Rain barrels

A rain barrel is a container that captures and stores rainwater draining from your roof. Barrels usually range from 50 to 80 gallons and have a spigot for filling watering cans and a connection for a soaker hose.

Combining the use of rain barrels with appropriate plant selection and mulching promotes water conservation. Rain barrels benefit your home, garden and community.

Benefits

  • Save money on your water bill as well as consumption use from private wells
  • Homeowners can save up to 1,300 gallons of water during the growing season
  • Reduce the flow of storm runoff
  • Protect rivers and streams from runoff pollution
  • Control moisture levels around the foundation of your home
  • Provide oxygenated, un-chlorinated water which is ideal for plants

Rain Barrel

General facts

  • Garden and lawn irrigation accounts for 40% of residential water use during the summer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
  • 700 gallons of water runs off a 1,200-square-foot roof after only 1 inch of rainfall. Using a rain barrel is an excellent way to conserve some of this water.
  • A quarter-inch of runoff from an average roof will easily fill a rain barrel. If you have five storms a season, that equals 275 gallons of free water.
  • Unlike tap water, rain water is free of chlorine, lime and calcium. This naturally soft water is ideal for watering plants in vegetable and flower beds, indoor and outdoor container plants, and can even be used for cleaning household windows and washing cars.

Additional Information

  1. Rain Barrel and Cistern Guidelines (PDF)