Water buts/barrels for allotment

We've just managed to get an allotment, but it doesn't have running water, so we need to get some water butts to collect it off the shed roof etc.

Does anyone have any genius ideas on where I could get these or similar water holding barrel type shaped objects. Aside from obviously going down to B&Q and paying a OTT one.

Ideally I could do with a few, so don't really want to have to pay £20+for each one.

I guess even just old plastic open top drums would do for starters.
Any ideas anyone?

 

Freecycle?

 

Check that site again, The barrels are £25 + £5 delivery

 

Wilkinsons have them for £20 for 210ltr http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/invt/0101019

 

Hi,

Sorry, this is a late reply - I've not been here for a while. Have a surf for second hand/ recycled IBC containers. See this wikipedia link if you don't know what they are. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermediate_bulk_container We got a few for £30 each. They usually hold 1000 litres, but could vary. They come cheaper if you can collect, and if they were previously used for non-food storage - but then you have to be wary about what was in there and can you get rid of it completely. Ours still contained buckets-full of molasses, and it took some rinsing out but at least we knew it wasn't dangerous stuff. The metal framework makes them strong for their weight and reasonably easy for 2 people to manoeuvre about whilst empty (I'm assuming you haven't got a forklift about the place!). They come with a big hole in the top (20cm roughly) for filling from your drain pipe, and a usually a tap near the bottom for your hosepipe. Be careful to check the size of this tap as they do vary from about 5 cm wide to about 15cm, from memory. You will be able to buy an adapter so that you snap-fit a hosepipe onto it. Also, be careful to look them over before you buy because they have sometimes been accidentally pierced by a forklift tine in the past and so would only ever fill to half-way or whatever. In which case you can ask for a discount of course. But they are very robust - apart from taking a run at them with a garden fork, you will be unlikely to damage them yourself. You would need to raise them by about a foot to make the tap easier to get at. We have been very pleased with ours. I suppose they aren’t very pretty, but you could hide them behind a trellis or something if they will be on view.

 

IBC are brilliant. Normally plenty available on E=Bay