Sterilis(z)ing water butts

[Sharkbite73]

Hey All
I'm planning on running a 65L RO unit and collecting it in a 210L water butt. The issue I can foresee is how do I sterilise the container. I am thinking MIlton sterilising fluid for babies. Has anyone else had this headache. how did you get round it.
Sterilising Fluid

Kills 99.9% of germs*
*Bactericidal: in 5 minutes EN1040, EN1276 at (0.5% V/V), EN13697 (at 1.8% V/V). Active on MRSA. Fungicidal: in 15 minutes EN1275 on Candida albicans (germ causing thrush) EN1650 Virucidal: In 15 minutes NFT72-180. Active on Rotavirus.

Pack Size: 500ml

• Maximum protection
• Kills 99.9% of germs
• Sterilises in 15 mins
• No need to rinse
• Stay sterile for 24H

Information
Ingredients:
Active ingredient: Sodium Hypochlorite (CAS: 7681-52-9): 2% w/w

Storage:

• Store away from heat.
• Batch no and best before: see on the bottle.

Country of Origin:
Produce of the EU

Origin Free Text:
Made in EU

Preparation and Usage:
How to Use
The Cold Water Method
1 Clean
Wash bottle, treats, breastfeeding equipment in warm soapy water, then rinse in cold water.
2 Prepare Solution
Fill your unit with 5L of water, add 1 cap of Fluid. (30ml dilution at (0.6% v.v).
3 Add Items
Close the lid. Submerge items under water. In just 15 mins everything is ready to use. No need to rinse with water. Items can stay in the solution until needed. Renew the solution every 24 hours.
Use this method to disinfect fruit & vegetables but rinse. For surfaces, use 3 caps (90 ml dilution at 1.8 v/v) for 5L of water.

 

[DaveK]

The chemical in the product is Sodium Hypochlorite, which is the main component in household bleach. Regular bleach is much less expensive. Just make sure you get plain bleach with no additives.

You seldom need to sterilize the holding container for RO water. The reason should be obvious. Any aquarium FW or SW is a massive host to bacteria. The few your going to get from your RO holding container is insignificant.

If you do feel the need to sterilize the container, bleach is usually your best choice. Scrub it out with about a cup of bleach in a bucket of water. Then rinse it well a few times. If your being extra careful, you can fill the container with tap water, add a double amount of Prime and let it soak over night. Then change the water. Although I don't bother with that myself.

The big advantage with bleach is that it does the job, is easily available, and can easily be nuteralized using Prime or similar products.

 

[Sharkbite73]

Thanks very much DaveK