How long does it take for gallons of water to go bad?

Question

I have about 20 jugs which are 1 gallon each, that i would like to get filled with water at a grocery store. I would like to know how long it takes for it to go bad, because i don't want to waste my money if we do not drink all of the water.

Answer 1

I am guessing that since you are getting them filled at the supermarket then that it is from one of those water filtration machines. As long as the containers are clean and the water filtered they will last a while. Distilled water will last even longer as the only thing in it is water.

I would not be too worried about it though. Just make sure you rotate your bottles. 20 bottles would last me about a month. But then I use it to not only drink as it is but I make my tea and cook with it too. If you are health conscious enough to drink filtered water then you should also be using it to cook and make other drinks with. You will find your drinks will taste better by using filterd water.

Answer 2

If you add a neutralizer or a small percentage of bleach solution to sanitize, (2% for consumption) it can last a while.  Maybe a year.

It's best to buy a water tester at a outdoors outfitter or camping store to be safe.

Answer 3

For the gallons for Drinking Water that I purchase at the store, they have an expiration date that is TWO Years out.  Of course, they were bottled under strict conditions and were sealed at the bottling plant.

If you are filling the gallon containers in less than sterile conditions, I would think the water would only last a couple of months.  In fact, even when you follow instructions for "home bottling and storage" it is only a shelf life of 6 months.  See link below for really good info on this subject.