Yard Cart Water Barrel

Sometimes we need to water plants and shrubs farther than the hose will reach. I am in the process of changing a badly overgrown fenceline to a managed area with shrubs and trees. Carrying water in buckets might work for a shrub or two but I am well past that. Having a ZTR mower with a hitch for a yard cart, I had been hauling the cart filled with buckets of water. Lids for the buckets were needed so half of the water didn't slosh out before I got to my destination.

We had replaced an aged water conditioner recently and, being one to save things for future use, had saved the brine tank. This is the basis of the portable water barrel.

MATERIALS

Plastic brine tank (mine is 32" H x 18" Dia)

3/4" PVC slip ball valve (DO NOT GET A 1/2" HOSE BIBB)

3/4" PVC slip adapter (one end threaded for screwing into the tank)

3/4" PVC slip elbow

3/4" schedule 40 PVC pipe

1/2" nylon rope

TOOLS

Drill and bits

Hole saw (to match the adater threads)

Hand saw

Wire cutter (for cutting the rope)

Matches (for fusing the cut ends of the rope)

Use the hole saw with the drill to cut a hole through the side of the tank, close to the bottom. Cut a piece of PVC pipe about 4" long to connect the adapter and the valve. Slip the pipe into both the adapter and the valve and seat it securely. Screw the adapter into the tank. Cut another piece of pipe long enough to extend past the end of your cart. Insert and seat one end of the pipe into the elbow and the other end into the valve.

Near the top of the tank, drill two holes 4-5" apart, Repeat on the opposite side of the tank. Cut sections of rope long enough to tie using a square knot and to also provide a good handhold. Fuse the cut ends of the rope segments before tying. See photo above.

Load the tank into your cart, secure it with a rope to the front of the cart, fill it with enough water to do your watering, put the lid on the tank, and head out to your plants.