ALL ABOUT RAIN BARRELS
Why Harvest the Rain?
First of all, take a look at your property. How much of the land is covered by something? Your house, patio, deck, garage, driveway and sidewalks, even your carefully laid out grass lawn. All are designed so that water falling on these areas is moved away as quickly as possible. Before anything was built on that property the rain was allowed to water the vegetation, then percolate down into the ground and replenish the groundwater. With the rise of inexpensive city water and the convenience it provided, people stopped using a natural resource that for centuries provided most if not all of the water a household needed.
Rain water is free. It is naturally soft. It has not been processed by the local utility for drinking, which requires energy and the addition of chemicals. Plants thrive with the use of rain water! They do not have to filter out the additives that make it usable for human consumption.
There are many books and articles on the subject of rain harvesting. As the need for fresh water increases we are looking for new and better ways to meet the demand. One simple method is to harvest the rain as it falls. Cisterns (above and below ground) and rain barrels are not new ideas but are making a comeback as we search for ways of making better use of this natural resource.
Rain barrels offer the homeowner a chance to capture and use the water from the non-permeable parts of their property, notably the house and garage roofs. This water can be used for any non-potable use, watering outside gardens, flowers and vegetables, watering houseplants, washing vehicles, doing laundry, washing windows, topping off a hot tub, taking showers, flushing toilets. The more ways you use the water the more money you save by not running city water through your meter.
Rain Barrels can come in many different styles, from homemade to decorative manufactured ones. What you should look for in a barrel is durability (will it do the job and last long enough to make the investment worthwhile), a screened lid (keeps insects and debris out of the water), solid fixtures (brass versus plastic) and ease of care (a removable lid for cleaning and storage during the off season). Other factors such as where the spigots are located and how overflow is addressed are also issues to be considered.
How many barrels or the size of the tank you should get depends on your intended usage and the collection area of your property. You will find that harvesting the rain makes you more aware of the role water plays throughout your day: how long you shower, running the water when brushing your teeth. Your awareness will give you further insight into how you can better use the gift of water everywhere.
So harvest, conserve, reuse, it is all up to each of us to make the choices that will make the world a better place, one drop at a time!
First of all, take a look at your property. How much of the land is covered by something? Your house, patio, deck, garage, driveway and sidewalks, even your carefully laid out grass lawn. All are designed so that water falling on these areas is moved away as quickly as possible. Before anything was built on that property the rain was allowed to water the vegetation, then percolate down into the ground and replenish the groundwater. With the rise of inexpensive city water and the convenience it provided, people stopped using a natural resource that for centuries provided most if not all of the water a household needed.
Rain water is free. It is naturally soft. It has not been processed by the local utility for drinking, which requires energy and the addition of chemicals. Plants thrive with the use of rain water! They do not have to filter out the additives that make it usable for human consumption.
There are many books and articles on the subject of rain harvesting. As the need for fresh water increases we are looking for new and better ways to meet the demand. One simple method is to harvest the rain as it falls. Cisterns (above and below ground) and rain barrels are not new ideas but are making a comeback as we search for ways of making better use of this natural resource.
Rain barrels offer the homeowner a chance to capture and use the water from the non-permeable parts of their property, notably the house and garage roofs. This water can be used for any non-potable use, watering outside gardens, flowers and vegetables, watering houseplants, washing vehicles, doing laundry, washing windows, topping off a hot tub, taking showers, flushing toilets. The more ways you use the water the more money you save by not running city water through your meter.
Rain Barrels can come in many different styles, from homemade to decorative manufactured ones. What you should look for in a barrel is durability (will it do the job and last long enough to make the investment worthwhile), a screened lid (keeps insects and debris out of the water), solid fixtures (brass versus plastic) and ease of care (a removable lid for cleaning and storage during the off season). Other factors such as where the spigots are located and how overflow is addressed are also issues to be considered.
How many barrels or the size of the tank you should get depends on your intended usage and the collection area of your property. You will find that harvesting the rain makes you more aware of the role water plays throughout your day: how long you shower, running the water when brushing your teeth. Your awareness will give you further insight into how you can better use the gift of water everywhere.
So harvest, conserve, reuse, it is all up to each of us to make the choices that will make the world a better place, one drop at a time!
