While cruising the Information Superhighway for useful information pertaining to drinking water we recently came across an article posted on TruthOfWater.Com regarding safe storage times for drinking water purified through a home distillation process.
Some commercial bottled water companies use distillation as their drinking water purification method. They then bottle their product and ship it off to retailers in containers marked with super long shelflifes, but can the typical homeowner distill their own water and assume their homebrewed product will stay fresh just as long?
Answer: No, and the article we found explains why.
“Distillation of water is an effective way to ensure most chemical and biological contaminants are left behind. It is an easy and fast way to treat water in your own home for drinking and cooking.
When purchasing store bought bottled water, a reputable manufacturer will ensure that the water is completely disinfected before bottling. Most will add a disinfectant like ozone to the process, because it is a powerful disinfectant. The bottle is then sealed and any remaining ozone quickly converts to oxygen shortly after that. It’s this disinfection/sealing process that allows bottled water to be stored indefinately.
The process you describe will allow for some interaction with the environment in the glass bottle. Because there is no trace disinfectant left in your water, it could leave it open for propagation of bacteria. In this case, you water should be consumed within the same amount of time that food can last in the fridge, within a week or two. Any longer and it could turn stagnant.
If you would like to produce water that would last longer for storage, you could follow a pasteurization technique as you would with producing home canned goods. Using heat on a sealed bottle in the proper technique would ensure any bacteria allowed to enter the bottle is killed, and would allow you for longer storage of your water.” (source)
From the sounds of things, unless water produced through distillation methods will get consumed in a short period of time, its consumers must engage in an involved storage process if they wish to keep a large supply of distilled water on-hand.
Given that information, stocking up on commercially prepared gallon-size (or larger depending upon anticipated usage rate) containers of distilled water may make more sense than attempting to create your own stockpile at home.
