Growing Together: Open Forum

Hi,

i wanted to see if anyone has tried using a used wine barrel for rain water collection.  I found a site that sells them with a spigot and netted hole on top for a reasonable price.   There are also places that sell the barrel without connections.

i am concerned about plastic because the best information that I have is that as long as the water is moving through the plastic barrel and not sitting in it for a while it's probably ok (regarding chemical leaching) but I can't guarantee that water won't sit sometimes.  And there is no hard info about it definitely being ok.  I know it might seem overly careful to some but I am involved in plastic research related to artificial turf (advocacy for grass playing fields) and it is concerning.  

I am just looking for people with experience or second hand knowledge of how a wine barrel holds up for rain water.  (Technically two will be filled by a hose as sort of a surrogate water tank because we don't have a good collection site but can't leave a timer hooked up and on at the hose spigot - district rule.)

thanks,