Use of rain barrels in rain water harvesting

01/21/09

Rain barrels are containers used to collect as well as store rain water for later use. The primary use of the collected rain water can be for gardening (which accounts for 40% of the total water used by any household), washing cars, in washing machines and in exceptional circumstances after proper filtering for drinking as well. The rain water collected through these barrels would otherwise be lost to run offs and diverted to storm drains and streams. With the use of rain barrels not only would you be conserving the environment but also saving your money.

The design of a rain barrel is simple yet efficient. It comprises of 20 to 100 Gallon Tank, a vinyl hose, PVC couplings and a screen to keep insects and other debris out. It has to be kept in a convenient location under a gutter where the rain Water can be drained into it easily.

A rain barrel is easily available in many shapes and sizes. People lacking handy skills would prefer a barrel with minimum installation. Due to various designs, brands, material used and capacity the price of a rain barrel is varied. It is advisable to check out various models which are available in the market or through gardening catalogues before ordering it. Use of different materials such as wood or plastic etc would alter the cost substantially. Heavy duty material is preferable for longer life as well as efficiency though the price might be higher. Rain barrels are available online through various sellers. The price of a rain barrel ranges from a $100 to $350.

With an efficiency of 70 to 90% rain barrels are very useful. 600 gallons of water can be collected from an area of 1000 Sq feet for every inch of rain. The placement of rain barrels can also vary efficiency and thus is important. It should be placed in such a location so that transfer for use in gardens etc, is easily possible. It should also have a heavy duty overflow pipe which drains water away from the building when there is heavy rain.

Rain barrels is one of the primary techniques to conserve water at the household levels which is necessary in the present environment conscious times. Water usage for non potable purposes accounts for the larger part of the usage for which rain water collected through these barrels can be used. The use of these barrels sufficiently reduces demand of tap water and pressure on the water table. Use of rain water is preferred for gardening over tap water as it is devoid of chemicals found in normal water supply which is harmful for plants.

On a preliminary comparison of home made over purchased rain barrels, it is easily observed that purchased rain barrels are more efficient. Primarily it should be stated that a rain water barrel requires more than a barrel too work. An estimated cost for a constructed rain barrel is around $120 while the same can be bought for approximately $200. Comparing the efficiency of a professionally made barrel with a homemade one would be imprudent as the increased efficiency of a purchased barrel would be obvious. There could be problems in making of a barrel by hand which could decrease efficiency. Also, after factoring the cost of tools required for constructing a barrel the cost increases and thus it can be settled that purchasing an easily available barrel is beneficial. The advantages of purchasing ready made rain barrels over building one which could be a cumbersome task has been emphasized and should be preferred according to this author.