Rain Barrels and Rain Barrel Cisterns

5 Reasons You Should Install One

* Cisterns and Rain barrels reduce storm water runoff,
prevent flooding and help to reduce the peak discharge rate.

* Cisterns and Rain barrels save on water and sewer bills

* Cisterns and Rain barrels provide healthy, chemical-free
water for irrigation of lawns, gardens, and trees, car
washing, or other non-potable uses even during outdoor
watering bans.

* Rain barrels a * Public water systems experience lower
peak water demand and less stress on local water supplies.

In many communities, 30 to 50 percent of the total water
used is for irrigation. Capturing rainwater for use in you
landscaping makes efficient use of a valuable resource and
reduces demand on your local water supply.

A prolonged drought can cause the loss of many valuable
landscaping plants and prompt water rationing. Water
conservation and development of alternative water supplies
is necessary to meet the growing demand for fresh water.

Cisterns and Rain barrels create an alternative water
supply. They allow you to capture, divert, and store
rainwater for later use. They take up very little room and
so can be used in very dense urban areas.

Heavy rainfall can wash pathogens from contaminated soils,
farms, and streets into our drinking water supplies.
Capturing rainwater can also help to prevent flooding and
erosion, turning storm water problems into water supply
assets by slowing runoff and allowing it to soak into the
ground.

Reducing storm water runoff helps reduce contamination of
surface water with sediments, fertilizers, and pesticides.
Water Pollution can cause problems at a basic level by
killing life that lives in water-based ecosystems.

The most common approach to roof runoff storage involves
directing each downspout to a 55-gallon rain barrel. A hose
is attached to a faucet at the bottom of the barrel and
water is distributed by gravity pressure. Since rain
barrels rely on gravity flow, they should be placed near,
and slightly higher than, the point of use (whether a
garden, flower bed, or lawn.) The barrels should be high
enough to easily attach a garden hose to the spigot.

A plastic or metal garbage can is easily converted to a
rain barrel by attaching a spigot and hose. To filter out
leaves and debris, install a removable screen at the
opening. This also will help prevent mosquito and algae
growth. You can also hook two or more rain barrels together
using through hull barbed fittings available at any marine
supply store. Seal the fitting with silicone and run a
section of garden hose from one barrel to the next.

A Cistern is a larger above or below ground water storage
system. A more sophisticated and effective approach is to
route multiple downspouts to a partially or fully buried
cistern with an electric pump for distribution. Cisterns
may be quite large, and shared by multiple households.
Stored rain water can be used for lawn irrigation,
vegetable and flower gardens, houseplants, car washing, and
washing windows.

How much rain you can catch:

Rain caught (gallons) = (inches of rain) x (0.6) x (portion
of building footprint in ft2)

For example, if your home's footprint is 1,400 ft2, and you
want to know the amount of water that comes from a ¼
inch of rainfall the equation would look like this:

Rain caught (gallons) = (0.25) x (0. 6) x (1,400) = 210
gallons.

However, remember that storage is limited to the capacity
of your system. If your rain barrel holds 50 gallons, then
160 gallons will be lost.

25th Feb 10