Rain Barrels Help Conserve Water

Rain barrels are coming back into popularity. With water shortages becoming more commonplace over large areas of the country and the importance of water conservation in general being raised in social consciousness, it seems a natural solution.

The drivers that make people choose to collect rainwater vary. Use of rainwater is a legal way to save lawns and gardens when watering becomes limited or banned. Others turn to rain barrels to keep their water bills down. Other than drinking and cooking, water from rain barrels or cisterns can fill a multitude of needs.

Many people concerned with conservation and maintaining green lifestyles use rain barrels with water conservation as their primary goal.

Rain barrels can be purchased commercially or made from recycled wooden or plastic storage barrels. The basic requirements include the following items:
1. Rain gutter with a downspout
2. Large collection container
3.
Screen to block leaves and twigs, etc.
4. Tight fitting lid
5. Distribution device

If you already have rain gutters on your home you have a head start. If not, installing them will be an important first step.The final requirement, the downspout, is needed to direct the rainwater into the barrel.

Rain barrels can be wood or plastic, new or recycled. If you choose to use a recycled barrel, be certain to learn what has been stored in it to assure you will not be reentering toxins into the water. Solid, fitted covers ensure rain barrels will not be a danger to children. Rain barrels need a distribution outlet in the form of a spout with a valve or a piece of hose. A benefit of harvesting rainwater is that it has no chlorine or other chemicals which makes it healthy for plants. Even when watering bans are not in place, recycling rainwater for the sprinkler, etc. insures more water for consumption. When heavy rains fill the drainage system, it mixes with polutants and carries them off into the natural waterways. Natural drainage through the soil and rock bed purifies the water before it reenters the ecosystem.

Use of rain barrels is good for individuals because it reduces water costs and keeps gardens and lawns healthy. Additionally, whether your primary goal or a byproduct, you will contribute to water conservation and environmental safety.

The Ecological Benefits of Using a Rain Barrel

Catching rainwater as it falls is an age old idea. The concept of a rain barrel and other types of rain catchers has been in use as long as agriculture... which is thousands of years. However, during the last decades, home owners have become more and more reliant on their city's water services. Unfortunately, using falling rainwater is no longer widely done.

Every household with a budget to follow (and some concern for the environment) cares about preserving water. But many of those very same people do not even know about the existence of a rain barrel. A bulky, specially designed container, a rain barrel simply collects rainwater. These barrels are placed under your roof's drain downspout. When rain falls on the roof of your home, it is swept into your roofs gutters and out through its downspout. This allows you to collect large amounts of rain water as it falls.

Environmental Benefits of Using a Rain Barrel

Reduced toxins in rivers. Did you know that, though rain is good for an ecosystem, it can be bad for the environment? When rain falls, it flows through our city streets before being carried to creeks and rivers. In this process, rainwater picks up toxins, such as pesticides, pet waste, oil, etc. If you collect some of that rainwater instead of allowing it to flow away, you can reduce the pollution of our rivers.

Reduced water usage. Of course, the most significant effect of using a rain barrel is the reduced water usage. During the summer season a homeowner can spend as much as 40 percent of his or her monthly water bill on watering a lawn. Because of this, there are yearly water shortages in many cities nationwide, with rationing programs and overuse fines. If you collect rainwater, however, you can both keep your grass and garden green, and free up more water for your community.

Reduced power usage. We all know that reducing the amount of energy we use to power our homes is important for the environment. But many of us do not consider the power usage implied by using municipal water. When we use water directly from our pipes, that water must be cleaned, filtered, and pumped all the way to us. There are countless processes in water processing that use up energy and, unfortunately, harm the environment.

With the use of a rain barrel, you can recycle rainwater to save thousands of gallons of water and create a ready made source of water for your plants, lawn, or day to day jobs. Pretty much the only thing you cannot do with collected rainwater is drink it. Otherwise, rain barrel water is great for washing your car, watering your garden... and doing your part to protect the environment.

Reducing Your Water Consumption With Rain Barrels

During an average rainstorm in a typical home, as much as 700 gallons of rainwater may run off and simply dissipate into the ground. All of that wasted rainwater could have otherwise been used for a good number of baths or showers. Buildings that are much larger will of course result in more rainwater running off, often reaching into the several thousand gallons being wasted.

In the face of the limited supply of water that so many areas of the country faces, this is all the more reason to consider installing rain barrels on your property. Besides being wasted, this rainwater also enters the storm drains through the ground where it can deposit various toxic materials and other pollutants, causing further harm to the environment.

Rain barrels effectively address these issues by allowing you to collect and store rainwater for future use. In its most basic form, rain barrels are simply large containers that collect water that comes from rooftops or other impermeable surfaces around the home. In a good rainstorm, rain barrels can collect more than 200 gallons of rain water, so you can imagine that they can be filled quite rapidly. This will then result in you having a considerable amount of water that can be used for various purposes around the home, ranging from watering plants and trees, to car and window washing chores. This will have the effect of greatly reducing your water bill and reduce the pollutants that enter the ground water, as well as put all that collected rainwater to good use.

Your options for rain barrels range from commercially available rain barrels to rain barrels made out of materials that can be found around the home or in a typical garden supply store. Many commercial rain barrels have fixtures built in such as hose or faucet connectors, which make them convenient for regular use or for hooking up with other rain barrels in order to collect even more rainwater. Constructing your own rain barrels will take some time, effort and planning, although this will be offset by the money that you will save from having to buy commercial rain barrels. Whichever option you choose to go for, you will want to make sure that your rain barrels are ideally situated to collect as much rainwater as possible.