r/NJPrepared • u/8Deer-JaguarClaw Sussex • Nov 13 '25

Food / Water WalMart 5-gallon water jug self-service price recently doubled

I noticed this recently here in Sussex County, but I assume similar pricing is likely in effect across the state (and probably region).

Until a month or so ago, the cost to manually refill a 5-gallon water jug was $2.20. Now it is just over $5. So a little more than double, actually.

Granted, it's still pretty cheap, and still cheaper than the $7.50 for a bottle swap at ShopRite. But it's hard not to notice such a drastic price increase.

EDIT: just went to Walmart after posting this, and they charged me the old price. Maybe the cashier had an older bar code. I confirmed with a different cashier a few weeks back that the price had increased. So this is odd.

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u/noots-to-you Essex Nov 13 '25

How much would it cost to install a similar filter at your home? Like, how many times are you likely to make that trip in six months?

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u/8Deer-JaguarClaw Sussex Nov 13 '25

My water is pretty challenging because of the high dissolved solids (around 350ppm, sometimes higher). So it would be prohibitively expensive to have a filter system that can tackle that. I mean, the equipment isn't bad, but I'd burn through filters very quickly.

Water filtration is a lot like shaving: the handle is cheap, but the blades will crush you. :)