Everyone with a budget and a desire to take care of the environment wants to save energy and reduce their water usage. But most households do not realize the benefits they could receive from using a rain barrel. A rain barrel is a large, specially made container that is designed to catch rainwater. These barrels are placed under your roof’s drain downspout. When it rains, the rain that falls on your roof will go into the gutters, through its drain, and out its downspout. Using this method, you can collect huge quantities of falling water.

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 it rains, the water that falls travels through our cities and streets before ending up on streams and creeks. As it flows, it collects chemicals, toxins, and other wastes. Routing some rainwater away from natural drainage reduces some of the tainted water that fouls up our rivers.

Less water use. The greatest benefit you will see from utilizing a rain barrel is, of course, water usage. In the summer time, up to 40% of a household’s water usage goes to watering their garden and 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.

Energy efficiency. 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. In that process, a ton of energy is used, which in turn hurts 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. The only job rainwater can not fill is satisfying your thirst. Otherwise, rain barrel water is great for washing your car, watering your garden… and doing your part to protect the environment.

Rain barrels serve to help you collect rainwater and utilize it for your daily needs, which is an important concern with water being quite scarce in many areas nowadays. In addition to helping you save water, rain barrels can also be useful in many other ways. Rainwater is generally free of pollutants and is naturally soft, and plants in particular benefit greatly from watering with rainwater.

By using rain barrels, you can also save a lot of money that you would normally spend on bills for water that you use from the water provider in your area. If you live in a place that regularly experiences water shortages, rain barrels will also greatly decrease your dependence on the local water supply. With rain barrels, you will be able to water the lawn whenever you want and generally be free from the restrictions that so many people in water scarce areas face.

Most people start out with rain barrels improvised from common items such as cans and barrels. Ready made rain barrels that are available from stores do a much better job at collecting rainwater however. These are offered in a variety of sizes, with 55 gallon rain barrels being the most commonly available. There are also rain barrels sold that are fitted with useful fixtures such as overflow spouts and faucets to connect garden hoses. To help keep the collected rainwater clean and free from contaminants, some rain barrels may also have screens built onto them. You can also buy rain barrels that are designed to connect to each other, allowing you to collect more even more rainwater.

Saving rain water in rain barrels will not only save you considerable amounts of money in water costs every year, it will also greatly reduce the effect of your water usage on the environment. Using rain barrels at home will also help educate your children on how to save water, and possibly give them a lesson in water conservation that they will carry with them for a lifetime.

Rain barrels are used in many ways, the most common of which is storing rain water that can be used later on when needed. With this usage, they can greatly decrease the consumption of water from the mains supply, which is of course a great benefit in terms of economical and environment considerations. Storing rain water for later use also allows you to be self sufficient, in that you will not be as dependent on the water from your main source to some extent, depending on your particular rate of water consumption.

The water that is stored in the rain barrels can be used in many ways, among them for watering the garden and other agricultural applications, for use in the home (particularly for the bathroom), in washing machines, for cleaning cars, and depending on how clean it is, as drinking water. This is particularly helpful when there is an unavailability of your regular water supply, or if the water in your area is either costly or poor quality. For this reason, rain barrels are often used in dry climates during the rainy season for storing water for later use in the dry season. In any case, water that is collected from rain barrels must still be protected against contamination and filtered if possible.

Some rain barrels can be a bit expensive, but their many uses means that they will pay for themselves in the long run. As an alternative, many homeowners use smaller rain barrels that collect smaller quantities of water. Rain barrels can even be fashioned from food containers that have been recycled, transport barrels, and even barrels used in the production of wine and whiskey. These rain barrels are usually very cheap. Keep in mind that with these types of rain barrels, it is important to make sure that they are sufficiently sealed in order to prevent the entry of mosquitoes. Even if it seems that mosquitoes are not able to enter, rain barrels can still be a breeding ground for mosquito larvae if there is no proper filtering in place.

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 work­…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.

The drivers that make people choose to collect rainwater vary. Many see it as the answer to maintaining green lawns and healthy gardens despite watering restrictions in water poor cities and towns. 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.

Finally , some people choose to set up rain barrels simply because they are concerned about water conservation in itself.

Rain barrels can be purchased commercially or made from recycled wooden or plastic storage barrels. Regardless of the source of your barrel, you will need the following basics:
1.
Rain gutter and downspout
2.
Barrel or other large container
3. Debris screen
4. Tight fitting lid
5.
Spout or outlet hose

If you already have rain gutters on your home you have a head start. You will have to install them if you do not have them. A downspout will divert the rainwater into the waiting container.

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.

On a personal level, using rain barrels to collect and store rainwater helps your wallet as well as your plants. It is also good for the environment by reducing consumption and improving the quality of our natural water supplies.