posted 5 years ago
Hi Jared,
It depends on if your totes are exposed to direct sun all day long. The longer they sit throughout the day exposed to the sun, the warmer the water gets, with the potential for it to get to warm by evening. Im not familiar with the data to calculate exact temperature possibilities, but can say it is cause for concern with exposure to full sun. This means you may consider options to shade the totes, or do a second coat of white paint, over the black paint. If those arnt options, you could also water in the mornings, when the water is at its coolest, testing the water by feel before usage on mornings after unusually hot days. If it feels to hot, dillute it down with cool water from the hose. That will at lease drastically minimize your domestic water usage, while helping you utalize the rain water collected. Chose the option that most easily applicable for you, and I'm confident you wont have issues.
Hope that helps!