Making a Rain Barrel is First Step for Homeowners

Every time it rains some amount of the storm water runs off our lawns, driveways and roofs and carries pollutants into our local waterways. Trying to address the entire run off problem in a yard can present quite a challenge for homeowners.

I've found that reducing the sources of pollution from our yards is best accomplished by taking a number of small steps to remedy the problem. Installing a rain barrel is a great first step to help most homeowners reduce storm water runoff from their property.

Rain barrels were initially used as a way to capture rain water for household uses such as watering gardens, washing clothes, and even as a source of drinking water. Fortunately, thanks to indoor plumbing, we can now simply turn a faucet handle when we need water instead of relying on collecting rain water in a barrel as some of our great grandparents once did.

Today rain barrels serve as an easy and effective way to help capture polluted rain water runoff from our roofs. Deposits from air pollutants accumulate on roof surfaces and are flushed from roofs during periods of rain.

According to RainScaping.org a 1,000 square feet of roof surface will yield a little over 600 gallons of rain water during an average summer storm. While a standard 55 gallon rain barrel cannot retain all of the water, it is important to capture the first ten percent of the rain water since most of the pollutants are contained in that initial discharge from the roof.

By allowing the water to drain from the barrel into an attached soaker hose, or flow into a rain garden, the rain water can slowly infiltrate the ground to water plants and be cleansed of pollutants by soil microorganisms.     

Since becoming more popular in recent years rain barrels can now be purchased through online sources or locally at garden centers, home improvement stores, and through nonprofit organizations like Arlington Echo in Millersville and Habitat for Humanity’s Restore in Rivera Beach.

Barrels now come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors and can be a decorative as well as functional addition to the home landscape.

Installing a rain barrel is a fairly simple process and can be done by most homeowners in about an hour.

Most barrels are sold as kits and include the necessary items to connect the barrel to a downspout and fittings from which water can be drawn. Once installed a rain barrel can be easily maintained by cleaning the inlet screen monthly and rinsing out the barrel once a year.

For additional information about rain barrels go to:

www.rainscaping.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.links/cat_id/5/index.htm

Or view the video link to watch a demonstration of how to install a rain barrel: 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfORd5kZhmk&feature=player_embedded#at=122