Rain Water BarrelsThe use of rain water barrels has a huge impact in helping to conserve our natural resources, and reduce the amount of burden that is placed on local sewage systems.
I don’t think that it can be overstated how valuable residential rain barrels are in helping our communities. This isn’t just one of those things that “green people” do, it truly is a great way to do your part to help the environment. Where can you purchase residential rain barrels?There are literally hundreds of companies who sell these rain water barrels, and many of them are priced at over $100. You can certainly go this route if you feel you must, but believe me, there are much cheaper alternatives.I have seen information on the web to help you build your own rain barrel. Try entering ’build rain water barrel’ into this search box, and you’ll be able to get that information.
Personally, this is a little too labor intensive for me. I prefer to go with the straight forward, easy, lazy, cheap route myself. I reside in the surrounding Milwaukee area, and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) (opens new window) runs a program that sells residential rain barrels for just $30!! That’s a far cry from over $100, don’t you think? They even have lots of info on their site as to how to set up the device, winterize it, etc. which includes pictures. Love it! Unfortunately, these rain water barrels are only available to residents of Wisconsin who are able to pick them up from the Milwaukee location. But my point is, it’s important to check your local district to see what’s available in your area! Redirecting rain water to places other than the sewer is important for any large, metropolitan area, and it is highly likely that these residential rain barrels are available in, or near, your area as well. If you're convinced that you want your rain barrel now, and don't feel like investigating your area for cheap alternatives (can't say that I blame you), check out the rain water barrels (opens new window) that are available at Sears. They have a few different sizes from 54 gallons, all the way up to 154 gallons! Wow! What happens when the water drains into the sewer, and what's the big deal in directing to other places?Well, I can answer that question, not only from my experience as a resident of Milwaukee County, but also as the daughter of someone who worked for the Water Department his entire career!The sewer system can only handle so much waste. This waste comes in the form of any water that leaves your house (ANY water that leaves your house...think about it! The shower, the sink, the toilet - all leaving your house through the same pipe...) and any water that enters through the drains and sewers in the city streets. This waste is handled and managed by, in our case, MMSD, which is responsible for treating the water, processing the water, cleaning the water, and generally making it “safe” to dump somewhere. When that sewer system gets over taxed, meaning it takes in more than it can handle, it’s going to overflow, which results in all sorts of problems I’m not going to detail here. Suffice it to say, securing one or more rain water barrels to your gutter downspouts does a whole heck of a lot of good for the environment, your garden, and your city! It's that much more water that is NOT directed towards the city's sewer system. (Not too mention the fact that it prevents water waste during periods of low rain.) What's the best way to set up your rain barrel?When you set up your residential rain barrels, you’ll need a rain barrel stand for the device to sit on. This will help give the water some “pressure” so that it doesn’t just trickle out of the spout when you want some for your garden.A rain barrel stand can be easily obtained by getting a couple of cinder blocks from your local home and garden store. Let your rain water barrels sit on those, and the water pressure should be sufficient. Oh, and a couple more tips...if you have a lot of debris, leaves, seeds, sticks, etc, that come out of your gutters, you may want to invest in rain water barrels that have screens attached to the lid. Make sure that the screens are small enough so that mosquitos can’t get through them. Otherwise you’ll have a whole new problem to deal with in your backyard. Another way to ensure the bug problems stay to a minimum is to empty the water every couple of days. That will ensure that there isn’t enough time for the little buggers to breed. I would suggest attaching one soaker hose to the bottom spout of your residential rain barrels, and winding it around plants, bushes and trees in the surrounding area. Then attach a standard hose with a sprinkler that can be routed to a nearby garden. The idea is to slowly empty the water into the ground so that there are no soaking issues for your home, the sewer, your plants, etc. I hope that this information is helpful, and you’re already off purchasing your rain water barrels! Happy watering!
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