1) “We run out of water right when we need it”
- Usually caused by undersized storage, or not enough catchment area. We recommend 1 s.f. of collection surface for each s.f. of garden, with 1 gallon of storage in between. The 1:1:1 ratio.
- Tanks empty fast in dry spells; gardens still need municipal water as a backup. If that’s not possible, consider doubling the storage.
2) Overflow, erosion, or flooding near the tank
- Water dumps next to foundations/beds, washes mulch, creates mud ruts
- Usually caused by poor overflow routing, clogged outlets, or undersized overflow plumbing.
3) Clogged gutters/screens/filters → low flow, messy maintenance
- Slow filling, water bypassing the barrel, pump starving, drip emitters clogging
- Most often leaf litter + roof grit + Georgia pollen; screens just need a simple cleaning routine.
- Add a self-cleaning prefilter, such as the Leafeater Advanced, available on Amazon or georgiawatertanks.com
4) Mosquito complaints (the #1 “neighbor issue”)
- Happens when lids/vents/overflows aren’t screened, or water sits in first-flush chambers and piping
- The Georgia Department of Public Health specifically calls out standing water in containers like rain barrels as a breeding risk; prevention focuses on eliminating or protecting standing water.
- Most industry insiders do not recommend first flush devices anymore. Instead, use a self-cleaning prefilter, and either a screened overflow elbow or popup emitter.
5) Algae, slime, and funky odor
- Green water, slippery biofilm, musty smell, stained hoses/emitters
- Usually from sunlight hitting the stored water + warm temps + organic debris (tiny amounts add up).
- Solution: 100% screened prefilter.
Block 100% of light.
6) Community garden–specific: user error & durability issues
- Valves left open, hoses disappear, fittings broken, contamination from “helpful” additions
Shared systems benefit from simple instructions, protected components, and fewer ways to misuse (think: lockable spigots and labeled valves).