Begin by purchasing a 55 gallon barrel, preferably one that is new or a recycled barrel that was previously used for food storage. You must start with a clean barrel and one that is free of chemicals so your rain water will not become polluted. Place the rainwater barrel on a stand or elevated level surface directly below you downspout. The rainbarrel should be elevated at least 12 inches off of the ground. This will enable you to access water with a bucket and the water will flow down better with a little help from gravity. Having a barrel that is not level will later become a big problem once your rain water barrel is full.

Next you will then need to drill a 6 inch hole at the top of the barrel which will also need to be screen off to prevent debris and insects from getting into the barrel. Any screen will do, you only want water to be able to pass through. Next use a 29/32 inch drill bit to make one hole on the side of the barrel towards the top which will serve as an overflow and one towards the bottom which will hold the faucet. Use a threaded hose adapter and place the threaded portion in the upper hole. Attach a hose to this adapter to direct the excess rain water away from your home. Use a threaded faucet and place that into the bottom hole. You can then add a hose to this faucet or use it just like this to dispense the water into a bucket. Make sure you test your installations to see if they are leaking. You may need to use a little caulking or sealant to seal any holes where water can pass through.

Now all you have to do is cut the downspout and use an elbow to direct the water directly into your barrel. This will ensure that the rain ends up in the barrel and not pooled around the foundation of your home. If water does begin to pool around your home it could later cause major structural damage. This is also why an overflow hose is necessary to divert the water away from any structures. At this point, you now have the option to attach other rainwater barrels to this one and you can double or triple the amount of water you can collect.

As you can see, learning how to build a rain water barrel is fairly simple. If you don’t feel comfortable with these few steps you can always purchase a rain barrel kit. The kits come with everything you need except for a base or stand. You can easily build a rain barrel stand from concrete blocks or retaining wall blocks. Use a little bit of mortar to ensure that the blocks cannot move or shift under the weight of the barrel once it is full of rain water. Kits and supplies needed are typically found at garden centers or hardware stores. Harvesting rainwater with rain water barrels is easy and inexpensive. Never drink the water in your rain water barrel or use it for cooking or indoor cleaning. A water purifier will need to be installed before the water is safe for consumption.

* Image by: Carol Doss, UTRR

Mosquitoes thrive in water that has been standing still for a long period of time.  Wooden or plastic rainwater barrels that do not see much action are an ideal place for mosquitoes to lay eggs or larvae.  Mosquitoes will multiply at an amazing rate.  So if you see a few mosquitoes taking root in your water barrel don’t just smack them away.  A small mosquito problem can quickly become enormous.  So how do you prevent or stop a mosquito infestation in your rainbarrels?

Screen or Filter
Start by trying to cover your intake area.  A piece of child proof-screen screen is an inexpensive and effective way to keep debris and pests out of your rain water barrels.  Believe it or not, even a pair of panty hose could do the trick.  Either way you go, make sure that you secure the filter tightly to your barrel opening.  Mosquitoes can penetrate the smallest of holes so you will need to check your filter for damage periodically.

Chemical Larvicides or Mosquito Dunks
Mosquito dunks or donuts are made from chemical larvicides.  This is a chemical solution that helps eliminate and prevent mosquitoes from making your water barrel their new home.  These can be found at your local garden center store and are fairly easy to apply.  Dunks are used frequently but there are still those people who shy away from adding chemicals to water that will later be used on their vegetable garden or fruit trees.

Goldfish
Adding a goldfish to your rain barrels is probably the most natural way of getting rid of a mosquito population.  This may sound a little crazy but it is very true.  Goldfish love to eat mosquitoes as well as their larvae.  Goldfish also provide a benefit to the soil in your garden.  Goldfish excrement is filled with ammonia which produces nitrogen.  Nitrogen is very helpful in plant growth.  Remember to leave an opening so your goldfish can get air and food.  How else is he to have access to all those mosquitoes?  Please keep an eye out for the little guy when you are accessing your water.  If he happens to end up in your bucket just gently put him back into the rainwater barrel and let him do his magical work.

* Rain barrel illustration by Annie Bissett, This Old House magazine

Supplies Needed
Rain barrel – 55 gallon or larger
Vinyl hose – to access water
PVC coupling – to attach hose
Screen grate – to keep out bugs and small creatures

The assembly of these few supplies is simple and can be found on the internet.  The barrel is then placed directly under one of the gutters on your home.  You can access the water easily for watering plants or even to wash your car.  Rainwater is clean and chemical free which makes it ideal for growing a vegetable garden and fruit trees.  Please understand that water from rain barrels is not recommended for drinking.  It is estimated that households can easily save around 1,300 gallons of rainwater during a rainy season.  This is especially helpful for areas that deal with long periods of drought.

You can find the supplies listed above at any hardware store or garden center.  The cost is minimal to get it started but the rewards are numerous.  If you live in an area that sees an abundance of rainfall at certain times of the year, you may want to set up numerous rainbarrels and save even more water.  Many communities are offering resources to people who are interested in setting up a rainwater barrel water conservation system.  There are also many online resources on how to build and maintain a good water harvesting system.

There are other types of rain water harvesting systems on the market.  Some will require very little upkeep.  Others require more equipment and maintenance.  Be sure you know what is involved in the project as well as what it will take to maintain its function and quality.

How much rain can you harvest with a water barrel? For every inch of rain that lands on an area of 1,000 square feet, you can collect about 600 gallons of water. So if your home is 2,000 square feet, you can trap approximately 1200 gallons of rainwater. Calculating the amount of water you could conserve is very important when determining the size and amount of rain barrels you should purchase.

Rain water barrels can be fitted with spouts so you can access the water manually or you can set up as an irrigation system that distributes the water directly from the rainbarrels to your planters or garden. An irrigation system using rain water will of course be more complicating to set up but will definitely make more use of that valuable rain water.

When choosing which plants you should use for your planters or landscaping, it is important to look for plants that have naturally adapted to the climate in which you live. These plants will fair better to all types of weather including droughts or excessive rain. In your search, you should be looking for low maintenance plants that require very little water. Plants that are liked by the local wildlife and organisms are essential because they will resolve their own pest issues without the need for pesticides.

A vegetable garden is probably by far the greenest type of garden you could create. Eating fruits and vegetables that are locally grown help your family as well as the planet in numerous ways. First of all, you never know how fruits and vegetables were grown prior to them arriving at your grocery store. Were pesticides involved? Were they grown in nutrient rich soil? Have chemicals been added to them to preserve their quality? How much gas and pollution do you think was involved in getting these items to your grocery store? These are just a few things to consider when deciding if a home garden is the right way to go for you and your family. It will take more maintenance but the rewards are endless.

Every eco friendly project you take on is a good example for your children. Preserving water with rainwater barrels and using that water to grow your own fruits and vegetables is probably going to impact their lives greatly. It will impact their health as well. Fresh is always best!

Step #2
•    Now back to the top of the rainwater barrel, take a hose adapter and twist the threaded side in the ¾ inch hole.
•    Wrap plumbers tape tightly around the threads of the faucet and be sure the threads are adequately covered. Alternatively you could use common plumbing supplies such as adhesive caulks or waterproof sealants.
•    Twist in the taped end of the facet into the ¾ inch hold at the bottom of the plastic rain barrel.

Step #3
•    At the top of the rainbarrel, cover the six inch hole with a louvered screen to filter debris from the downspout. Install screen side down and louver side up.
•    Place a hose in the hose adapter at the top of the barrel which will help redirect water overflow away from property.
•    Under your homes’s downspout, place two concrete block to make your rainwater barrel stand.
•    With a saw, trim adjust your downspout height to about four inches above the top of the barrel. Install a simple elbow unit and make any necessary miscellaneous adjustments to the spout or stand.
•    Attach a water hose to the faucet to use for compost, landscaping, or garden irrigation.
•    Tada! You made your first rainwater barrel. Harvesting rain water and conserving our natural resources is simple and rewarding.

Water barrels are an inexpensive way of using our planet’s most abundant natural resource. Water harvesting is seeing a boost in popularity due to a recent surge in the use of eco friendly alternatives. Rainwater barrels can be small, simple installations. They can also be massive, complex systems that use pumps and barrels to trap and store rain water directly from the down spouts of your home.

The most important step in determining if a rain barrel system will work for your home is to find out the type of roofing material used on your home. Some roofing materials contain toxins that will contaminate the water in the barrels. Materials like cedar shakes that have been treated, asbestos shingles, and even tar or gravel can cause problems for your water barrel system.

Next, the area directly below your gutters must be prepped. You will need a flat and level surface for your barrels. This step is crucial because once a water barrel is full, it is almost impossible to relocate. Deciding on the size and type of barrel you will need is simple, this solely depends on the amount of rain in your area and how much of that rainwater you wish to harvest.

Rain barrels come in many different sizes and shapes. For best results, use plastic barrels that are clean and sturdy. Food grade barrels are perfect because they usually come with UV protection. Other types of barrels can be used but must be watertight and rust proof. Harvested water is not made for drinking but if you plan to water a vegetable garden or fruit trees, it is essential for the water to be clean and toxin free.

Rain water barrels have changed the lives of many people in areas with little rain fall or long droughts. The water barrel technology is so simple it can be easily installed and maintained. Supplies cost very little and can be found locally as well as online. Many home improvement or gardening stores have them so you can definitely shop around and compare prices. Rainwater barrels are a perfect family project where children can have a hands-on experience in how a small ingenious system can reap so many benefits and rewards.

*  Image Credit: Low Impact Development Center