Keep your lawn green and your garden growing while helping the environment and saving money by simply installing a rain barrel. Designed to collect runoff water from your roof you no longer have to watch this precious commodity flow out of your downspouts and down the street.
With many aesthetic designs available, you can use the rain water you collect to water your lawn or your flower garden quickly and easily. You can even use the water for washing your car, your windows, or other outdoor chores which require the use of water. Most rain barrels connect to your garden hose, making it simple to use. Also, you can set your rain barrel up to slowly release the collected water to areas that will soak it up or save the collected water for the months when rain is scarce to help keep your lawn green and healthy.
Environmentally friendly, rain barrels not only help to reduce the amount of water wasted when it rains, they also help to lower the pollution caused by storm water runoff. This water often collects debris, bacteria, oil, grease, and more, contaminating our water supply. They also provide a zero energy source of non-potable water that can be used on your lawns, flower gardens, and washing your car. There is some debate on whether rain water collected in rain barrels should be used on edible plants, so make sure to do some research before watering your vegetable garden.
Rain barrels also help you to save money by reducing your use of water during the summer. 40% of residential water use in the summer is used on watering lawns and gardens. During the peak summer months, a rain barrel can save approximately 1300 gallons of water depending on your location and rainfall averages. Imagine what you could do with the extra money saved on your utility bill every summer. Save up for summer vacation, go out to dinner, buy a fun new gadget, or put some away for a rainy day.
Smart, sensible, and good-looking, water barrels are a great choice for any household. Not only are you saving money, helping the environment, and practicing good stewardship, you’re also teaching your children how to take care of their home and their planet.
