Rain Barrel Saves Money

Water barrels are a great way to conserve water, especially in more arid regions. Access to water is going to be a big, big global issue in the coming years and decades. Learning to conserve now and making it a habit can help make it less painful down the road for a lot of people. I don't normally advocate breaking the law, but be aware that there are a few places (some Colorado towns and other places) that actually ban the use of water barrels. The rationale for it makes no sense, since the water saved in barrels is used to water gardens and so goes eventually back into the groundwater. Anyway, if you can, get or make a water barrel or two. Saves you money and is good for the planet. Win-win.

 

I have five of them, at almost every corner of the roof draining system, where the pipes end. I collect a lot of water with every rain, it can be enough even for one week of gardening. I invested a bit in them, but it became a profitable investment since the next month. The only bad part is that you have to carry the water yourself. But a little exercise won't hurt anyone.

 

I need to tell my family to stop giving away those giant gallon buckets and to start using it for watering plants during the rainy season. I remember having this huge container of rainwater that we never touched. Eventually my parents got rid of it somehow, but I know they didn't water the plants with it, it was such a waste!

 

We are going on paid water over the next year so I will be investing in a few rain barrels for sure. Can you put two beside each other off of the same downspout? I only have one downspout in a spot that I can fit a barrel under.

 

Yes! So, very very true. And not only about it saving money (which it does), it is respecting and working with Earth's resources so much smarter. I mean, really...here you are being given water for free, in effect. And yes, water is going to be named a scarce resource in a number of years...from municipal sources but not from Earth sources. Rain is one of them (if you live in an area with good rain of course). There is always a way though ~

 

I wish I could do this but I live in an apartment complex which doesnt allow any thing in the balconies other than some plants and a bikes if you have them. Does anyone know any ways to save water from an apartment? Do they make some sort of water saving system for smaller areas?

 

This is what my friend has done. When he cut his downspout off he saved the piece to hook it back up in the winter time. I talked to him today after seeing this thread. The important part would be to have a lid to keep the squiters from breeding.

 

I am hoping to be able to get one to use this summer. I may have to make one myself or at least just use a trash can to catch the rain. Then just scoop the water out with a garden watering can to water my flower beds with.

 

The reason why some towns ban rain barrels is because people hoard water and it's not getting where it needs to go. A lot of people have been arrested for water hoarding. People don't realize that we're facing a severe water shortage. We take it for granted, wasting it on useless things like watering the lawn, washing cars, etc. There are areas in the U.S. in a permanent state of drought. Even the states further north are starting to experience it.

 

Can anyone recommend a good rain barrel?

 

We have not started saving the rain water all though I would like to. I am a little concerned with the bugs the water my bring if it is not covered.

 

Oh, yah! We use a variation of this in our garden with multiple buckets!

It really helps when you are trying to save on that gigantic payment. Most gardeners however, are willing to pay the extra bucks to keep their gardens healthy and hydrated.

 

This is truly such a great idea but I also recommend having some sort of covering over the barrel until you know its going to rain. I say this because if you leave it open all the time mosquitos lay eggs on the top layer of water and you have more of a mosquito annoyance in your yard. If you have a small yard like I do it will drive you nuts! When I started covering my buckets of rain water until I knew rain was coming it made all the difference for us!

 

I believe where I live that this is actually illegal, the water company has lobbied to get it that way. I really don't think this is being enforced, especially with the lackluster service from the police, but it's illegal nonetheless. I do planning on setting a few up, but the big problem is, there just isn't any rain around here.

 

Saving rainwater

I live in Florida where we have plenty of water. One of my aunts always had a rain barrel, I thought it was strange because she had two good wells, one of which had a pitcher pump. then one day I realized that she used it to shampoo her hair. I lived in East Tennessee for awhile and many people with homes at higher elevations have cisterns to collect rain water off their roofs. It beats drilling over a thousand feet for water. I blog at tomsbackporch.blogspot.com about varous topics including alternative energy.

 

I have always wanted rainbarrels and i've been too cheap to purchase them. I know that sounds like an oxymoron. I think they are very helpful in the garden during the Summer/ Spring. The good thing about water barrels is that rainwater helps plants grow better because they do not contain any chemicals.

 

Cheap Barrels

Here in Florida plastic 50 gallon barrels made for the concentrated Orange Juice industry can frequently be bought cheaply. Also, plastic garbage cans will work.

 

Rain barrels don't actually save people that much money. Water is just so cheap that watering a garden will cost almost nothing. Sure, it does help the world in that we won't be using that much water, but the difference between watering your garden once versus watering through a rain barrel will save you maybe a quarter. That's why a lot of people don't buy rain barrels.