Homeowner How-To's
Have you considered a Rain Barrel?
Rain barrels come in all sorts of shapes and sizes these days. They can be a simple “build it yourself” model with tools you can pick up at the local hardware store or one that matches the architecture of your home ordered online. They can be attached to your existing downspouts or put underground with fancy electronics to watch their levels and attached to an irrigation system. Few of us consider water as the precious resource that it is and the big part in our daily lives that it plays. Water is essential for life, all life: plant life, human life and planet life. Over 75% of the earth is cover in water but only around 1% of that is drinkable water. Families and businesses alike could consider water conservation as a regular approach to being water wise. Many of us have gutters on our homes to convey water away from our foundations and then where does it go; into the ground all at once; over the ground and down the drain.
What if instead of asking where; you capture it, conserve it? Depending on the type of investment you want to place into the actual container, a rain barrel can hold a varied amount of water to use later. A rain barrel is a sealed container so while it is saves water for later it doesn’t expose the water to falling leaves, mosquitos or other non-desirable critters. Without having to turn on your faucet, water from a rain barrel can be used to water your lawn, garden, crops, livestock, etc. While not an infinite long term water source it can help alleviate some of the dry spells that occur throughout the year and, if used sparingly, can reduce overall water consumption cost. Rain Barrels can be tied to individual down spouts or into many different rain barrels. Drainage could also be directed into and underground cistern for access later.