-Not sure how big it is... Someone has a rain barrel they are giving to us
-Chlorinating the water would probably not be very good for the plants I'm guessing. Maybe I'm wrong there?
-I've always heard softened water is bad for plants because of the salt content. Even if that's incorrect, we still have to pay for the water and we are also softening water that definitely doesn't NEED to be softened.
-i know softeners don't remove chlorine... We have a combination softener/carbon filter unit that does both
-great info on the issues surrounding using rainwater from downspouts. Sound like more trouble than it's worth. Based on what I've already stated, if you were in my shoes, would you mess with it? Maybe the benefits do outweigh the hassle involved? Or is it simply not worth it for refilling the pool (just stick to watering plants/lawn)?
-and IF I decide to do this and use polyquat for the purposes you mentioned, is polyquat safe for plants?