My house has drain tiles and a sump pump that collect a couple hundred gallons of runoff that I am constantly, in wet times anyway, pumping out. In the summer growing season I unplug the sump pump and let water collect. Then I pump the water into plastic garbage cans and hand can them onto my garden.
I too would like to move this undergound, or give me a way to pump it on demand. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Here is a source for barrels, siphon pumps, bung wrenches, water treatment, and many more goodies. I have ordered a lot of stuff from them over the years, and have always been satisfied with their service...

"I simply run the garden hose into the garage and have a full barrel in about 5 min., emptying on the other hand, is more of a chore."

I must be missing something here. Why can't you just run the hose to the full barrel, turn on the tap until the hose is full, then unscrew the hose at the tap and let most of the water run out via gravity?

Sue

Before you pay $141 for a water barrel, consider the following:

Grizzly.com H3027 Drum Dolly w/Handle $42.95
US Plastic.com 74101 55 gal Blue Delcon (R) Closed-Head Drum $65.61
usplastic.com 180126 Aluminum drum wrench $13.55

These are the exact sources / part#s I used. I'm happy with them all.

Drum goes on the dolly, I made a little "pocket" for the wrench so it is attached, and also a little pocket from a Ziplock which contains slip of paper in marker with the date filled, how treated, etc. Then, I put a big plastic bag over the top of the whole thing to keep dust off.

Then, I have it lashed to the garage wall and foundation to keep it from moving around in case of an earthquake.

Improvements needed: Pump and hose should be also be attached to the barrel for easy access under the plastic cover.

As one of the previous posters suggested, more than one in different locations would be best.

Personally, I think the best bet would be two get full sets of gear (wrenches, hoses, dollys) and keep them together. No sense trying to figure out where that hose went or where that wrench went IMO. And getting these onto the dollys after they are filled would be quite the endeavor.

-john

EDIT: BTW, that Nitro-Pak Preparedness Center sounds a bit fishy to me. They claim it is so expensive due to shipping. Perhaps. But I paid $30.17 shipping for this drum on 7/17/06 (don't recall the method it came) from USPlastics. They also go on to whine about the cost of plastic. Well, USPlastics still charges the same $65.61 they did on 7/17/06. USPlastics online shipping estimator says shipping will be $31.27, about a dollar more than last order. Draw your own conclusions.

I see them in the Grainger catalog as well.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/itemDetailsRender.shtml?ItemId=1613549043

Wow, great price on the USP barrel, thanks!!!

Here is a way to fill your containers from your downspouts.
There are others just look up downspout diverter or something similar.
http://www.gardenwatersaver.com/

I ran across a very nice looking one the other day but can't seem to find it again, it had full flow diverter and an automatic change back when the container was full.

Wade

John, that's a nice combo with the drum/dolly. Question, having never used one of these big HDPE drums before, is the wrench you also referenced generally necessary to get the plugs loose?

Sue,



That's much too easy...how am I ever going to be able to pull a muscle in my back, run over my big toe with a 300lb. barrel, teach my kids several new swear words and convince myself death by dehydration is preferable by doing it your way? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I use recycled 55 gallon plastic cooking sherry drums. They run around $20. I then make a cradle out of two by fours to hold the drums horizontally. The taller the cradle the larger the container you can fill from the drum. I replace one bung with a 90 degree plastic elbow. One end of the elbow is threaded male which goes into the drum and the female end I thread the bung back in. The drum is on the cradle such that this bung is at the top and the 90 degree elbow faces up. I fill the drum through this bung. The other bung is replaced by an adapter with a 3/4 or 1 inch female threaded hole. Into this hole, I place a 90 degree ball valve faucet. This is the end I take water out of the drum. Gravity empties the drum. No pump or power needed.

I use this method in elk camp. I take two drums in my pickup truck. One is full and one is empty. When camp is setup, I assemble a cradle with an empty drum. I run a hose from the faucet of the full drum in the truck and fill the empty one in the cradle in the tent. Again, gravity does all the work as long as the full drum is higher then the empty drum! This way no one has to man handle a drum full of water.