Dying for some rain

Every morning for about a month the weather  has been cloudy and cool with high winds.  Even on the days we have been warned that violent thunder storms are coming we haven't gotten but a few drops of rain.  The dark clouds just don't open up and let it out.  The good side is that with the wind the heat and humidty are tolerable, but the bad side is that the garden is requiring a lot of water.  I decided that since this may keep up I should try to get ready to increase the amount of rain I can use at once buy setting up a rain barrel.
For twenty bucks at the feed store I got this plastic barrel that is labeled Diet Coke Base.  There is also a CORROSIVE  label, but since I couldn't survive without diet coke I have been pretending I didn't see that one.  I rinsed the barrel and left the caps off to let the smell evaporate.  I put the barrel under the eave of the house and cut out a ten inch hole to let the rain flow inside.  I drilled a 1/2 hole in the bottom side and threaded in a PVC spigot. The next ones I buy I won't cut out a hole in the top.  I will figure out way to get the water to flow through the holes that have caps so that I can reseal the barrel.

Unless the electricity were shut off there is no way that rain fall would become our primary source of water.  We are so lucky when it comes to access to clean fresh water when other people have only access to unsafe water or have to pay a price that forces them to choose between food and water.  I know in some states and worse in some countries where the world bank has privatized water it is illegal to collect rainwater.  I know I would break that law in a heartbeat if I needed the water.  I can't imagine depending on a product like the Watercone to have some clean fresh water.