Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood
Rainwater Resource Recycling
Demonstration Project

Rain Barrels

Rainbarrel Definition:

Barrel used to collect and store rain water from a roof downspout.

Advantages:

• Watering lawns and gardens can account for 40% of household water use in summer. Using water collected and stored in rain barrels helps decrease demand during the summer months.
• Because water collected from rooftop runoff contains no chlorine, lime or calcium and typically also has fewer sediments and dissolved salts than municipal water it is ideal for uses such as:
  • watering gardens and flower pots
  • washing cars and windows
  • topping off ponds and pools.
• Saving water in this manner saves money by lowering your monthly water bills.
• Rain water diversion also helps decrease the negative impact of excessive runoff to streams and lakes.

Rain Barrel Sources

Ready-made rain barrels are available from several web sites, including (listing does not constitute endorsement):

• www.composters.com
• www.gardeners.com
• www.sprucecreekrainsaver.com
• www.urbangardencenter.com/products/rainbarrel/index.html

You can also make your own rain barrel from any used food grade barrel. Some websites that offer guidance on making your own rain barrels include:

• http://www.epa.gov/region3/p2/make-rainbarrel.pdf
• http://www.thegreenguide.org/article/diy/rain
• http://www.townofcary.org/depts/pwdept/water/waterconservation/rainbarrelinstructions.pdf
• http://home.comcast.net/~leavesdance/rainbarrels/myproject.html

Installation

• For pre-assembled rain barrels: simply adjust downspout to desired length, attach a downspout adapter to the downspout, and direct the downspout adapter into your rain barrel. Raising the rain barrel by placing it on several patio blocks will make it easier to obtain water from the barrel.
• Rules of thumb to determine how many barrels to use:
  • 1 inch of rain on a 1000 sq ft roof yields 623 gallons of water. Calculate the yield of your roof by multiplying the square footage of your roof by 623 and divide by 1000.
  • 1/4 inch of rainfall runoff from an average roof will completely fill an average barrel.
  • One barrel saves most homeowners about 1,300 gallons of water per summer.

Typical Costs

Ready made barrels range from $60-$325

Mosquitoes

If you are concerned about mosquitoes breeding in your rain barrel, add mosquito dunks or mosquito granules to your rain barrel. These products contain Bt, bacteria that will kill mosquito larvae but will not harm fish or plants. Additionally, using a fully enclosed barrel, a mesh screen, or a plastic lid will prevent any mosquito eggs that hatch in the barrel from leaving the barrel.

Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Rain Barrel Demonstration Sites (see walking tour link for map)

• 1219 8th Street S.E.
• 415 11th Avenue S.E.
• 509 5th Street S.E.
• 522 3rd Ave. S.E.
• 706 14th Avenue S.E.
• 623 14th Avenue S.E.
• 515 7th Ave. S.E.
• 1229 7th St. S.E.

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