Rain Barrels

By Aaren Mathison

Conservation Technician

A rain barrel is a rainwater collection system that stores rooftop runoff for watering lawns and gardens. When rainwater falls on a roof, it flows into gutters and downspouts and then either soaks into the surrounding soil or runs into the street. Water that enters streets and storm drains is called stormwater. Excess stormwater can carry a wide variety of pollutants, including gasoline, motor oil, heavy metals, trash, and fertilizers and pesticides from urban lawns.

Rain barrels are typically positioned at the bottom of gutter downspouts, where they collect water from an impervious surface (your roof) at the source – before it has a chance to pick up additional pollutants from streets or parking lots and carry them to streams and rivers. Rain barrels can also be paired with a well-designed rain garden, allowing overflow to drain into the garden and further reduce runoff volume and contaminants entering local waterways.

The Fillmore Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) offers an EZ-2-Assemble Rain Barrel Kit for $40 through our tree order form (included in this newspaper insert) or for purchase at our office year-round. Barrels can be painted or decorated as desired. Most commercially available rain barrel systems cost two to three times more than the SWCD option. We can also help design custom rainwater collection systems to fit your needs. Systems have been designed for homes, schools, cemeteries, and businesses, including installations using multiple 275-gallon containers connected in series to store water for community gardens.

Many homeowners find themselves dragging long garden hoses or carrying multiple watering cans to reach their gardens. Have you ever considered collecting rainwater from a garden shed located nearby? In just a one-inch rainfall, a common garden shed (8 feet by 10 feet) can collect enough water to fill a 55-gallon rain barrel. Having this water source right next to the garden is both efficient and convenient.

If you are interested in a rain barrel or would like a custom-designed setup, please let us know. We provide technical assistance for designing rain barrel systems and rain gardens. My email is aaren.mathison@fillmoreswcd.org; our office number is (507) 887-0240.