Sure Water Tank Review – Big Water Container

by Derrick James
sure water tank review feature
Here is my Sure Water Tank with top fill hole and bottom drain hole.

We all know water filtration and storage is critical to effective prepping. To help with that, I’ve written a Sure Water tank review. They make the biggest indoor water storage tanks – to my knowledge – marketed to preppers.

Please note: Sure Water no longer ships or sells directly to consumer.

You can instead find comparable products at Water Supply Tanks. Use coupon code “Survivedoomsday” for 10% off!

Water filtration is important when you’re lost in the woods, bugging out, or trying to secure potable water in a post-apocalyptic world.

Rather watch than read? You can see my video review of the Sure Water tank here:

Water storage is critical if you have to stay indoors. Maybe radioactive fallout is raining down on your neighborhood. Maybe bands of thugs are wandering about post-natural disaster. Whatever the reason, with a general guideline of one gallon per person per day, storing water isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do, particularly for urban or suburban preppers. Sure Water tanks might be your solution.

Water is Heavy

Water takes up a lot of space, it needs to be rotated, and – it’s heavy!

If you’re aiming for basic 30-days’ worth of resources for a family of four, you’re looking at 120 gallons of stored water (minimum). Now, you might think I can’t drink a gallon of water a day even if I tried.

Water storage is not just about drinking water. You’ll need water to clean your smelly self. If you’ve stocked up on long-term freeze dried foods to get you by, you’ll also need water to reconstitute that food. Besides that, what if Auntie Em crawls to your door on the verge of dehydration?

It’s better to be over-prepared!

Large Water Storage Solutions

People advise all sorts of solutions for water storage, from storing water in old milk jugs to buying 55-gallon water barrels. I lean more toward the latter, but what happens if you take that 55-gallon barrel and put it on steroids? You get the 260-gallon Sure Water water tank.

Here is picture of my Sure Water tank situated in my food/water storage room in the basement of my house:

large Sure Water LLC tank
Note the blue Pex water line I put at the top and the drain hose at the bottom. The ball valve a few feet off the bottom of the tank (bottom left) is for filling water jugs. The bottom ball valve (attached to the hose) is for draining.

Overkill? I think not! Sure, it’s a beast of a tank, and it doesn’t come cheap (I got this one long before current prices), but do the math.

This tank stores nearly the same amount of water as five 55-gallon barrels! As of this writing, the barrels (with accessories) cost about $150 each. $150 x 5 = $750. This tank costs around $500 (no shipping).

It’s virtually the same price in a much more compact, easy to use, better-constructed water tank.

Sure Water tanks are:

  • Manufactured in the USA
  • Made from food-grade material
  • BPA free
  • 70 pounds empty
  • 82 inches tall
  • 2,170 pounds full

An alternative to the 260-gallon tank is breaking it in half with two 160-gallon tanks, one stocked on top of the other. This will be an easier option for many as the tanks are smaller (easier to move in place when empty) and – in the end – give you more total gallons stored.

The Smart Tank is another option for those that want the convenience of a top fill hole and a bottom drain. This tank is preferable to the lower-cost 55-gallon barrels because they don’t require hand pumps to withdraw the water. They’re infinitely easier to maintain.

Smart Tank 50 Gallon Stackable Water Storage Tank - BPA Free - Made in The USA
  • Be Prepared, Store Your Water! This 50 gallon water storage tank will ensure you're prepared for any emergency during natural disasters and water shortages. With a 50 gallon water capacity, this water storage container is safe and convenient for any emergency.
  • Hygienic & Safe Drinking water: The Smart Tank water storage containers are reinforced with a specially blended UV-resistant plastic that protects your water. The tank cap and standard garden hose spigot makes for an easy rotation system, this water tank will keep your water safe for when you need it most.
  • Premium & Extra-Durable Construction: Manufactured with a rugged high-density polyethylene material (HDPE), this emergency water container is BPA-free, and made from FDA/NSF compliant materials and engineered to handle the pressure of hundreds of gallons of water for decades.
  • Stackable, Prepare With More Than Just One: Our water storage containers are stackable and durable. They are great space savers and allow you instant access to water whenever you need it. Simply connect the spigots to a standard garden hose and you’re all set.
  • Space-Saving Design: Our water tanks unique design allows it to fit through any standard doorway. Dimensions: 24"x24"x30". All our water containers are covered by our 3 year manufacturer guarantee against any manufacturing defect. The water tank weighs 24 pounds empty and 440 pounds full.

How I Easily Rotate Fresh Water

You might think that dealing with a tank this size is a serious problem. In the right circumstances, it’s just the opposite – much easier than dealing with mid-sized water containers. You can fill these in place.

To make filling the tank easy, I connected a Pex line (with ball valve) to existing water lines and cut it off atop the tank. Now, when I want to rotate the water, I drain the tank and just open the ball valve from above until its full. You can easily connect your own Pex lines to existing house Pex lines or to copper lines. Follow this helpful guide. You can buy all of the parts at your local hardware store.

I just turn that ball valve and gush goes the water.

Sure Water LLC water
Easy to fill from above. Easy to drain from below.

I was fortunate when we bought our house because it already had a space in the basement with a spare drain, making draining water as easy as connecting a garden hose and turning the bottom valve.

Sure Water LLC drain
Just turn the ball valve and watch it flow!

I know not every house has a spare drain like this, but odds are you might have a washer drain that you could use for the semi-annual occasions that you need to drain the tank.

This solution to water storage woes won’t work for everyone, but if the conditions are right, it very well could be the best solution for suburban and urban preppers. You just need enough space, the ability to fit the tank(s) through doorways, and – this is important – strong enough flooring to support the weight. After all, 260 gallons of water weighs over 2,000 pounds!

Sure Water Tank Review Summary

For bug-in purposes, you can relegate the debate over a water filter vs water purifier to your back up plan if you have sufficient at-home water storage. In a grid-down or societal collapse situation, this means the safety of being able to stay in your home rather than travel out in search of water.

Water storage tanks of this type are a solid solution. It’s strong, convenient, and built specifically for preppers looking for large-scale home water storage solutions.

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4 comments

Joe Willmann July 28, 2021 - 4:54 pm

Be careful draining that sucker if you are on a septic tank. You do not want to over fill your tank. Find a way to drain into your garden.

Reply
keebler July 29, 2021 - 11:46 am

1.insure your Floor can support the weight.
2. I would put it in a drain Pan ,Like water heater has.(Just in case of a leak)

Reply
Lyla July 15, 2023 - 4:56 pm

How do you tell how much water you have as you are filling the tank……can you see the water line as it fills??

Reply
Derrick James July 15, 2023 - 7:06 pm

Not really. I tap the tank for a sound check and look down from above.

Reply

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