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Potable Water

Fit To Drink

Some numbers to remember when transporting water to the playa:
     1 gallon of water = 8.34 pounds
     1 gallon of water = 3.75 liters

Water is a mandatory item on the 'What to Bring' list.  A week on the playa starting in late August will require between 1.5 to 3 gallons of water per day for sufficient hydration to 'piss clear' (protecting your kidneys) as well as some water for meals and showers.  Of course, water for misting and countless refills on water-propelled toys may require some extra.

Everyone should keep a refillable, non-leeching water bottle or dromedary pack for personal water consumption with them at all times.  Keep it filled and drink from it often!

If 40,000 participants stay 7 days in BRC, somewhere between 420,000 to 840,000 gallons of water (approximately 1.6 - 3.2 million liters) is needed to hydrate our happy event-goers.  This is about 3.2 - 6.4 million pounds.  Obviously, that's a huge load to haul around and a huge amount of fossil fuel to enable that transport.

While it is convenient to stop at your local supermarket to stock up on bottled water before leaving for Black Rock City, this method of dealing with your water consumption is a gross waste of resources because of all the packaging consumed and the extra fuel required to transport water (175 pounds of water / person for the week). 

And remember, the sound camps really dislike picking up your left-over water bottles from a good night's partay.  Pack it in,  Pack it out. 

Tips & Hints

  1. Big camps need big jugs.

    Stainless steel (or military drinking water) drums are the best alternative,  Plastic drums may leech chemicals into the water, especially when stored in sunlight,  It's a good idea to cover the drums of water in a shaded area, to prevent leaching as well as keeping them a little cool,  Fifty-five gallon drums are easy to find,  Use a hand pump to pump out the water so you're not running a generator for the pumping system and you'll be self-sufficient,  Bring smaller containers to fill with lemon and mint for cooling and taste factor.

  2. Buy your water in Reno.

    Supermarkets in Reno are making an effort in helping us green this event by carrying refillable water containers and providing filling stations, 

    In particular, 7 of the Albertson's in Reno along the road to Burning Man will also be preparing to have "green" sections for displays of green-er items in their stores for this year's burn, such as crank flashlights, solar chargers, biodegradable kitchenware, and yes ... more beers that come in cans instead of bottles,  The store in Keystone will be acquiring 25 gallon (and maybe 50 gallon water) containers -- to be tied in with Simply Water, a filtered-water supplier (owned and operated by a burner) in the same shopping center.

    Crystal Springs Water Co. also works with burners.  A full 5-gallon bottle will cost $7.10 for drinking water and $7.45 for spring water plus deposit.  The bottles must be clean (not sterile, just not caked with playa dust) and you must retain and present your receipt for the refund.  If you bring your own containers you can fill them up at their coin operated vending machines at 35 cents per gallon.  You can also get distilled water from these machines.  These machines are outside, perfect for folks who arrive after business hours.  They also have a hose for filling larger containers there. 

    Like Crystal Springs, Simply Water and The Water Mart also sell their water for 35 cents per gallon.  Both are in shopping centers anchored by a major chain supermarket where you can pick up many of your other supplies.  Both stores are enthusiastic supporters of Burning Man.  For the last few years both stores stayed open extra hours to accommodate burners,and expect to do so again this year, 


  3. Get a water truck.

    Network with other large camps and rent/borrow/steal a large-capacity potable water truck to transport water to the playa.  Potable water can then be stored in drums/water truck and distributed to camps as needed.


  4. Use large reusable water containers.

    For smaller camps/ individuals, obtain a reusable water container from your favorite camping supply store and don't forget to fill up in Reno.  A good way to transport water is in the big 5 gallon reusable containers.  There is no waste and they are reusable.  You can also use them to store emergency water (for earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, or other utility outages at home) between burns. 


  5. Design your kitchen to be efficient.

    Use water only WHEN NEEDED.  When washing dishes, use a spray bottle and personal cloth to wipe down the gunk, then a container with water to rinse and sanitize.  Then run that water through a grey water filtration system. 

    Use paper plates, and burn or compost them after the meals.  If you choose this route, make sure you get some sort of planet-friendly paper plates, since the plastic coated ones will burn with a bad smell and leach more toxins into the air.  Check to make sure your compostables are fire-friendly if you're going to burn them.


  6. Less is More in the shower!!

    A spray bottle and your favorite cloth often does the trick for conserving your precious water.  Working with a partner really helps get those hard to spray areas as well as deepen any relationship you may have had...

    Many people use solar showers -- a bag that holds about a gallon of water, then sits in the sun like a turtle, slowly heating through the day.  This can deliver a nice hot shower but do the numbers and decide for yourself how much water and energy conservation you want to practice.


Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Can grey water be used for misting/showering or drinking?   While some camps supported by environmental engineering students have developed elaborate systems to treat the grey water for reuse, most camps do not have the expertise to treat grey water to be clean enough for misting and drinking.  More importantly, it is against the public health standards to re-use the water in this way.  Make sure you visit these camps for tips for next year,though.  You can find them on the Earth Guardian's "Leave No Trace" tour.

  2. Can filtered water for sale or tap water to fill my containers be found in Gerlach, Empire or some other small town near BRC?   NO.  Waiting until you reach one of these small towns to fill up on water could leave you and your mates high and dry.  There aren't any larger grocery stores in these towns, leaving you with the singularly un-green option of buying multitudes of tiny plastic bottles of water at a gas station,  These communities welcome us as we pass through to BRC, but are highly impacted by the increased travel during the last week of August.  They do not have the infrastructure to provide the inhabitants of BRC with anything close to the amount of water needed.  Water in the desert is a precious resource.  Please don't steal water in Gerlach or Empire.

  3. Must shower/misting water be stored in a potable water container?   Yes.  In order to assure the health of those enjoying showers/misting, the water used for showers/misting must be potable water (i.e., water suitable for human consumption) and stored in containers used only for potable water.

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