The Benefits of Rain Barrels
Collecting rainwater can be of great help to do so, one can use rain barrels. Rain barrels are containers that capture and stores rainwater from your rooftop. These barrels come in various shapes and size and is capable of storing 50 to 80 gallons of water, it also comes with a spigot that fills the watering cans. It is an excellent way of conserving water if you combine it with appropriate plant selection. Your home, garden, as well as the community as a whole, is benefitted from rain barrels. However, there are a few specific benefits, and they are as follows:
MONEY SAVER
Since rain barrels help store a lot of water, many homeowners save money on their water bills. Right from the garden to lawn irrigation, homeowners need gallons of water to make their plants survive the heat during summers, and by using rain barrels, they can save up to 1300 gallons of water during such seasons. You can further connect multiple barrels at the same time to capture rainwater. With rain barrels you no longer need to be dependent on the city’s water supply as it provides you with a free water source for irrigation.
HEALTHY PLANTS AS WELL AS SOIL
Tap water contains various inorganic ions and fluoride compounds that accumulate a lot of soil over time, which in turn harms the plant roots and micro-organisms present in the ground. But there is no such additives in rainwater like tap water. Hence, this helps the plants in your garden to grow as it cleans the salt build-up in the soil, it is very beneficial to plants as it provides them an apt environment that promotes root development.
REDUCES RUNOFF
Rain barrels are a great way to reduce the flow of storm runoff. During rain, runoff tends to pick up all the dirt, soil, oil, pesticide, and other toxic materials from hard surfaces to landscapes. Storm runoff doesn’t get treated and hence directly flow into streams, lakes and other freshwater bodies. This increases algae growth and endangers aquatic life. Furthermore, a lot of people go scuba diving as well as other recreational water activities in these waterbodies, growth of bacteria and algae risks their lives as well. Rain barrels on the other hand, stores water that would have swept from a hard surface to landscape, thereby minimizing runoff pollutants.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Now that you understand the significant benefits of a rain barrel, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Make sure that your rain barrel has a proper screen that separates debris out from the water. Furthermore, ensure that your barrel is appropriately covered and has a tight connection, which further prevents all sorts of mosquito breeding and algae buildups. In case you are concerned about roof contaminants, then it is recommended that you must empty the first collected rainwater. Also, do not use a rain barrel if your roof contains asbestos.
Lastly, your garden plants and soil can love rainwater, but it is not suitable for human consumption. So do keep that in mind.