Thought you already recycled everything? Start recycling water by capturing and using the rain water that falls on your house with a water catcher or rain barrel. Catching your water reduces local flooding and improves the quality of nearby bodies of water, which are easily polluted by rain runoff. Rain barrels catch the water from your gutters so that you can use it for flushing your toilet, washing your car, home, garden tools, or watering your lawn, garden and houseplants. Most domestic water is “softened” with chemicals and bad for plants because it contains dissolved salts, but rain water is naturally soft, and free of dissolved minerals, so plants thrive in it. The water is still non-potable though, so do not drink it.
Ready-made rain barrels range from $89 to $135 each depending on size, style and added features. Ask for them at your local home and garden supply store, garden center, nursery, or hardware store. You can also use buckets and barrels that you have on hand to make your own. Just make sure the barrel is closed so that no mosquitoes can get in and lay eggs, or be sure to empty the barrel every seven days. Using larger barrels with spouts, or even several barrels in a series, lets you collect and use a lot more water. This is an especially good idea if you live in a drought-prone area!
Did you know that stormwater runoff is the leading type of residential non-point source pollution according to the
U.S. EPA?
Runoff can cause erosion, plus carry fertilizers, pesticides and other
chemicals into streams where they are very damaging. The EPA and many other organizations encourage the use of rain barrels
to help manage peak storm runoff.
Did you know that, according to the EPA, a rain barrel can
save approximately 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer month?
In a world that
is increasingly facing water shortages, you can do your part by saving what you can, and reducing how much water you use in
your home.
