Rain Barrels

40 Gal Rain Barrel
When it rains, the rain rolls off your roof, into your gutters, down the downspout and then what? Well, if your gutters are hooked into the sewer, it goes to the sewage treatment plant. If you have disconnected downspouts, it will drain into your lawn, soaking it more. This often leaves unsightly holes where the water splashes out. You might have a longer run for downspout, eliminating the divots, but then you have the ugly pipe running out into your yard.

Well, how about capturing the water? This is not a new concept. Rain barrels have been used for hundreds of years. People knew that water is precious, and transporting it difficult. However, with modern plumbing, many people think that they can just turn on the water and it is there. Many places have now become so populated that they have trouble getting water. They have been ordered to not water their yards. Water also becomes expensive when there is a shortage.

But, it is rain water, I can't drink it! No, but your plants can. Plants prefer rain water. There are not chemicals in it and it has more minerals.

75 Gal Rain barrel
If you are in one of those areas where drought has kept you from watering your plants, if you collect your own water, you can use it! Even if you don't, you can lower your water bill by using what nature has already given you.

Did you know that some water companies will even give you some off the sewer portion of your bill if you disconnect your downspout? If you live in one of these areas you will save money all around! You will save money by collecting your own water, and you will save by not having to haul it to the sewer!

There are a couple links below to places you can go to purchase them, and a couple of good links on how to make them yourself if you are the DIY type. I like the "Double Barrel Drainpipe Cistern". Two trash cans and some pipe. The only thing I'd do differently is that in Portland I'd not get the full discount on sewage if the overflow went into the drainpipe. I think you could still get a partial discount though. I'd go to the hardware store and get some perforated pipe. I'd then bury this in the garden and let the overflow run there. Another possible alteration is to put a drain in the bottom of the lower one that you can hook a hose up to. Might be a slow flow, but better than lugging buckets around. Putting it higher than the garden would help with the flow.

In case the link dies, I'm going to make another article sometime before spring with instructions on how to make one of these. I'll make it myself and take some pictures. I think I'm going to make mine a little bigger though.

I've heard of people collecting the rain runoff in big tanks, processing it and using it for drinking water. That is an article for another time.

Links

Double Barrel Drainpipe Cistern
City of Bremerton Washington - Make Your Own Rain Barrel