Q: With our current water shortage, many people are buying large containers to save rain water. How do you know if the container you buy is safe for plants?

A: I’d use a combination of smell and common sense. If the container smells like solvent, I wouldn’t use it. The sellers of containers almost always know where their products originated. Ask specific questions and examine the container for labels. Drums that contained food ingredients are presumed safe but there are many industrial containers that can be cleaned out and reused. I use a tank that contained fountain wash for a print shop. The original liquid content turned out to be mostly deionized water.