Wild Side: Save money with rainwater in a barrel

By JUDY HAESKE/For the News & Messenger
Published: June 14, 2008

I was wandering around the back yard last week during a soaking rain, umbrella in hand. Among the brightly colored azaleas and weigelia bushes stood two bright-orange rain barrels. In a former life, the 55-gallon barrels were used to store Turkish pickles.  During that particular rainstorm last week, they filled up with water in less than 10 minutes.

It didn't take long to decide to purchase the rain barrels after I found out how wonderful they can be during a drought — imagine 110 gallons of water in less than 10 minutes! Why pay to water the garden when you can store it yourself in a rain barrel?

Depending on the size of your house and the amount of rainfall, you can collect a substantial amount of rainwater to offset your water bill for the summer months.

For every inch of rain that falls on an area of 1,000 square feet (for example, your roof), you can expect to collect approximately 600 gallons of rainwater. Rainwater is naturally soft and devoid of minerals, chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals. That is great news for plants.

The obvious next question is this: where can I buy a rain barrel? Unfortunately, few retail sources are available in the Northern Virginia region. The most comprehensive location is the Internet. Prices and sizes vary greatly. Decide your needs and then research all options carefully. There are plenty of options out there.

Before you do make a purchase, consider these questions: What do you want to do with the rain-water (for example, how many plants do you have to water)? How many gallons of water do you want to store at once? Are you a do-it-yourself person and do you want to construct the rain barrel yourself, or would you prefer to purchase a rain barrel kit? How much money do you want to spend? Options range from a simple do-it-yourself kit for around $60 to more than $300 for a fancy plastic molded cistern. You will need a few tools and a little know-how on household gutters. Keep in mind your rain barrel endeavor may require a trip to the hardware store for gutter exten-sions or miscellaneous parts.

If you are a DIY'er, make sure it's a food-grade container that was made to hold liquid. Do not use a barrel that held car-wash solution in a former life. If it is toxic to you, your plants won't want to drink it, either.

The location of your rain barrel is also important. Make sure each rain barrel is elevated at least 12 inches and located on stable ground. When your rain barrel is at maximum capacity, it could weigh up to 500 pounds when full, depending on the size.

In Northern Virginia, it is recommended that rain barrels be disconnected in the winter since tem-peratures do fall below freezing. Constant freezing and thawing of the water in your rain barrel may weaken the material or cause cracks. Store your barrels upside down in the winter to keep them clean for future use.

A final bit of advice is to monitor the rain barrels for overflow. Part of the rain barrel system in-cludes a hose at the bottom of the barrel for run-off.  When the barrel is full, the water needs to go somewhere—the hose needs to be checked periodically for leaks or kinks. If the rain barrel over-flows, there is potential for drainage problems, similar to an unkempt gutter system.

The best time to check for rain barrel overflow is during a storm—perhaps with an umbrella in hand. If only I knew someone who owned a Turkish pickle factory, gardens everywhere in North-ern Virginia would stand in awe of their own orange barrels.

Classes on making your own rain barrel are offered across the Northern Virginia Region. Classes are usually limited to a small number of participants.

For additional information, e-mail us at . Visit ext.vt.edu or pwcgov.org/vce/enr for more program information.

Judy Haeske is a Master Gardener Volunteer with Virginia Cooperative Extension-Prince William and member of the Local Environmental Education Partners.