Water Barrels / Rain Barrels

[broylz]

i thought there was a thread on here not too long ago but i cant find it right now about barrel sources. i was pointed towards Beaman bottling out in nashville but they are just a distributor is what the operator told me and gave me another number to another bottler in town but all i got was a generic answering service.

does anyone know of a place i can get a dozen or so plastic food grade barrels without selling the house to afford it? im planning some rain barrels and water storage as well as other storage ideas. please help me out.

they dont necessarily have to be 55g either, the smaller plastic barrels would be fine.

[oldogy]

I can not answer your question specifically about the food grade barrels but I use plain old garbage cans.

Edit: Perhaps, I did not read enough out of your question. Mine are for collecting water for the garden, not potable water.

oldogy

Edited April 19, 2010 by oldogy

[Westwindmike]

I've heard that some Co-op's have food grade barrels that olives came in.

[Louisb]

Try Coke bottler, they are the ones touting the fact that their barrels are recycled for rain barrels

[peejman]

If you want rain barrels, why spend the money on food grade? Tractor Supply sells several rain barrels. We have a 50 gal barrel that was $90. One good downpour fills it up. I'd plan to boil or otherwise treat any water prior to drinking.

[greenego]

I purchased a couple off Craigs list a couple of years ago. Might thy there.

[sigmtnman]

Rainwater Collection - Rain Barrels, Rainwater Harvesting

[Westwindmike]

If you want rain barrels, why spend the money on food grade? Tractor Supply sells several rain barrels. We have a 50 gal barrel that was $90. One good downpour fills it up. I'd plan to boil or otherwise treat any water prior to drinking.

$90.00???????

I think we are talking about the $10-15 rain barrels. Or free!

[strickj]

If the water has to be treated before using then why do they need to be food grade?

Wouldn't the treatment remove any impurities from the plastic?

[sigmtnman]

The treatment would not since most well configured rain water collection systems only need to treat for biotics.

You want food grade or potable if you are doing anything except watering non-edibles and don't care if the contaminants spread to other areas.

btw, I have used http://www.tank-depot.com and they were quick and easy. Not for rain water collection, but for large tanks.

Edited April 19, 2010 by sigmtnman

[broylz]

i am trying to get cheap or free barrels, not 90 dollar barrels. sorry those can be found easily. i have been told about a few bottlers who will let you take as many as you can haul for free. i was hoping to come across a deal like this. there are several bottlers in the nashville area but they all seem to be distributors and not actual bottlers.

i was hoping someone here may know of an actual bottler where i could get some barrels. or another similar source.

my rain barrels will be for watering my garden primarily and a source of grey water if anything local happens to nterrupt service. since its for my garden as well, id prefer no chemical barrels.

i also plan on storing potable water in a few of them in my garage as well.

[Guest SUNTZU]

Try your local Coca-Cola plant. They use the barrels for syrup and you can sometimes get them. If not, they probably have been contacted a number of times and my be able to point you in the right direction. If they don't, tell them you're going to start drinking Pepsi.

Coca-Cola Dr Pepper Bottling

maps.google.com

1150 Dunlop Lane

Clarksville, TN 37040-9319

(931) 645-4545

[Fadex]

I bought mine for $35.00 including the hose bib, overflow adapter, and mosquito netting from Cumberland River Compact Cumberland River Compact. They even had the holes pre-drilled. But I'll warn ya that 55 gallons doesn't go as far as you might think.

[broylz]

any other sources other than a soda bottler? buddy of mine works for tyson down in MS and they get vinegar in drums but their policy is to destroy thebarrels. anything similar in our area?

[JPS]

A vendor at a recent Nashville Flea Market had some food-grade rain barrels for sale - I remember they seemed a little pricey to me, but I'm a cheapskate. They weren't $90.

[Chief07]

I found free plastic tanks from a food processor. I got a 300 gallon plastic tank. I piped my down spouts in from a 1200 sq. ft. roof and last Friday the little bit of rain we had in Greene County filled it up to overflow. I put a drum bung in the side (near bottom) with a hose bib and it works great for watering gardens. Call around, there is a lot of free stuff.

[gunbartender]

i use a 100 gal tank from TSC that i got for $60, used with bib already install. i use it to transfer water fro home to deer camp. a small 12v pump transfer the water from the tank to the campers holding tank.

[Guest guardlobo]

I have three 50 gallon juice barrels, but am not sure where they came from originally. My grandpa gave them to me. I have a hand pump mounted on top so I can access the water whenever, but it is slow.

[Guest KimberChick]

I've heard that some Co-op's have food grade barrels that olives came in.

The organizers of Rally Tennessee use olive barrels full of water to line parts of the course's spectator areas. This is in Perry Co. Tennessee. I have no idea where they get them, but they have dozens of them on the course.

Rally Tennessee 2010 Might be able to shoot an email to the organizer (Anders Green) and ask where they get them.

[analog_kidd]

A guy at work says that CoorsTek in Oak Ridge sells surplus 50 gallon plastic and metal drums for $5 each. I have not personally verified that, but he did have one in the back of his truck.

[vontar]

I would be interested in finding about about Coorstek I know where they are.

They are manufactures advanced technical ceramic and high-performance plastic components.

1100 Commerce Park Drive

Oak Ridge, TN 37830-8018

(865) 481-8021

anyone want to contact them and find out?

*****

However it would be best to ask what was in those barrels? Since they work with ceramic and plastics.

Edited August 4, 2010 by vontar

[Guest FTG-05]

Call your local Pepsi or Coca Cola bottler. Ask them who resells their used syrup barrels.

Don't ask them if they sell them, ask who sells them. If they tell you no they don't sell them, hang up and call back later. The 2nd time, ask for the warehouse manager. Ask him who resells their barrels. By FDA regulation, they can't reuse the barrels, so they have to dispose of them some way.

In Huntsville, one of the Coke plant employees sells them from his home. 2007 prices were: $10 for a 15 gallon barrel; $15 for a 30 gallon and I don't recall the 55 gallon price since I didn't buy any. You'll have to clean out the syrup residue out of the barrels, but since it's mostly sugar (or sugar based), it's pretty water soluble and rinsing it out gets most of it. You might have some residual taste and/or smell depending on your sensitivity, but I'm told it's not bad (I can't smell, do it doesn't bother me).

I've got about 15 15 gallon barrels and about a half dozen 30 gallon barrels over the years this way.

Good luck.