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Rainwater Harvesting

#1 · 6th August 2023, 10:07 pm

Hi.

A group from our local youth club have had an allotment for 1 year and provide a living foodbank. There is no water on the allotments, so they have designed a rainwater harvesting system using IBC containers. There are a number of 2nd hand ones on the market, but they say that they should not be used for potable water but they have been cleaned. I know that water butt water would not be potable, but would you use a 2nd hand one.

Thank you in advance for your help.

With best regards

Stella

#2 · 7th August 2023, 8:24 am

Hi @stella

Thanks for the comment about IBC (intermediate bulk container). A lot of allotment owners use these instead of rainbutts to water their plants and harvest rainwater.

It depends on whether they want to use them for drinking water which would be a big no-no.

I don't see a problem with one that's been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to be used for rainwater for watering plants though? I doubt a rain butt would be big enough for this.

The one thing to bare in mind with using IBC for rainwater is algae. Always place them out of the sun with some shade. If not they soon green up and are a pain to clean once full.