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How to start a home rain barrel project

Water is precious and becoming more scarce. Try a rain barrel in your yard to use 'free' water for irrigation and limit what you run from the tap.

By Chris BaskindMon, Mar 22 2010 at 12:57 PM EST
 13

Photo: ravik694/Flickr
As we prepare for April's gentle showers, there's one thing that's certain: we'll need that rainwater once the weather warms up.
 
For most of us, it's easy to take water for granted. Turn on the tap, and it's there — usually. But shifting climate patterns and populations are challenging municipal water systems around the world. Australia is just emerging from one its most brutal summers in living memory. The U.S. Southwest is struggling through a multi-year drought, and big cites such as Atlanta have come perilously close to draining their taps dry.
 
Part of the problem is that virtually every drop of water you'll use today is treated drinking water, from your morning coffee to the stuff you use in the yard. But we can take a little stress off the system by collecting rain whenever it's available.
 
Rainfall is considered greywater — unsuitable for human consumption without further processing, but immediately useful for a variety of garden and household needs. Plants love rainwater, thanks to its softness and lack of chlorine treatment. So let's start there, with a simple and inexpensive system designed to take a little load off your water bill while keeping your garden green.
 
Remember rain barrels?
Your grandparents may have kept a rain barrel. They're one of humanity's oldest means of storing fresh water. Rain barrels have seen something of a revival in recent years, thanks to modern construction techniques and better consumer awareness of the need to conserve water.
 
While you can spend more for a large commercially produced system, setting up a basic rain barrel system is the kind of project you can complete in an afternoon for less than $100. Since even a light rain can produce several hundred gallons of rooftop runoff, you'll have little trouble filling your barrel. An inch of rain on a 1,000 square-foot roof will put over 600 gallons into a gutter system — much more than most people collect. Ready to have some free water at the ready? Let's go shopping!
 
Modern rain barrels
A contemporary rain barrel system is a simple affair. They're also getting easier to find. Your local home improvement store is likely to have a couple ready-to-install models to choose from, and there are dozens of varieties available online. A typical setup is a diversion line which runs from your rain gutter downspout, a length of tubing, and one or more barrels with a cover. The barrel will be mounted with a spigot or hose fitting at the bottom for water withdrawal. You can also buy free-standing systems designed to collect rainwater on their own.
 
The barrel itself must be pretty sturdy: a 50 gallon unit will weigh over 400 pounds when full, more than enough to burst something like a plastic garbage can. You can buy them up to about 80 gallons in a variety of shapes, and it's possible to daisy chain several together.
 
Clean Air Gardening and Aaron's Rain Barrels both have broad selections of commercial rain barrels and related gear. If you'd prefer to homebrew a more traditional looking system, Kentucky Whiskey Barrels is a great source of handmade oak barrels retired from the Bourbon industry. In either case, you're looking for a unit with a screen for excluding debris and insects (crucial in mosquito-prone areas), and a secure lid to keep out animals and curious children. Plastic barrels should feature opaque coloring to discourage algae growth, and UV-resistant plastic.
 
Setting up your barrel
Barrels should be elevated to ease watering. Cinder blocks are a popular and cheap way to do this. If you've got pets or children, you'll want to be sure your barrel is located close to where you'll eventually want water, but away from foot traffic. A tipped-over rainbarrel could easily injure or kill someone. Against a wall is a good choice. Use straps to secure the barrel if you have any questions about its security.
 
NaturalRainWater.com — a comprehensive rain barrel resource — has a gallery of installations to give you some ideas. Once your barrel is set up, it should be nearly maintenance free.
 
 
While we've primarily discussed above-ground rainbarrels, it is also possible to construct much larger, below-ground systems. This is a considerably more expensive option, requiring pumps to extract the water and sometimes featuring filtration systems to make it potable. The diagram above — taken from a handout published by the King County (Washington) Department of Natural Resources and Parks — shows a hybrid arrangement capable of storing and distributing several hundred gallons of rainwater. You can download a PDF version of the pamphlet here.
 
If it routinely drops below freezing where you live during the winter, it's wise to drain your barrel and store it for the season to avoid cracking. It will be ready to go again in plenty of time for spring.
 
But sometimes rain isn't free
Think back to splashing through puddles as a kid. There's something joyful about a good rain shower. Rain seems so simple, clean and free.
 
That's not always the case. In large sections of the Southwest, for instance, it's illegal to harvest rainwater. This is largely the heritage of an era in which cattle and sheep ranchers wielded a lot of political power. They depended on rain to fill the streams which watered their flocks, so laws were passed to prohibit any impediment to stormwater runoff. That still includes rain barrels.
 
You may also have local ordinances or neighborhood covenants prohibiting rainwater harvest. Check your local regulations and building codes before starting a rain barrel project.
 
So enjoy!
As green home improvements go, rain barrels are a fairly simple, low-cost project with long-term returns. They help take some load off municipal water and waste treatment systems, add value to your home, and provide a hedge against drought for landscaping and kitchen gardens. Invest a few hours next weekend and get started.
 
 
We're big fans of HGTV. Here's a video segment showing a solid, DIY rain barrel project using a 50 gallon food-grade plastic barrel and common plumbing accessories. It may provide some inspiration for your own setup.
 

 
Copyright Lighter Footstep 2009
 
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Related Topics: DIY, Water Conservation

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anonymous
abby 07/21/2011 12:58 PM

we haven't had rain in so long here in central texas -- we have had to stop watering -- we appreciate the article and will be working on this -- as soon as we get some rain we're hoping to use it....

anonymous
Frank 03/24/2011 13:58 PM

For those in climates where water freezes in winter, remember that water expands outward not just up in a rain barrel. I've gone through a number of barrels before remembering that fact. I thought I could leave some water in. I was wrong. So make sure they are completely empty and covered before freeze time.

anonymous
Michaela 03/18/2011 15:38 PM

We just produced this video on DIY rain barrels as part of the St. Johns Riverkeeper
River Friendly campaign.... some artists have decorated and wrapped them all around town. http://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org/river-friendly/rain-barrel-project/

anonymous
Joseph 01/20/2011 09:24 AM

I started with a few 55 gal barrels that I found at www.RainTankDepot.com but soon found out that I needed more capacity (the RainTank folks told me this but I thought they were trying to upsell me, turns out they were right) so I have moved up to tanks. I now have 4 1,500 gallon tanks that they offer .... More

anonymous
Dan 01/01/2011 16:10 PM

Great article. It's always good to see people recycling and preserving resources in new and creative ways as well as the old methods highlighted in this article. If you're interested in some other ways to use recycled wood from old barrels or wherever you can find it, check out http://reclaimedwood.info for some other ecologically friendly projects.

anonymous
Adam 09/09/2010 14:57 PM

Great article!

I'm not very good at DIY projects so I got a rain barrel from EarthMinded and I am very happy with it. It holds about 60 gallons. This company's rain barrels seems to solve a lot of the problems people face with rain barrels. It's diverter (fits perfectly to the downspout) allows excess water to pass through the downspout. You can lock the opening lid if you want to, which keeps out mosquitoes. It also comes with a spigot which allows you to fill a watering can etc. and.... More

anonymous
Alyssa 06/30/2010 12:11 PM

Be careful making your own- if you don't use the right kind of materials, they could crack, especially in the winter when the water turns to ice.

I got mine from http://www.raintankdepot.com

It is basically a rain barrel disguised as a giant planter in the backyard, so you don't have an ugly plastic thing sitting around! Also it holds over 80 gallons of water and I can leave it out all

anonymous
House Plan 04/03/2010 16:23 PM

You may choose your house plan from 100,New Drafting CAD Site gives away over 100 House plans for free.

You can go and them at http://www.sdsplans.com

anonymous
Jo Toad Today 16:38 PM

Our family has a rain barrel chain that collects over 600 gallons of water that we use for gardening purposes.

2 other very important resources are your local Cooperative Extension Office and your local Soil and Water Conservation District Office (in the United States).

One of our local Soil and Water Conservation District offices held a class on rain barrel construction. For a $25 fee we enjoyed a lecture on water conservation, received all the materials we needed to build 1 rain.... More

anonymous
Guan 07/27/2010 15:45 PM

I'm glad I read your post on making your own barrels. That is a great money saver!!! If you have any other great tips I would love to hear them. You can email me at guannella_w@yahoo and thanks again!!!

anonymous
Debbie Smith Today 16:37 PM

his is a good how-to, however my husband and I bought an old whiskey barrel because we liked the way it looked and because it was already made, no need to reprocess. So after a rain or so, we could smell the old whiskey! It wasn't horrible and it eventually went away but we still have some issues remaining. The main problem we have is the water freezing in it in the winter, so we disengage the downspout for the winter (this was our first season) and we are ready to re-engage for this season..... More

anonymous
Jill Today 16:39 PM

I love this idea! I've spent time in Australia's rainforest (no drought there in the rainy season!) and marveled at thoughtfully designed homes that ran off of rainwater collected from the roof year-round. But somehow I never thought that we could utilize rainwater right here in the Midwest United States. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing…every bit helps.

anonymous
Mark Today 16:36 PM

Nice idea. I think we need to do more about water efficiency and this is one way to act green. I don't have a barrel, but I suppose a trash bin would work in the meantime…no shortage of rain here in the UK! But water efficiency is key, as evidenced by the videos at http://www.tomorrowsworldcompetition.com/

These kids wrote scripts or sent in videos on water

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