How to Make an Inexpensive Rain Barrel

A rain barrel is essentially just a large drum placed at the end of a home’s guttering downspouts to catch and store rainfall from the roof. The stored rainfall is then typically used to water plants, flowers, and grass to keep a home’s landscape healthy without putting extra strain on the diminishing potable water supply, especially during those hot and dry summer months. Aside from saving water, there are other benefits to using a rain barrel system. Rain barrels prevent run-off from potentially washing harmful chemicals and pesticides into local streams and rivers. They also help keep sewer systems from becoming overwhelmed trying to drain all the run-off from a big rain shower which can help to prevent flooding in poorly drained areas. These tips will show you how to set up your own simple and inexpensive rain barrel system.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 55-Gallon Drums
• Copper Faucets with Washers
• Screens or Drain Widgets
• Drill

Saving Water with an Inexpensive Rain Barrel

1. Get a 55-gallon plastic drum. Plastic is best because it will not rust. You can find a reconditioned food service barrel in the Yellow Pages of your local phonebook. Use food grade to ensure they drums never contained any harmful substances.

2. Drill a hole into the top of the barrel large enough to accommodate your downspout.

3. Drill a hole about two to three inches up from the bottom of the barrel large enough to house a copper water faucet. Use washers to set the faucet into the barrel. Make sure there is enough room to attach a hose to the faucet.

4. Drill a small hole about an inch or two down from the top of the barrel to serve as an overfill valve. You can also fill this hole with water hose segment and hose clamps to attach one rain barrel to another.

5. Fit a drain widget or screen into the top hole to keep leaves and debris from getting into your rain barrel.

6. Position the barrel so that the downspout will drain directly into the widget filling the drum. You may need to shorten your downspout with a saw to the appropriate length. Set the rain barrel up on concrete or wood blocks to make it more accessible.

7. Repeat the steps to make a rain barrel for each of your home's gutter downspouts.

8. Sit back and wait for the next rain shower. A quarter-inch of rain will typically yield about two hundred gallons of water.

Tips & Warnings

• You may want to purchase a few goldfish to live in your rain barrel to eat mosquito larvae and control the mosquito population.

• You should use a dark colored, opaque barrel to slow the growth of algae in your rain barrel.

Resources

• More Information on Making a Rain Barrel