Water container leaches phosphate... need suggestions on what to buy

[dismayed]

I have been trying to figure out where a rise in phosphates is being introduced into my system and finally figured it out today.

I have an Air Water Ice RO/DI unit and when I draw water from it into a small bucket and test that water it is 0.00 for phosphates. (I am testing with a Hannah tester). So when I would do a quick test like that I wasn't seeing it.

My normal setup is I run an RO/DI into a big plastic 45 gallon trash barrel (which contains a heater and a power head) because I need to be able to change around 30 gallons at a time. I usually pump the water in there and then mix in the salt and let it stabilize for a day. I just tested the water out of the trash barrel and it is reading 0.07.

I did some searching on this and found a video by "Mr. Saltwater Tank" where he talks about this and says that this is a real problem and that hobbyists should only buy containers that have been approved for human food storage. Unfortunately examples of what those might be aren't given.

So my dilemma is that I realize I need to buy something different to store my water in, but I have no idea what to buy. I need something as large as a trash bin that is safe to not leach. Any ideas?

[Mindflux]

The primary differences between 'food grade' and non food grade plastic containers comes down to the stuff they use to help pop the products from the mold. The actual plastic is (most of the time) identical if it's the same rating on the plastic.

That said. The grey brute cans are actually USDA approved for certain items. You can also get plastic drums used to store malt syrup if you have a home brew supply place near by.


Gray, White and Yellow are USDA Meat & Poultry Equipment Group Listed and assist in complying with HACCP guidelines.

http://www.rubbermaidcommercial.com/rcp/products/detail.jsp?categoryCode=waste&subCategoryCode=waste_brute_utility&rcpNum=2620-46