Setting up a rain barrel wasn't the eco-win I imagined

I decided to reduce my water bill and help the environment by installing a rain barrel. I found one online and put it together myself. When it rained, I was proud to see it filling up. But after a few weeks, I saw mold growing inside the barrel. I hadn't cleaned it properly, and the water became unusable for my plants. It was a waste of time and resources. I guess even good intentions can go wrong if you're not careful. Has anyone else faced issues with DIY climate projects?

3 comments

3 Comments

faith_lopez682mo ago

My rain barrel's been fine for three years with a quick bleach scrub each season.

samflores2mo ago

Ever think that bleach might not actually fix everything long term? Your method works for you faith_lopez68, but it seems like just putting off a bigger cleaning job later. I'd worry about what builds up that a quick scrub misses.

morgan9151mo ago

My first rain barrel got so gross I had to throw the whole thing out after one summer. I skimped on cleaning like you did and ended up with a mosquito nursery. I see where @faith_lopez68 is coming from with the bleach, but I could never keep up with it. Now I just use a big, simple bucket I can dump and scrub easily. What a pain, right?