Rainwater Harvesting With a Do-it-Yourself Water Barrel

Did you know that you could save money on your monthly water bill by capturing and storing water in a rain barrel? The easiest way to start using a rain barrel is by repurposing a 50-gallon drum or a 55-gallon drum. You can clean it out with a natural cleaner that will not hurt your plants when you water them later.

Using a rain barrel is a great way to reprocess the water that would otherwise flow through your gutter and deposit in the ground near your home. You can make a relatively inexpensive rain barrel by simply purchasing a 50-gallon plastic drum and adjusting your downspout to deposit into the barrel. That’s really all it takes. From there, you can use this captured rainwater to keep your garden healthy. Also, rainwater catchers are extremely helpful in emergency and disaster situations when a water supply can be limited or a water source is compromised by hazardous chemicals or waste. Most government sites recommend using a small, safe amount of bleach to keep the water you store safe to drink.

The only thing you should consider before going out and purchasing your new rain barrel is your city’s, county’s, and state’s laws regarding the legality of rainwater. Some states have limits on how much rainwater you can keep stored and some states, like Colorado for example, do not allow residents to collect or store rainwater without a specific type of exempt well permit. Make sure to check your local ordinances before purchasing a rain barrel.

After you have your rain barrel, check out HomElectrical’s quality barrel pumps to help you distribute the rainwater you have collected. Hand pumps work by utilizing human power and mechanical advantage to move the rain water up and out of the barrel. Commonly seen on wells, this is one of the most prevalent pieces of machinery in the world and have been found in every country in some form or fashion.