Conserve water and save money with rain barrels

With droughts making headlines every summer in various parts of the nation, water conservation is on the forefront of many people's minds. If you are living in a drought-prone area, your local municipality likely has asked that you take conservation measures on your own.

In some cases, when drought conditions are severe, mandatory water restrictions are enforced by penalty or fine.

Even if you live in an area that is not prone to droughts, you may be interested in conserving water for the benefit of your pocketbook or for the betterment of the planet. With so many reasons for conserving water, it pays to invest in a rain barrel.
What is a rain barrel?

A rain barrel essentially captures the rain that flows from your roof and down your gutters, collecting it in a giant barrel. The barrels have a spout at the bottom, allowing you to attach a hose and water your lawn or garden later when the ground is dry and in need of additional water.

Most barrels also feature a netting at the top to keep debris from entering the water as well as to ensure they don't become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

You may be inclined to think that rain barrels will take some significant rainfall to fill up and be of any use to your lawn. This is not true. In fact, one inch of rain falling on a surface area of a 1,000 square foot roof yields 623 gallons of water.

The average residential rain barrel holds 100 gallons. However, many homeowners have connected multiple rain barrels together or have installed rain barrels on various sides or corners of the house to collect as much rain as possible during rainy periods.

In the past, barrels have tended to be an eyesore, a big, bulky container sitting awkwardly on the side of a house. Today, many have a beautiful, aesthetic appeal that can be incorporated into your outdoor decorating scheme quite nicely. Prices for rain barrels range from under $100 to several hundred dollars depending on the size, features, and appearance of the rain barrel.
The benefits for plants

Plants thrive on rain water. Water from the tap has often been enhanced with fluoride, chlorine, and other additives that plants don't need. When you water your plants naturally with rain water, you are providing them with fresh water the way nature intended, straight from the sky.
The benefits for the community

Most communities get their water from aquifers and reservoirs. When rain barrels are implemented across a wide area, the water levels in these aquifers and reservoirs will remain higher during periods of drought and high water consumption periods, such as hot summer months. This means more drinking water is available for the community as a whole.

Further, as rainwater rushes across roadways, lawns, and so on, it collects fertilizers, oils, and other pollutants. This polluted water ends up in our streams, rivers, and lakes, resulting in problems with algae as well as clarity issues with the water. When heavy rainfall runoff is controlled by capturing rain with rain barrels, the amount of pollutants entering our natural bodies of water can be limited.
The benefits for you

You likely see a large increase in your water bills during hot summer months. You may turn on the water hose to keep your flowers from wilting, to keep your grass from turning brown, and/or to keep your vegetable garden thriving. These additional uses of water for outdoor needs inevitably drains your pocketbook, and needlessly so. Everything your plants need falls from the sky.

A rain barrel simply provides you with the means to control the amount of natural water your lawn and gardens receive. With a rain barrel, you will see far fewer significant swings in your water bills from season to season while still maintaining a lush, green lawn and fruitful gardens.

Take advantage of the many benefits for you and the world around you by implementing a rain barrel into your landscape. -ecowisdom