Helmut79

Helmut79

Well-Known Member
In case if you don't have access to water at growing area and you have to get it from somewhere else far from the place (many hundred kilometers), then you would bring lots of water at once to save fuel. You wouldn't want to drive hundreds of kilometers every day, would you?

My question is - how much water can I take with me at once?

It boils down to another question - how long does or can water stay good?

How long can I preserve/conserve/store it or maintain it's goodness before it starts getting bad for the purpose of watering plants with it?


My goal is to be able to store RO water for a month and keep it fresh for this period.

How would you do it?
 
Doobius1

Doobius1

Well-Known Member
Water wont go bad if it is stored properly. Go to some prepper sites to get tons of info on water storage. It will last for years in a dark, sealed, sterile container
 
WeedFreak78

WeedFreak78

Well-Known Member
Keep it cool,dark and aerated and you should be fine for awhile. The UV would be worth looking into, I know they sell systems for keeping decorative outdoor ponds clean, so they have the capability of treating large amounts of water.
 
Helmut79

Helmut79

Well-Known Member
Doobius1 said:
Water wont go bad if it is stored properly. Go to some prepper sites to get tons of info on water storage. It will last for years in a dark, sealed, sterile container
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It would be impossible for me to sterilize such a big container.

What if my container isn't sterilized, but sanitized (washed) instead? Are you sure it won't go bad within a month?
 
ShirkGoldbrick

ShirkGoldbrick

Active Member
Chlorine in the form of hocl in pure water at 1ppm free chlorine will provide an orp of over 700mV from my experiments. At 650mV and higher bacteria and viruses are killed in less than a minute. Levels that low won't affect plant growth.. Unless the container is airtight it will evaporate or be used up by bacteria brought in from the air. So a controller, airtight container, or frequently checking the levels is required.

Again, uv sterilization will work.

You could also lower the pH below 3 with sulfuric acid. Plants can handle 1000ppm of sulfur and in pure water 0.001 molar sulfuric acid has a pH of ~2. Almost no bacteria can live at that pH. When you're ready to use it just raise the pH back up with potassium hydroxide. It has to be ro, di, or distilled water though because alkalinity will fight you too much likely otherwise.
 
Tone5500

Tone5500

Well-Known Member
A air tight container with Ro water will stay good for a long time , even the 5 gallon sparklets jugs will keep the water fresh for way longer then a month you will be fine . Air plus light equals trouble
 
Tone5500

Tone5500

Well-Known Member
ShirkGoldbrick said:
Chlorine in the form of hocl in pure water at 1ppm free chlorine will provide an orp of over 700mV from my experiments. At 650mV and higher bacteria and viruses are killed in less than a minute. Levels that low won't affect plant growth.. Unless the container is airtight it will evaporate or be used up by bacteria brought in from the air. So a controller, airtight container, or frequently checking the levels is required.

Again, uv sterilization will work.

You could also lower the pH below 3 with sulfuric acid. Plants can handle 1000ppm of sulfur and in pure water 0.001 molar sulfuric acid has a pH of ~2. Almost no bacteria can live at that pH. When you're ready to use it just raise the pH back up with potassium hydroxide. It has to be ro, di, or distilled water though because alkalinity will fight you too much likely otherwise.
Click to expand...
This is good info .
 
Helmut79

Helmut79

Well-Known Member
Can you recommend an UV sterilizer that could keep a couple of thousand liters clean?

Any idea how much could it cost?
 
Helmut79

Helmut79

Well-Known Member
I found one that costs 100 euros.

Technical specifications: What does it mean if it says it's meant for aquariums of the size of 1800L and ponds of the size of 20 000L? Where does that big of a difference come?

At the same time it says it's capacity is 15 000L /h

What should I be looking at?
 
ShirkGoldbrick

ShirkGoldbrick

Active Member
That is strange. I'd imagine they're assuming no fish in the pond but fish in the aquarium so bigger biological load and more turbidity.

I'd go with the pond rating.
 
Helmut79

Helmut79

Well-Known Member
Please help me to understand one thing.

Let's say I have X amount of RO water I would like to conserve/store.

What capacity should I be looking for, when choosing an UV sterilizer to keep water clean?

What if I want to keep it clean for 6 months?

I want to be 100% sure it will stay good.

What size UV filter would do the job?
 
Helmut79

Helmut79

Well-Known Member
You're basically saying that if it would stay good for months without an UV filter, then getting a cheap one would make it certain that it would stay good for months? Can I count on it?

Now I'm considering storing water for the whole growing period (4-5 months).
 
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