Need suggestions for using white 55 gallon drums with lids.

[nightshade]

agreed... but detergent and teat dip/ iodine should not cause any concerns. I would just wash them well before using them for water collection. This is for watering plants not drinking or watering livestock with. Your biggest concern when not buying food grade barrels is did it hold a petroleum product in it? If so it is no good for rainwater collection. The petro leaches into the plastic and will leach back into the water over time.

 

[erthymom2]

We have used them as container gardens on our porch - cut them in half, drill many drain holes in bottom, add stone for drainage and there you go. you'l l have two large planters. if you want to make it pretty get some of the Krylon spraypaint for plastics and jazz it up.

we planted veggies and lots of herbs in ours - saved space and no trooping out to the larger garden when we wanted a quick tomato or some rosemary fora salad.

 

[Tallman]

Thanks, VT, for starting this thread. It brings to mind the fact that I have access to all the 55 gal. steel drums that I want. The only problem is that some contained hydrogen peroxide while others were used for hydrochloric acid. These chemicals are used around here to treat oil wells.

Do you think that these can be cleaned up for some of these suggestions that have been made?

 

[peckndirt]

I use them to store feed in,it cuts back on the rodents.

 

[nightshade]

ones with hydrogen peroxide can probably be cleaned out but I personally would not use ones that had acid in.

 

[Terrie]

You can use them for chicken water storage tanks. Fit a spigot to it and run a hose to a bell waterer. Make sure the drum is higher than the end of the waterer for gravity.

Your chickens will have fresh water if you have to leave them for a while. This will work for dogs and cats, too. Ducks maybe....but they can go through a 55 gallon drum of water in a matter of hours by playing in it.

 

[Tallman]

You can use them for chicken water storage tanks. Fit a spigot to it and run a hose to a bell waterer. Make sure the drum is higher than the end of the waterer for gravity.

Your chickens will have fresh water if you have to leave them for a while. This will work for dogs and cats, too. Ducks maybe....but they can go through a 55 gallon drum of water in a matter of hours by playing in it.

Good idea, Terrie. Do you think that the barrels can be cleaned up so the water will be safe?

 

[Beekissed]

Check out this wonderfully, nifty set up for rain barrels!

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=23433