Often times, when collecting rain water, the small sediment washed into the barrel from the gutters and roof collects as a layer of sludge on the bottom of the tank. For safe and clean use as potable or irrigation water, it is best to maintain the integrity of the sludge layer and disturb it as little as possible.
Thankfully, we can use technology to aid our plight.
Pictured above is what's called a "Smoothing Inlet". This device rests just above the sludge layer and is attached to the bottom of the inlet pipe that feeds your tank. Instead of it pouring straight down with force and agitating the sludge, the upward direction of the incoming water adds to your water volume without disturbing the sediment layer.
We carry the Smoothing Inlet in house, if you're curious about availability or pricing, contact us at +1 (505) 585-0850
If you're interested in reading more about the benefits of smoothing the rain, here's an article from Water (2020): https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/7/1970