Benefits
of Using a Rain
Barrel
An obvious reason to harvest rainwater is to save
money. According to Master Gardener Paul James, the
average resident uses 40 percent of household water
in the yard during the summer.A rain barrel can minimize
the need for water from your city utility or well
by capturing rain water to use for your plants. This
can be especially helpful during the hot and often
dry summer months when the demand for water is at
its highest. Depending on the size of your house
and the amount of rainfall in your area, you can
collect a substantial amount of rainwater with a
simple system. This extra water can have a significant
impact on your water bill.
But,
perhaps the best
reason to use rain
water collected from
a barrel is the benefit
to the environment.
Rain water is fresh,
soft and low in salt
and chlorine - a
great way to nurish
the landscape. Even
if you live in a
rural area and have
your own well, the
fact that rainwater
is naturally soft
may be enough to
justify harvesting
rainwater. Even better,
the barrel captures
water, preventing
it from carrying
soil and polluntants
across the ground
(watershed) into
the sewer where it
impacts everyone's
water supply.
