The Wavian 22L Water Can looks like a NATO jerry can because it is built on that shape: tall, narrow, flat-sided, made to stand in a rack and be carried in one hand. Almost everything else about it is different, because water asks different things of a container than fuel does. This guide covers what the can is, how it differs from the steel cans it is patterned on, how much water to keep in it, and how to fill, store, and rotate that water according to the public-health guidance that actually exists.
The 22L Water Can at a glance
| Specification | Wavian 22L Water Can |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 22 L / 5.8 US gallons |
| Body | Food-grade, BPA-free, UV-stabilized resin; opaque; textured non-slip surface |
| Fill opening | Tethered screw cap on top |
| Dispensing | Second threaded port low on the front face, sealed with a plug; accepts the included tap spout, 20 mm (¾ in BSP) thread; the tap stows on a matching thread under the lid |
| Vent | Built-in breather for a steady, no-glug pour |
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 18¼ × 13¾ × 6⅞ in |
| Empty weight | 3.2 lb |
| Full weight | About 52 lb |
| Colors | Blue, Black, OD Green |
| Made in | Australia |
| Price | $54.99 |
Full details and current availability are on the Wavian 22L Water Can page.
What is different, and why
Four things separate the water can from the steel cans it shares a silhouette with.
Material
Drinking water needs a food-contact material, and it needs one that will not corrode, flavor the water, or leach anything into it over months of storage. The 22L body is molded from food-grade, BPA-free resin. It is also UV-stabilized, which is what lets it live outdoors or in a truck bed without the plastic chalking and going brittle in a season, and it is opaque, so light does not reach the water. The CDC's storage guidance is to "keep containers away from direct sunlight" (CDC); an opaque can does that wherever it sits.
Closure
A water container gets opened, filled, emptied, and cleaned far more often than a fuel container, and it has to be sanitized between fills. The 22L has a screw cap on top, tethered so it does not walk off, with an opening you can get a bottle brush through. It is a deliberate choice for a can whose contents you drink.
Dispensing
You pour fuel once, into a tank. You draw water twenty times a day, a cup or a pot at a time. So the water can has a second threaded port low on the front face, sealed with a plug for transport, that takes the included tap spout on a 20 mm (¾ in BSP) thread. Set the can on a tailgate or a bench, fit the tap, and it dispenses standing upright without anyone lifting it. The built-in breather lets air in as water goes out, so the flow is steady rather than glugging. When the tap is not in use it screws into a matching thread on the underside of the lid, so it travels with the can instead of in a drawer. For a fast pour into a bucket, take the top cap off and tip it like any can.
Capacity and weight
Twenty-two liters is 5.8 US gallons. Water weighs one kilogram per liter, so a full can is about 48.5 lb of water plus 3.2 lb of can, about 52 lb in total. That is a real lift and it matters for where you mount it; the section on vehicles below covers it.
How much water to keep
The federal planning figure is simple. The CDC says to "store at least 1 gallon of water per person, per day for 3 days," and to "try to store a 2-week supply if possible" (CDC). Ready.gov puts the same number as "at least one gallon of water per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation," and notes that "a normally active person needs about three quarters of a gallon of fluid daily" (Ready.gov). The CDC adds that you should "consider storing more water than this for pregnant women, people who are sick, pets, or if living in a hot climate" (CDC).
Put the can against that math. One 22L can is 5.8 gallons: close to a six-day supply for one person, or a three-day supply for two. A household of four for three days is 12 gallons, which is two cans with a little to spare. Four people for two weeks is 56 gallons, which is ten cans, and at that volume most households are better served by a fixed tank or drums for the bulk and a few cans for the part that has to move. The can's job is the portable, rotating layer: the water that goes in the truck, out to the shop, or to the neighbor whose well pump has no power.
Filling it
The CDC's procedure for a container you fill yourself is short and worth following exactly.
- Start with a food-grade container that has never held anything else. The CDC says it "is best to use FDA-approved food-grade water storage containers" and that you should "not use containers that were previously used to hold liquid or solid toxic chemicals, such as bleach or pesticides" (CDC). The 22L is food-grade from the mold, so the only rule is to keep it that way: water only, ever.
- Sanitize before the first fill and every refill. "Sanitize the container with a solution made by mixing 1 teaspoon of unscented liquid household chlorine bleach in 1 quart (4 cups) of water" (CDC). Pour it in, cap it, shake it so the solution reaches every surface including the cap threads and the tap port, let it sit, pour it out, and rinse with clean water. The screw cap, rather than a fixed pour neck, is what makes this practical.
- Fill from a treated supply. Municipal tap water is already disinfected. If you are filling from a well or another untreated source, the EPA's emergency guidance is to add "8 drops of 6% bleach, or 6 drops of 8.25% bleach, to each gallon of water," stir, and let it stand 30 minutes; the water "should have a slight chlorine odor" (EPA). The EPA's table works out to about a half teaspoon of 6% bleach for a full 22L can. Use only "regular, unscented chlorine bleach products that are suitable for disinfection and sanitization as indicated on the label" (EPA).
- Label and date it. "Label container as 'drinking water' and include storage date" (CDC). A paint pen on the flat side panel survives weather; tape does not.
- Replace it every six months. Both the CDC and Ready.gov give the same interval: water "that has not been commercially bottled should be replaced every six months" (Ready.gov). Empty it onto the garden, sanitize, refill, re-date. Twice a year, on a schedule, is the whole discipline.
Where to keep it
The CDC's storage rules for water are the mirror image of the rules for fuel. "Keep containers in a place with a cool temperature (50°F–70°F)." "Keep containers away from direct sunlight." And the one that matters most for anyone who also keeps fuel on the property: "Keep containers away from toxic substances, such as gasoline or pesticides" (CDC). Drinking water does not live in the fuel shed, next to the mower, or on the same shelf as the sprayer. Give it its own spot: a pantry floor, a closet, a corner of a cool garage on the opposite wall from anything that burns.
Two practical notes. Water expands as it freezes, so if the can will see hard frost, leave headspace rather than filling to the brim; the resin body is forgiving but there is no reason to test it. And keep the can off bare concrete on a board or a shelf, which keeps it cleaner and makes it easier to move.
On a vehicle
The reason the water can is built on the NATO shape is so it can travel the way a NATO can does: standing up in a steel holder on a bumper, a bed rack, or a trailer, instead of rolling around loose. Its footprint is close enough to the 20L that it rides in Wavian's front-loading and top-loading 20L holders. Because a full water can weighs more than a full can of gasoline, give it the lowest, most inboard position on the rack, and lock the holder.
Carry it in its own holder, not sharing a rack slot with fuel, and keep the tap port plugged, the tap stowed under the lid, and the top cap tight on the move. If the truck also carries fuel, put the water on the other side, or at least the other end, of the vehicle. The blue color and the embossed WATER panel exist to make the two impossible to confuse in the dark. If you choose black or OD green to match a rack, label it.
Colors and telling cans apart
The 22L comes in blue, black, and OD green. Blue is the near-universal signal for potable water and is the default for most buyers. Black and OD green are for people who want a uniform rack or a can that does not draw attention. Whichever color you choose, the WATER molding on the panel and the tap port on the front tell it apart from any fuel container on the property. Keep it that way: nothing but water goes in it, and it never gets pressed into service for anything else.
The sizes of the full Wavian range, including how the 22L compares to the 20L and 10L fuel cans on dimensions and weight, are in Jerry Can Sizes Explained. Whether you can store water in a steel jerry can is answered in the Jerry Can FAQ; this page is about the can built for the job.
Frequently asked questions
How many gallons does the Wavian 22L Water Can hold?
22 liters, which is 5.8 US gallons. That is about two liters more than the 20L NATO fuel-can shape it is patterned on, and at the CDC's planning figure of one gallon per person per day it is close to a six-day supply for one person.
How much does the Wavian water can weigh full?
About 52 lb. The can weighs 3.2 lb empty and water weighs one kilogram per liter, so 22 liters adds about 48.5 lb. Plan lifts and mounts around that number.
Is the Wavian water can safe for drinking water?
Yes. The body is molded from food-grade, BPA-free resin, it is UV-stabilized for outdoor storage, and the opaque body keeps light out of the water. Sanitize it before the first fill and label it as drinking water with the date, per CDC guidance.
How long can I keep water in it?
The CDC and Ready.gov both say to replace water you have stored yourself every six months. The can itself is not the limit; the water is. Empty it, sanitize it, refill it from a treated supply, and write the new date on it.
Does the water can fit Wavian jerry can holders?
The 22L water can has nearly the same footprint as the 20L fuel can and rides in Wavian's front-loading and top-loading 20L holders. Because the can is heavier full than a fuel can, mount it low and lock the holder.
Can I put fuel in the Wavian water can?
No. The resin body is rated for water, not fuel, and once a container has held fuel or any other chemical it should never be used for drinking water again. The CDC is explicit that containers previously used for toxic chemicals must not be reused for water storage. Keep the water can for water only.
Sources
- CDC, How to Create and Store an Emergency Water Supply. Quantity, container, sanitizing, labeling, replacement interval, and storage conditions.
- Ready.gov, Water. Quantity, daily fluid need, six-month replacement.
- EPA, Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water. Bleach dosing table.
- Product specifications from the Wavian 22L Water Can listing.
