Safe guarding my rain barrels from algae growth

This post is the second post of a three post series highlighting possible dangers of water barrels if certain precautions are not taken during construction. 

When constructing the rain barrel possible infestation of algae needs to be taken into consideration. Depending on the usage of the water in the barrel algae might not be that bad. 

If the water is being used for your garden there are very few concerns since the algae holds additional nutrients that can benefit your plants. 

The possible concern here is that mosquitoes can infiltrate your barrels and place their larva in the algae. If that turns out to be the case look at the Safe guarding my rain barrels from Mosquitoes post. 

If the algae is causing problems in the spigots you can treat the water with bleach. To do this you want to add about 2-3 ounces of bleach to your rain barrel. Once you do this you want to be sure your barrel is full so that it becomes diluted enough to not become harmful to your garden.

You can also make sure that no debris gets into your barrels by taking precautions such as using screens or nylons and caulk to seal off any openings. 

The upcoming post will highlight using the harvested rain water for drinking purposes.