What options is there for storing water for people in a smaller spaces/apartments?
I see a bunch of people talking about water storage, but it seems like everybody here owns a goddamn farm/house with space for a 500 gallon tank like it's nothing - not jealous or anything...
I'm relative young, live in the city on my own, and by that nature got limited space for prepping. I'm covered to be self sufficient for some weeks, prepared for different scenarios, anything from "just supply issues" to "the world is over as we know it, grab the BOB bag" but one problem I simply can't solve - water storage in my apartment.
I don't want five square 20 liter tanks standing in the corner of the room - is there anything out there like a "flat" water tank I can put behind my couch or under the bed? I've searched and searched, but for some reason the only things that come remotely close up is made for jeeps/boats which will probably be my go to, but they are pretty pricey.
Why is there no flat water tank designs for people like me - or maybe there is and i'm just not aware?
Hope others have found a way or got good suggestions to fix this problem..
Check out AquaBrick, they are pretty compact. But most water storage is just kinda pricy. You could also get a bunch of regular 1-2 gallon water jugs and put them in a closet and rotate through those
Difficulty is volume, though. If I want a gallon of water per person per day, that’s 7 gallons per person per week. If you only need water for you, that’s more manageable, but with more people it multiplies quickly
I would probably use aquabricks and disguise them as furniture
Get a bathtub bladder up ti 100 gallons only thing is you'll need atleast 15 mins to fill it before a emergency.
This 👆
Didn't know about these, thanks for sharing.
They are interesting and will keep them in mind- but as u/candlecup mentioned, i'm also considering options for scenarios where my normal water supply wont work for days/weeks.. Therefore I'm interested in a big flat and square tank to put behind the couch or under the bed. Doesn't seem to be an option though..
Not an issue if you’re on a ground floor apartment but if not, also be aware of the weight. 100 gallons of water weighs over 800 lbs, so if you had a 100-gallon flat tank the size of a bed frame and put a mattress and you on top of it, that’s a lot of weight to put into a structurally small area.
Bathtub bladder 100 gallons.
I have a rack that stores 8 x 5 gallon water jugs set up. I have a water cooler and rotate through these, about four a week. I know which way the floor supports run and laid cross sections of 2x12’s to reinforce the floor so there are no concerns with it falling through
Thanks. I've also considered this option - would love a more aesthetically pleasing method, but this might be easy to customize.
Get a bathtub bag. Fits inside the bathtub. Fill it when needed. Other than that throw out 2 of the 300 shoes your wife has and use that space.
Got no bathtub - but maybe I can cram it into some sort of unused space.. Will consider.
Lmao. Do you know if this option is available for a future wife, or is that a privilege that only gets unlocked at a later level?
Using a large tote and a small bathtub bag may help give the needed stability while giving greater control of moving and storing said bag. Please consider the weight limits of your upper floors
This. I have 2 and I used one. Actually tossed the one I used.
If you're storing water indoors, especially if you're storing hundreds of gallons, don't skimp on the quality of the storage solution, and/or add some redundancy by storing it in a second waterproof container, otherwise if it springs a leak that you don't notice right away, you may be in for an expensive, moldy mess.
I live in a condo, and just store 10 gallons of water in aquabricks (I have a garage, so I don't have to worry about it leaking in the house), and am hoping that the water in my 60 gallon water heater survives whatever disaster forces me to resort to my emergency water supply. Though I also live near a freshwater river and have some filters on hand.
Will for sure keep this in mind - thanks.
Can your own water in quart mason jars and stash a few wherever you can fit them. It lasts a lot longer than plastic bottles.
It's not exactly what you asked for, but it might help to have a rack storing 2-6 5-gallon water jugs. If anyone asks, your excuse would be "yeah, I use a water delivery service, that's just how many I have to get".
I have seen slim water storage containers on Amazon. They're typically around 6" - 8" deep so they could theoretically fit behind a sofa against a wall.
You are young, and presumably live in walkable area? Invest in portable water storage like a jerry can that you can fill and carry to your apartment. When water service looks like it might be disrupted, fill available containers, pots, jugs, pitchers to augment your supply. Buy a silcock key, learn how they are used, print some directions in case you forget, and map some locations near you where it can be used. Small canned supplies (including water) can be stashed in places where you can only fit a few extra cubic inches (e.g. under the bed, back of the cupboard, behind a potted plant. Make a map to where municipal water sources and natural springs are located.
Do you have access to a nearby pond or lake? Perhaps focus on water filtration capabilities outside of bottled water you rotate through. Id try and keep at least 2 weeks of water if possible on hand though.
Ie lifestraw water bottles or pitchers.
Yeah I do and will be my last resort if needed. Lifestraw seems like a must for everyone, but wasn't aware of "Sawyer mini" - will look further into it.
Although you can drink surface water by sucking it through a Lifestraw or Sawyer, the filter will eventually plug up and become useless due to tiny particles of gunk filling up the pores in the filter. The secret to long filter life is pre-filtering. Get yourself a package of bulk coffee filters and run the water through one of those before exposing your actual filter to it.
I had no clue, thanks for sharing.
Guess i'm buying extra coffee filters from now .
Because bad water can cause you to die a rather horrible death, it wouldn't hurt to have backup technologies like chlorine, iodine, or a UV steripen in addition to filters. Nobody around here will call you paranoid....
think about a regular gravity water filtration system. a Sawyer mini or similar will do just fine for one or two people, and a Sawyer squeeze will do that faster. you can just hang a bag of dirty water up and filter into jugs.
it turns out that a other of what other people just use as camping gear has a lot of application as preps.
Sawyer mini, if you go this route. No shade to the person I’m replying to because lifestraw is so good at marketing, but the sawyer mini is better in every possible way.
Yep, I have those too. Pretty handy.
Does your apartment have a water heater with a tank? Typically 20-30 gallons? Congratulations you have that much spare water, you just need a hose.
Didn't expect to find a spare 30 gallons of water in my apartment tonight.. A very nice tip.
Be sure you turn breaker off, and connect the hose. Helpful to have a spray thing on other end of hose, so it doesn't drain into floor.
Note that it is not recommended to drink directly from hot water tanks. They do have sediments. For washing, totally fine. For drinking, not so much. It will probably have copper, possibly lead depending on city pipes. Bacteria is an issue, too. Better than nothing but I'll keep it as a source of cleaning water.
You would probably be better off drinking the water in the water toilet cistern. That is cold water same as in your tap.
This is wrong on almost all accounts.
Yes, water heater can have some sediment. It'll settle or is easily filtered through a Brita.
Water from the heater is safe to drink, though it could go bad after some time if there's a power failure.
Water from your toilet? It's not designed for drinking, constantly has stagnant water in open air at room temp ... This should be your last choice just before you consider drinking your own urine.
That's so interesting! I wonder if we have different infrastructure? Because Folkehelseinstituttet (Norwegian health institute) advises NOT to drink from the water heater because of copper and heavy metals. You cannot boil out heavy metals. Filter, I am not sure, it is not that common to filter water at home here. The water heater will loose heat once the power goes, so bacteria will thrive. Those can be boiled to a safe level I suppose, but the amount of perhaps dangerous bacteria is much higher in the heated environment.
Whereas the cistern is a clean(ish) container with lid, fed from the cold water line, without those heavy metals - and can be boiled. Usually changed a few times a day when water is running, so it isnt stagnant from a few weeks, only a day or two at the time you need it. Of course one should never drink from the bowl - that is not a clean place to store water, but the cistern is not too bad.
Link to an article, sadly it is in Norwegian: https://www.nrk.no/nyttig/ikke-drikk-varmt-vann-fra-springen-1.13699631
I think both can be used in an emergency but I would worry more about the heavy metals than boiling the hell out of cistern water. Unless you have filters that you trust and can take out copper and heavy metals, which I do not.
I think that's just outdated advice. Modern water heaters are glass lined. Temps are too high for bacteria. The water goes through the same pipes as cold water. The sediment is stuff coming OUT of the water, so technically there's less "stuff" in the hot water because it condenses and falls.
I'm thinking old boilers might have been a bit of a concern, but not anything modern.
I think you found the difference. Even modern tanks here are not glass lined. Newer ones are more often steel, not copper, which helps but most still have copper piping. Tysm for finding me a new rabbit hole to do down, I want to know more about these glass lined ones now!
I've zero idea about hot water tanks or water systems in Norway. I only have experience with ones in the US.
Will admit live in a small flat where space and weight is an issue. Prefer the twelve pack of still water route as they can be stacked in unused space (underneath the far end of desks and tables). Small bottles are easier to conceal and transport if space is a premium. A manufacturer cutback is the strength of the plastic used in the bottles. Please bear this in mind if stacking water bottle packs.
Look for general smart storage solutions. For example raise your bed so you have storage underneath. Look for ways to use dead space in your house. Try to make use of the height of rooms.
"Bed risers" are incredibly cheap. You can buy them on Amazon. They can SIGNIFICANTLY increase under-bed storage,
My searches are yielding some results…buts not really helpful to provide suggestions without the dimensions of space you have to work with.
I personally don’t think it’s unreasonable to choose a corner and stack it up with water. If you have a tub, consider a WaterBob.
Then research water purification methods, tools and sources.
Sure it’s unlikely to need such levels of water but failure to plan could be deadly.
I went with these stackable containers, so I can store a lot vertically in the corner.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S1RACNY/
I have at least 100 used 2 liter soda bottles filled with tap water., BTW 2 liters is just more than half a gallon.. I have them all over the place. They are easy to move, easy to share, just easy. Use up and refill once a year and you are gold. I know someone is going to say "Oh microplastics" which is true but we won't care much if we are depending on our stored water
If you're worried about re-using single use plastics, you can also can your own water at home. https://nchfp.uga.edu/papers/factsheets/home_canning_water.pdf
This can be done with the water bath method, so all you'd need is a pot and a trivet to keep your jars from touching the bottom of your pot. It's also a great way to "practice" canning with water or if you already are a canner, just filling the empty space in your canner with jars of water. Empty jars take up the same space as filled jars of water and it's still a clean jar if you ever need to open it and use it for something else later.
If you live in an earthquake-prone area you'll want to protect your jars from breaking/falling (I saw people repurpose holey socks by cutting them into a tube and putting them around their jars to keep them from bumping into each other in storage)
I used to repurpose all of my Classico spaghetti sauce jars (back when they were still using Atlas mason jars with standard rims) for canning water. Now they use commercial lids. They didn't recommend reusing them, of course, but it's just water and the risk was that the jars might break if reused for home canning, but I've never had one shatter or break its seal even when I tried using them to fill empty space in my pressure canning recipes.
Fish tank? Would need to be purified first but it allows you to have 20+ gallons of water available. A silcot key would be good to have in the city too. You can access external water spigots located in commercial buildings. You can drain water from the pipes if needed without entering the building in an emergency.
I also like the blue Igloo water jugs. They were like $15 ea on Amazon a few years ago. They dont stack so space may be an issue but they are relatively thin so maybe you could store a few between appliances/closet space.
Rather expensive for the amount of water stored, but there are canned water options. Liquid Death has a flat water 12oz pack that is pretty available, depending on your region. Makes storage easy to stack in the back of the pantry. (But that's also true of a multitude of other options.)
Waterbed
It's not stupid if it works I guess
Don’t drink water from a water bed. Either you treat the water on a regular basis and those chemicals have nowhere to go or you don’t and … ick.
And of course you now have the problem of where to sleep!
OK, serious question: what about with a life straw or other filter? I was partly joking, but now I'm curious.
It looks like waterbeds are made out of "vinyl," which is probably polyvinyl chloride. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride.
None of the lab files on Life Straw's website specifically mention what chemicals are filtered. This sheet [PDF warning] does seem to indicate the "Life Straw Flex" filters out more "chemicals" than the other options, so that is probably your best bet.
This comment was researched and typed manually. Fuck AI.
I don’t know. Perhaps someone with more knowledge can answer you. Personally I would not feel comfortable with that and would rather filter surface water.
If you have access to your water heater, it usually will have 20-50 gallons of water inside. Probably a last resort, but figured I'd pass it along
That's actually a really good tip, didn't think of that lol, thanks!
It's probably not a practical ready round-the-clock solution, but there are water bladders that basically just fit into a bathtub and filled from the tub's faucet. Downsides of course that either you lose a bathtub (and I imagine most of them aren't good for more than a couple weeks holding water safely anyway), or you need enough leadtime before an emergency to fill it. But upsides are they're pretty cheap, and give lots storage.
So maybe not do it as your only option, but rather have it as an optional reserve to a smaller "routine" supply.
Gallon water jugs don't really take up much space, unless you're trying to store 100 gallons at a time. A few under the sink, bottom of the closet, space under a table hidden by a tablecloth. 2.5gal Ozarka brand containers are a bit more slender and rectangular, would sit together like books. I would also suggest a 100 gallon water bladder that can be placed in the tub or shower and left in situ once filled. That also requires advanced notice of a disaster, but still worth having around because they come in a package about the size of a shoe box so are easily portable. And don't forget the water in your water heater.
If you don't want to store a ton of water make sure you have at least two weeks worth and bottles and get yourself a water Bob. They are huge rubber tanks that go inside your bathtub and there's something happens you feel it with water right in the tub. It's a clean source of water, and it takes up the space inside of your bathtub instead of in your living room. But it relies on there being water working when s*** goes south. So it's something you would do right away. You can also use them without the tub with tarp and rain. I have filled one halfway during a torrential downpour. So it is also refillable anyways a few caps of bleach or some tablets you have potable water. You can also buy multiple of them put one in the tub and have two in the living room or somewhere in the house if you have enough time to fill them all. But all in all if you have a closet take whatever the hell you have out of there and use that for storage. I doubt whatever you have in there if you do have a closet is more important than the water and food you may or May not need. Buying a bunch of the 5 gallon water bottles from Walmart and sticking them between your couch and the wall is also a decent thing to do. They really don't take up all that much room. If your couch is angled in the back it's going to take up less than you think
Cases of water bottles stacked up with a piece of plywood on top and a table cloth draped over them make perfect end tables, night stands, TV stands, etc. A few years ago I saw a YT video were the guy asked the camera man how many cases of water he thought were in his 1 room apartment. The guy looked around and said he didn't see any. He pulled up the covers for all of this tables, nightstands, etc and they were all built from cases of water. Not to mention places like under the bed, in the closet, etc.
Might actually add this to my apartment - great idea. I've also been thinking if there's a way to combine water storage and interior design or if solutions like this already exist.
Would love to see this video if you by any miracle remember the name.
When I had an apartment I started with a water cooler and water cooler bottle rack against one wall in the kitchen/dining area. Four 5 gallon bottles in the rack plus one in the water cooler meant I always had 20+ gallons of water on hand.
Because it was against a wall in the kitchen it was basically “hidden in plain sight” and allowed me to use my other less obvious storage space for more expensive or sensitive things (solar generator setup, firearms/ammo, BoB, etc).
Plus I was cycling through the water so I didn’t have to worry about treating/conditioning it.
Walmart and other places sell the pre-filled 5 gallon water bottles, and they fit nicely in the back of closets. They are also less likely to rupture or spill than standard plastic bottles or bladders.
Some people like these aqua-trainers... same deal that they go well in a closet. The price tends to really swing depending on where and when you buy them. I personally like the sealed 5-gallon bottles better because water doesn't evaporate out of them over time and it comes sealed/sterile.
Water bricks are a lot of people's go to for small spaces, they do fit under a bed or couch and are very sturdy. They are pricey though. Tip- put your bed on risers for more storage... feels regal too... lol.
For predicted emergencies (like hurricanes) get a WaterBob. These also swing in price.
Finally... get stuff to filter water. It not even that uncommon anymore for city water to become contaminated. You may have water coming in, but not potable. You can also get filters that go on shower heads and other faucets.
You should have a few. Hot water tank maybe. Tub hopefully. Fill that thing. Frozen 1 gallon water bottles in the freezer can actually make it run smoother. Back of the toilet water. Take that. Very likely. Can be refilled with any decent clean water. Kitchen sink. Could probably fill the washer. If it looks... like that... fill every cup bowl sauce pan and thimble. Other than that. Water bladders in good spots. I think 2. Because that is how many hands you have.
That's probably approaching 100 gallons. Plus a grey water in the washer. With rationing... let's call it a hard gallon a day. Less hard just wait it out. That's get rescued time.
Aim for something you could reasonably store then have water filters. CDC recommends 1 gal per person per day. Even if you did have a lot of water stored it might be reasonable to consider how many days you would realistically stay at an apartment if the water was out.
Some general storage ideas.
sheet over a table
under a sofa or a sofa with storage
under a bed; you can sometimes raise the bed
shelving can sometimes fit into closets or laundry areas
Few flats of water bottles under the bed?
Wavian makes a 22L water jerry can that’s pretty low profile. But they are pricey. Could use a cheaper alternative i suppose from like vevor or something.
I just bought my daughter several cases of bottled water for her school apartment.
Stack in closet, where it’s next to the other out-the-door stuff.
And encouraged her to take one each day to class and buy another case when case is empty (thus rotating supplies)
Check if your sofa has room under it. If you don't have a sofabed or storage in your sofa, you can check if there is empty space inside. Just remove the dust cover. Ours has good room for bottles.
Oxygen is plentiful! Just store a bunch of hydrogen and combine when you're thirsty
Get a waterbed.
How much are you looking to spend
No limit - just interested in different solutions for now.
https://www.tank-depot.com/surewater-29-inch-wide-260-gallon-plastic-emergency-water-storage-tank-in-blue-sur-ww-260gal?utm_campaign=PMax_VerticalWaterTanks_US&adgroupid=&creative=&matchtype=&network=x&device=m&keyword=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=&hsa_acc=7891641110&hsa_cam=18098290933&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18097009848&gbraid=0AAAAAD_uGWhMz-FSEHauqBrS7JmIaTxkR&gclid=CjwKCAiA95fLBhBPEiwATXUsxIDHD9eYz7ReZto65YMWtGTvsOYOunPBV4ZD1yTemciwhnS6qtIaxxoCNSIQAvD_BwE
Waterbed
There's a subreddit on here for prepping in apartments/small spaces.
When I try to share a link to it, I get "not found," after clicking on my own link.
However I think it's "tinyprepper" or "tinyprep"
Really? I would really like to check it out.
But i'm new to reddit.. Is it possible for you to link this to it?
https://b2581625.smushcdn.com/2581625/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/sl70-e1757324526396.png
700L 510mm flattest I could find