What Is a Rain Barrel?

What a catch

Rain barrels offer rural and city dwellers perhaps the best opportunity to make the most of one of nature's best bargains - pure, soft, rain water. A rain barrel is a system designed to collect and store the rain water from your roof which is normally diverted to storm drains, lost to evaporation, or restricted to the immediate ground area under your downspout.

How it works

The most basic rain barrel setup requires a storage tank (rain barrel), a secure lid, a basket strainer or screen, and a spigot or drain valve. Water flows off of the roof into the gutter, then enters the downspout and pours through the basket strainer attached to the lid of the water barrel. Collected rainwater can then be retrieved directly from the spigot at the bottom of the rain water barrel, or a garden hose can be attached by which the water can be directed to the desired location. Rain barrels are highly effective. During a normal rainfall season, an average-size roof may harvest up to 2,000 gallons of water.

RTS Flat Back 50 Gallon Rain Barrel - Tan

Multi-purpose

Roof-harvested rainwater is free and can be used for just about many purposes from watering gardens to washing cars. By using a system of micro filters, chlorine, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet purification, rooftop run-off water can even be rendered drinkable. However, it's always best to seek professional advice before attempting to purify your own drinking water.

Start now

Although the most common plastic rain barrel size is 55 gallons, residential storage units range from small 15 gallon models to larger commercial sizes designed to hold up to 1,000 gallons. Some modular cisterns designed for larger agricultural and industrial operations have even greater storage capacities. Getting started with your own rain harvesting system is easy. You can begin by visiting any of the following convenient locations: