Shouldn't hurt plants at all, but keep the dog, cat, and toddler out of it! Once it is empty, wash it out good, and try to find a way to keep leaves and other debris out of it. If it is wood, lining it may also be necessary.

I am surprised you have not yet started to use the water in your butt... we are for plants in pots and to water the odd garden plant that is looking a little unhappy.

TB as to pets drinking our two Siamese cats prefer to drink from the rain butt or pond than from their water bowls - never seems to be a problem! In fact they will drink a muddy puddle happily before anything else!

the reasen for that moon grower is although cats and dogs have a worse sence of taste to us they are realy suseptible to chlorine and generaly hate the taste . it is a poison after all .puddles and ponds and even toilets if there not flushed much and they can get to them are clear of chlorine as it leeches out q

sorry quite quickly . i dont know what i did there .my old 11 year old springer is the exception as he loves water strate out of the tap.theres know acounting for taste i guess.

Havent you a lid on your water butt? I use my water all the time to water house plants and my plants in the greenhouse I cant say Ive ever smelt it!

its because your water never stands still long enough for it to get stagnant maggy .

A neighbour has to leave a tap dripping in the bathroom as that is the only place her cat will drink from. Our water is barely chlorinated NP - one of the things I find difficult when we are away is the chlorine in water. Have even used bottled water to brush my teeth! Some hotels add extra chlorine to prevent diseases - I then have a real problem with showering as my skin reacts badly.

wow i dont think its horribly strong unless your suseptable to it like you are moon grower .swimming pools are the worse for chlorine especialy our old school swimming pool . i guess thats to get rid of what little boys and perhaps some little girls do in there .it makes your eyes red .they used to use it concentrated in world war one in there amunition as a poison .must of been terrible.

NP I never go near a swimming pool for that very reason. Most places in the UK we visit I can smell the chlorine in the water. When we go to Austria I never have that problem the water seems to be much more lightly treated over there.

its a long way to go for a swim lol . i wonder why they can use so little in australia moon grower . i bet its eec rubbish .

Not Australia NP - Austria! Personally I think it is GB nanny state!

The water down here is hard, sometimes cloudy and our cat won't touch it !
When OH used to regularly stay in Scotland for his job, he always came back singing the praises of the 'lovely soft water' in the hotel shower.

your right moon grower especialy with a government of legal lying criminals .
my pond apart from a bit of tannin is far clearer than my tap water bye far.the kettles much more fury than all my 5 dogs put together lol.

I'm not surprised NP