rain barrels

While rainwater may not always be safe to drink, it can be used for a variety of other things—from watering your lawn and flower beds to washing cars. And depending on your state and local laws, you may be able to use rainwater for some household graywater uses, like toilets and showers.
A rain barrel is essentially a large tank with a spigot that sits under your home’s gutter downspout to harvest rainwater from your roof. You can make one for just a few dollars, or you can purchase a basic model for around $50 to $100. A more decorative model will cost upwards of $300.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Safety: Rain barrels hold 50-plus gallons of water, so be sure the tank is both child- and animal-proof.
• Handling overflow: Look for rain barrels with an overflow valve that kicks in when the barrel reaches capacity.
• Clean water: A rain barrel topped with a fine-mesh screen will keep out insects and debris.
• Materials: Rain barrels come in all sorts of materials, from durable stainless steel to fiberglass and recycled plastic, so let personal preference be your guide. Some retailers even sell rain barrels made from old whiskey or wine barrels.
• Expanding capacity: An average rainstorm can fill one 60-gallon rain barrel within an hour. You can link several barrels to harvest even more rainwater. Look for barrels with an outlet for attaching a linking hose.
• Rebates: Check with your local water agency to learn about any rain barrel subsidies or rebates in your area. Some environmental groups sell rain barrels at a discount, saving you even more.
  
  
  How Rain Barrels Help
  
  Barrels help conserve potable water supplies. Treating and distributing safe drinking water is an energy-devouring, greenhouse-gas-spewing endeavor, and given many federal and state laws, most water that is piped into your home, whether it is used for cooking, or flushing the toilet, goes through treatment. Some four percent of our nation’s power goes to water supply and treatment facilities.
  Reducing the impact of runoff and flooding. Water rushing off rooftops finds it way to paved surfaces and storm drains as runoff, which picks up harmful pollutants like animal waste, trash, and chemicals along the way and carries them to streams and oceans. Experts cite runoff as the number one cause of water pollution in the U.S.
  
  
  
  

  Usage Tips

• Check local ordinances: Many governments and municipalities embrace rain barrel use and offer financial incentives to residents who install them. Some cities even require water-catchment systems. In Santa Fe county, New Mexico, all new residential construction must provide a means for capturing rainwater, whether a rain barrel or cistern, or land features like a berm or swale.
  
• Don’t drink the water: Rain-barrel water is not potable, since water caught on a roof carries contaminants such as bird droppings and other potentially harmful matter. Likewise, rain-barrel water is not safe for cooking, bathing or overhead watering of edible plants. You can use rain-barrel water on edible plants if you drip-irrigate, but be sure to wash produce thoroughly prior to eating.
• Think about outdoor water use: Do you wash your car or driveway frequently? Have a swimming pool to top off, or a particularly thirsty flower bed? Site your rain barrel as close as possible to one of these spots.