Rain Barrels Help The Environment
It is estimated that the average rain shower that falls on the typical home results in more than 700 gallons of perfectly good rainwater running off and seeping into the ground. That amount of rainwater alone is the equivalent of almost 20 baths or nearly 60 showers. Larger buildings with correspondingly larger span roofs of course result in even more rainwater being wasted, often as much as several thousand gallons of rainwater at a time.
Since water is an ever decreasing precious resource, it only makes sense to look into the many benefits that rain barrels can offer you as well as the environment. Aside from the fact that all of this rainwater is simply wasted, it also seeps into the ground and eventually makes its way into the storm drains and eventually any lakes or other bodies of water in the immediate vicinity, carrying with it various pollutants and toxins, and further placing stress on the area’s water sewerage systems.
Rain barrels then serve an important function, and that is to collect and store all the rainwater that would have otherwise been wasted, so you can put it to good 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. A good rain in a typical home will result in rain barrels being filled fairly quickly, with the rainwater collected amounting to as much as 200 gallons of perfectly useable water. This rainwater can then be used as an irrigation source for your lawn or garden, or can be used for such tasks as washing your car or windows. 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. Of course you can also choose to simply build your own rain barrels…which may take some time and workÂ…but can be quite a bit cheaper than buying ready made rain barrels. Regardless of what type of rain barrels you plan to install, it is important to place them where they will collect the maximum amount of rainwater possible.