Rain Barrels

Here it is 2009 and there is a buzz about rain barrels.  You haven’t heard? Rain barrels you say?  Some of you may recall growing up with a rain barrel or two around the home where you were raised. Or, you may recall visiting your  grandparents over the river and through the woods to the farm where there may have been a rain barrel.  However, if you are under 35 you may not even know what they are.  Since I’m much older than that and still have memories of my childhood and within the last two years have personal experience with a rain barrel I can share my story.  For those of you who don’t know the purpose or how they work I will give you a simple explanation.  A rain barrel is a collection system whereby the rain gutters on your home are connected in some fashion to, yes, a barrel.  The water collected can be used to water flowers, a garden, wash your car, hose off your house, or any other use except human consumption.

Rain barrels are becoming more popular for those individuals who want to do their part in water conservation even when your water source is not reliable.  Even when you are connected to city water, there are times when you have restrictions on whether you can water your lawn, etc.  So if you are one of those people, (and I hope you are) investigating your options would be just another way you can save.

My husband and I moved to the country more than 11 years ago.  And, when I say country, I’m not kidding.  No street lights, no curbs or sidewalks, no neighbors within sight.  You can walk a mile to a country store, and town hall. You’ve heard about the town that has the parade stand still and the people move down the street?  That’s pretty close to where we live.  Otherwise, we need to get into a vehicle and drive 14, 26 or 40 miles for other conveniences.  So this also means our water source is a sandpoint well.  Our water availability is always in question.  And, as we considered all this in building a new home in the woods, a rain barrel seemed like a good idea.  In the summer I use the water from our rain barrel to water my flower garden, wash the car, and any other outdoor cleaning chores that present themselves.  It should not be used for human consumption.

We purchased a 60 gallon plastic barrel and  attached it to our rain gutters.  If we have a half inch of rain, it fills the rain barrel.  In fact we have two other spouts from other sections of our rain gutters that we will be adding two more rain barrels this summer.  One will be an old whisky barrel my husband brought home one day after finding them on sale at a local lumber yard.  He will be putting a spout on it about a foot from the bottom so that we can turn on the spout and access the water when we need it. Maybe our plants will be a bit happier with the old whiskey barrel  water.  There is still a definite whiskey smell to it.  We will probably also purchase another of the plastic types to accommodate the last rain spout.

This is what I can tell you from our experience. You will need a screen on the top of your barrel to avoid getting pine needles, grit from your shingles, and other nature debris in the barrel. Our rain barrel came with a screen and it is secured to the barrel just like a jar lid.  That way you can remove it to clean out the barrel periodically. Having the spout really helps with being able to access the water.  The plastic one came with several plugs that can be removed to install the spout.  You will not have water pressure from the rain barrel like you would out of a faucet.  However, there are pumps you can purchase to assist with that.

Use the rain water.  I get a real thrill out of being able to have water to use and not have to depend on well water for those outdoor needs.  We do live a fairly simple life so I get my thrills when I can.  My husband is already looking into somehow being able to utilize the rain water for our laundry needs.  However, we would only be able to collect the rain water during the summer months as we live in Zone 4. This may be a bit more involved but I have read about people who have done this.  No, I don’t go down to the river to do my laundry.  We do have electricity and a septic system.

As many of you do these days, just click on to:  “Rain Barrels” and you will have more information about them than you can shake your mouse at.  You can find all shapes, sizes, with various features to accommodate your needs. Check it out.  Even if you have no concerns about running out of water, it’s a “Green” thing to do.  Oh, and did I say the water should not be used for human consumption?

Jla/Kerrick, MN