After a person posed a question on Reddit about collecting water in barrels, they gave a community of preppers a chance to flex their knowledge.
"I was watching the thunderstorm at my house yesterday and thought of all the water going to waste that I can use to water my plants," the original poster wrote in r/preppers, "I want to set up a water barrel for non-potable water."
They asked where to find good barrels for water collection and how to ensure that water remains fresh when stored over the long term.
🗣️ Would you install water-collecting hydropanels on your home?
🔘 Definitely 👍
🔘 Not sure 🤷
🔘 No way 👎
🔘 If the government pays for it 🤑
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Preppers are a useful resource for those looking to become more self-reliant.
From growing your food, to gardening, to being prepared for extreme weather, they can be a wellspring of information on adopting sustainable practices that save money and help protect the planet and its resources for future generations. For its part, rainwater collection can also limit flooding.
In this case, most Redditors answered similarly: Facebook Marketplace is a fantastic place to find barrels for collecting rainwater. Another commenter suggested the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, noting that barrels from there were usually labeled to show their previous use, which would help the OP avoid contamination from toxic chemicals.
"I go on FB Marketplace and search 'food-grade barrels,' I have a ton of options for cheap," one commenter said. "No help here on making it drinkable, mine get gross and need cleaning occasionally."
Another commenter warned against trying to make the water potable but noted they'd need to find a way to keep the standing water safe and covered.
"Once you solve the problem of making it drinkable — though I wouldn't bother, treat it as gray water instead — make sure you have a good way [to] keep it covered," they said. " ... You don't want standing water that mosquitoes can get into."
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