About Rain Barrels
A rain barrel is a used to harvest the rain water that drains off your roof to water your plants, flowers and gardens. Rain water that falls onto your roof usually flow through your yard, washes into the street and eventually flows into the storm drainage system. By collecting this water, you are able to use this water to irrigate your plants, flowers and gardens. Rain barrels can also be arranged to slowly release the collected rain fall to areas that can soak up the water, reducing storm water runoff and increasing groundwater recharge.
Why?
- Rain barrels conserve water and help lower costs (a rain barrel can save approximately 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months).
- Rain barrels reduce water pollution by reducing storm water runoff, which can contain pollutants like sediment, oil, grease, bacteria and nutrients.
- The good news is that rain barrels are inexpensive, easy to install and easy to operate and maintain. Ready-made rain barrels can be purchased from local suppliers or online.