Harvesting Rainwater with Rain Barrels
Collecting rainwater for use during dry months in rain barrels or other depositories is an ancient and traditional practice. Historical records show that rainwater was collected in simple clay containers as far back as 2,000 years ago in Thailand, and throughout other areas of the world after that. With the rising price of municipal water and drought restrictions now facing much of the United States during the summer months, more and more homeowners in our own modern society are turning to the harvesting of rainwater to save money and protect this precious natural resource.
Browse 50 to 80 gallon rain barrels at Clean Air Gardening Supply.
It is a common belief in many parts of the world that water is an infinite resource to exploit as needed, but as the saying goes, “you don’t know the value of water until the well is running dry.” This is especially true in arid parts of the U.S. where most of the municipal water comes from overstressed underground aquifers. Whereas rainwater is considered a renewable natural resource, many aquifers are being “mined,” that is, communities are drawing out more water than the aquifer naturally receives to recharge it.
As drought and aquifer mining begin to call attention to an increasing water crisis, people are seeking ways minimize impact on their municipal water supplies. Rain barrels can be part of the solution. Just look outside your window the next time it rains and imagine all the water that’s running down your driveway being put to beneficial use in your home and garden!
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
use goldfish to rid the barrel of mosqutoe larva
How can I prevent my rain barrel from becoming a mosquito farm? In Florida they’re one of our biggest crops.
Just about all commercially available rain barrels, like the one shown on this webpage, have a screen so that adult mosquotes can’t pass through.
I have a rain barrel that I used last summer. My problem is that when it is sunny and hot following the collection of water, my barrel starts to smell and the water turns cloudy. Is there anything I can add to keep the water from stinking, without killing my plants?
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Thanks for your question.
I’m finishing up a video in response to another question about bleach, and it will also apply to your question. Please keep an eye out, and I’ll give you some specific instructions on an approach to try out! Should be up in a few days.
I’m putting a few together today, and I’m not sure how to attach the spiggot on the bottom without access to the inside of the the barrel. Do they need to be attached from the inside?
To attach a spiggot to the bottom of a plastic rain barrel ,you do not have to access the inside. By using a 11/16″ spade drill bit ,and drilling a hole at the bottom side of the barrel. You can screw in a 1/2″ sillcock 1ball vave with a hose bib. Also use Teflon pipe tape and some Silicone caulk. Good Luck
XL tee shirts can filter rain water and keep out mosquitos. Sew the neck closed and tuck in the sleeves. You can siphon the water out with a garden hose. Just draw in a breath. Check out solar disinfection to get more value for your rain water.
Where can I find out the legal status of cisterns in my area? I know that some states/locales actually *mandate* that rainwater runoff be directed to curbside, and/or prohibit individual owners from collecting rainwater unless they can prove they have water rights. Crazy, if you ask me, but I don’t want to make any investment I’m not able to legally protect, and I can’t find any online references for Maryland law.
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Hi Mike,
Turns out that I just recently read an article in Popular Mechanics about the legality of collecting rainwater in various states.
It doesn’t specifically mention Maryland, but maybe it’s a start for you. I have never heard of Maryland mentioned related to rainwater harvesting. I always hear about Colorado.
If I put a House filter on the in can it be use as drinking water I’m good at keeping the water clean like swimming pool with bleach and can I get it check for quality (drinking )
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I never, ever, ever recommend using rainwater collected in rain barrels as drinking water.
If you want to go that route, I think your best bet is finding some kind of water purification message board or web site that has people who know a lot about that subject.
I don’t know anything about drinking water, because that is not my expertise.
To keep mosquitos from laying their eggs-our extension people recommend to put a tablespoon of veg. oil in the rain barrel. This creates an oil slick, not harmful to people etc.
So if the state is the owner of the rainwater, you can sue the state if flooding destroys your property, right?
As the owner of the rainwater they should have removed it in time.
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Alas, if it weren’t for that pesky concept of Sovereign Immunity….
In Australian we have these types of Rainwater Tanks that have filters in them so that once the water goes into the tank, it stays clean – it can then be used to wash your car or water the garden. I haven’t had any problems with my tank as yet .
Got an old sheer curtain? I use that and a piece of string to cover my rain barrels with. Just cut a piece of curtain 24 – 36 inches square or round and secure with the string. Works for me!
Just now installing a 150 gal tank. Logic suggests that the height of the tank above the ground should not effect water pressure, but some have told me otherwise. I’m not sure I want to build something to hold a ton of water very high in the air. What’s the truth here?
Thanks
some one was asking about using water for drinking and another person said no way. I have heard that there is a way to set your house up so that rain water is routed to your toilets. so you use it each time you flush and do not have to worry about keeping it clean. I am not sure if it is easy to do with an old house or only available if you have it installed when building a new home.
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In my opinion, when you start messing around with greywater and plumbing, you risk breaking building code laws, and you also risk messing up your house if you do it wrong.
But for the adventurous, I’ve read about the concept here:
http://www.riverwired.com/blog/how-flush-your-toilet-using-rain-water
I live in San Jose, and our average annual rainfall is 14 inches. It also doesn’t rain from May until November.
I’m wondering if barrels to capture rainwater would make sense here. Is there a way to calculate how much water I would collect? My house is about 1800 square feet, so that gives a rough idea of how much roof area I have.
I could use the water for my tomatoes in the garden.
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I’ll answer your question with a link to this NPR story about a guy in Tucson, Arizona, who collects rainwater! (Short answer, yes.)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94699114
The height of the rain barrel will determine how much pressure you will get. The weight of water will create .43 PSI per foot of height above the point of draw.
Example: You have a hose attached to a rainbarrel which is on a stand so that the surface of the water is 10 feet off the ground. The rainbarrel has its spigot at 6 feet off the ground. If you measure the pressure at the spigot, you should have 1.72 PSI of water pressure at the spigot…plenty to fill buckets, etc.
Now expand on the example a bit and add a 50 foot garden hose to the spigot and run it to your garden. Lets say the point of discharge on the end of the hose is now 12 feet below the surface of the water. The math says that you will have about 5.16 PSI of pressure at the end of the hose. If you raise the end of the hose in the air, the pressure drops… lower the end of the hose and the pressure will raise. The length of the hose is immaterial in this example (save for some minor friction complexities).
As a point of comparison, normal household water pressure ranges from 20 PSI (mostly RV’s) to about 80 or so PSI. You would need at least 80 feet of fall to run a garden sprinkler or hose sprayer… but the gravity option works well for drip irrigation, hand watering, or using as a cistern to draw water from with a pump.
Think of it this way… the more water HEIGHT you stack atop the point of release, the more pressure you will get. The VOLUME of water above the point of release is immaterial.
Hope that helps!
Regards,
Grant in Iowa
You are a prince Grant. Thanks.
In other words, the height of the tank itself means essentially nothing. It’s the vertical height of the tank itself that determines pressure.
But how about this….. What is the importance of the opening diameter of the valve feeding into the hose? Should I look for the least flow restriction possible? Obviously I failed to study fluid dynamics.
More on pressure: So I’d assume most users would prefer a decent amount of water pressure. Does this mean for maximum pressure, its clearly more useful to buy a tank of a tall thin shape (similar to a hot water heater), rather than a squat low tank?
I’m an urban dweller with a decent size backyard. I would love to put 2 – 3 rainbarrels to collect from downspouts to water plants in dry months. However, our average rainfall is far in excess of what could be collected, so how do you accommodate the need to let most of the water drain in the traditional manner? Any way other than disconnecting the barrels once they are full and replacing the downspout connectors?
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Most rain barrels have some kind of an overflow built into the design. You just attach a hose to the overflow, and route it where you want it to go.
Alternatively, there are downspout redirectors that you can open and shut, and also ones that only divert some of the rain and leave the rest to go through the downspout.
About mosquitoes and water smelling bad – cover your barrel. If you have a tight-fitting cover that you can drill a small hole in (just enough to fit the spout from the roof) and cover the overflow with a thin mesh, you solve the problem. Also, it’ll stop evaporation problems. : )
A little olive oil on top of the water keeps mosquitoes from breeding.
what do you suggest to do to a rain barrel in the winter time.
What is your take on “collaspable” nylon barrels? I personally like the idea of being able to storing them in the harsh winter. But the examples I’ve seen in person, leave me to wonder about the drooping screen on top; the water level rises above the dipping screen surface when full. The nylon seems rather thin to last long, especially around a spigot type configuration… Anyone have one of these?
Vaio, does your trick of “olive oil” work on standing water in drainage ditches where there is standing water for two or three days after a simple rainfall? It’s on a bare lot next to me, a public drainage ditch; a 3′x5′ area.
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That would require too much olive oil, in my opinion. So I would recommend a product like this instead, which is designed specifically for your situation:
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/mosquito1.html
I just purchased a rain barrel with a hose attached to the bottom. How do I get the water to run into my jug when the jug is above the level of the outlet hose? I can turn the jug sideways and fill it half way but then the water stops running out of the barrel.
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The best method is to set up a base of several cinderblocks, which will raise your rain barrel a little bit higher off the ground. You just want to be sure that you have it level, so that it provides a secure base for the rain barrel.
Thanks for the wonderful tips!! They have said for years, water will become like gold!! Let’s start early collecting our own gold!! I’ve sold green homes with no city or well supplied water- only cloud juice or rain for water. I long for a net zero home with rainwater collection!!! My dream home!
I receantly added a rain barrel & have attached a drip hose to it. My problem is that I can’t seem to get enough pressure for the water to drip out the hose. My guess is that I’m using the wrong kind of hose.
What kind of hose works best where you don’t have pressure, only gravity to get flow?
I love this topic. I’ve been pondering this for the last few years after reading an article in the paper about Honda building an all “green” building in the Portland, OR area in which they harvest the rain water for things like irrigation.
I own a plot on a river that I plan to build on and was contemplating not only collecting rain water but also pulling water from the river with a pool pump and sand filter and filling a series of tanks. To get around the low pressure dilemma I was considering trying to supplement the pressure with a pump and pressure switch set to around 50psi. I imagine the energy consumption would be negligible. Anybody have any comments?
Does anyone know of a City of Los Angeles program to help provide equipment and installation of downspout diverters and rain barrels at no charge to local residents? I heard a news story about it on my local NPR station but I can’t find any info.
I figured out my problem. The drip hose that I attached to my rain barrel had a flow restricter washer in it. As soon as I removed that I was able to get good flow with just the gravity pressure of the barrel.
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Thanks for coming back and giving us the update!
Very informative topic! I have modified 4 55 gallon heavy duty plastic barrels with spigots, 2.5″ overflow pipes. There were blue when I got them (free of course) and I painted them a tan/cedar color to match my new compostie deck material. I use the water for plants and now washing my vehicles. I’ve expanded the concept to my occupation as a Facility Manager and added four 3500 gallon tanks underground on a new green building. The water will be used to supplement the landscaping sprinkler system and grey water to bathroms (Toliets).
I have had birdbaths, watergardens, blocked gutters and soggy areas in my yard many times over the years — and I’m working on setting up my rain barrels now — yay! I’ve dealt with standing water quite a bit, and I’ve tried lots of different mosquito control products. Yep, goldfish work great, but sometimes they are not practical for your location.
The BEST MOSQUITO control I have found that works consistently over all these years?? A mosquito’s worst nightmare? Think natural! This solution works better than anything else I’ve EVER tried before!
Go to your local gardening store, home improvement shop or even Wally-world, and buy a pack of “Mosquito Control Rings.” They look like little gray donuts under shrink wrap attached to cardboard, and they’re usually tucked in among all the insecticides.
The rings come in packs of six or two or similiar amonts and will last for weeks!! The rings do not harm birds, plants, fish, pets, kids or any other creature that might come into contact with them… and I’ve never seen them harm any surfaces, but they sure go to work on mosquito larvae!! A “six-pack” will last you quite a while, and they overwinter easily here in the chilly Midwest (central Indiana). Please look into buying some of these cheap mosquito controls… they also work wonderfully in gutters (tied to a screw), old tires, or anywhere else you might find standing water.
What are the rings? They are a dried, crumbly “biscuit” that “comes alive” when immersed in water. The rings are actually a naturally occurring bacterium — Bt ‘Israelensis’ — which thrives on mosquito larvae. They release slowly over time, and although the package says to replace them every month, I’ve found ONE ring can keep a small pond mosquito free for 6-8 weeks.
If you have slow-moving streams you can tie a ring or two to a tree or a stake so they don’t float away. And, for smaller places — like a birdbath — I break a ring in two and just toss half or a quarter of the ring in at a time.
Seriously, look into buying some of these for your rain barrels. I’m not at all concerned about mosquitoes in our area any more. I live in central Indiana, and we’ve had our share of West Nile and the like, but this bacteria stuff is wonderful!
Good luck!
Want more info? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis_israelensis
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Thanks for your comment.
You can also purchase these mosquito dunks (or bits) online:
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/mosquito1.html
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/mosquitodunks.html
I am looking to build one myself and I would like to know where people are getting their barrels for cheap. I don’t really want to go buy a barrel for $30-50 (then have to buy the hardware) when I can get the pre-made ones for a little more. I noticed Super Mann got his for free… where? I’ve looked at livestock feed stores, hardware stores, etc. but they are all fairly expensive. Ideas?
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You can go to local restaurants and ask them if they have any empty food barrels that they want to get rid of.
You can also see if there are any local soda bottling plants nearby that might have barrels to get rid of.
Any other suggestions, anyone?
I’ve got a wooden 55-gallon wine barrel converted into a rain barrel. The bung hole on the barrel has a threaded plastic insert with a 1 3/4″ plug. I would like to find a 4 to 5 inch long copper spout with a threaded base that I could screw into the plastic insert in the barrel’s bung hole that would allow the rain water to exit the barrel when it reaches the level of the bung hole. Anyone ever heard of such a thing as a copper spout like this?
We have a rain barrel in Minnesota. Is it best to disconnect in winter time and drdrain out barrel so water doesn’t freeze and probably crack the barrel?
I have used rainbarrels for three years, now. I use the water for my flowers (although using it for washing my car seems like a great idea). In order to keep the odor and algae down, I use one quarter cup of chlorine bleach in each 55 gallon barrel. Far less than is used in our drinking water from the water works. Works like a charm! And, no flower has died. Don’t use it for my veggies, though.
Also, my barrels came with screen-covered holes in the screw-off top. Didn’t work very well. The screen easily detached from the top to which they were glued. There was also a screw-off ring on the top that held the whole thing together. I cut some plastic screening and glued it onto the inside of that ring. This summer, no vegetation, buggies, etc. entered my waterbarrels. Watered my flowers all summer without turning on the house water.
The main reason I bought the things was to stop seepage into my basement. They really worked! I have the driest basement in the county. After the curtain drains, French trenches, etc. this low-tech solution is perfect.
I started collecting rain to stop seepage into my basement too. I got a 4′ x 4′ x 4′ farm/industrial barrel that sits on a 2×4 frame under my downspout. In the summer I watered the garden with it, but now that Portland’s rainy winters are here, I ran a line into the basement and connected it to my washing machine! Now when the machine uses cold water, it draws from the rainwater catchment.
My next project is to get the toilet to flush with rainwater from a second barrel on the other side of the house. I’m halfway there; I’ll let you know how it turns out.
once i collect the water how do i get it to my garden? i want to setup a soaker hose system from a water barrel to my vegetable and flower beds. all the adds i see for soaker hose’s list a psi requirement for the soaker hose. are there specific soaker hoses designed to work off the water pressure coming from the rain barrel?