By Guest Author Harold A. Manger, Ph D 

A rain barrel, in theory, is a simple, green concept: catch and store rainwater by diverting the water into a rain barrel for use during dry spells. It is free water. Unlike treated or well water there are no chemical additives which can be harmful to plants. And collecting and re-using rainwater reduces run-off and unsightly, soggy lawns.

This sounds great. What’s not to like?

Working through the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin my wife and I purchased one ninety dollar 60 gallon rain barrel complete with a brass ¾ inch bottom spigot; a 1 ½ inch diameter, eight foot overflow hose; two compression fittings; a 1 ½ inch elbow to connect the overflow hose to one of the fittings; a plug for the second fitting when the barrel is not linked to a second barrel (our situation); and an easy to clean screen that catches all roof debris while preventing the infestation of mosquitoes. The rain barrel is made from recycled shipping drums first used as food export containers. Designed to hold liquids and made of food grade UV-stable plastic, each drum has a removable lid for cleaning.

This too sounds great. What’s not to like?

The foundation upon which the rain barrel sits must be level and filled with sand or gravel. Then the barrel has to be elevated using concrete tiles or cinder blocks, all of which had to be purchased at extra cost. The higher the elevation, the quicker the flow of water out the spigot. When full, a rain barrel weighs 500 pounds but when empty it can be dislodged by wind. So, the rain barrel has to be secured to the house. Where we live winters can be cold. Water left outside will freeze causing damage to the rain barrel. Therefore the installation cannot be permanent. The section of drain pipe which has to be removed to allow rainwater to flow into the rain barrel during warmer months has to be re-installed for the colder months. The rain barrel has to be cleaned and put in winter storage. This is a lot of work! 

We live in a subdivision with a homeowner’s association. What’s not to like about this?  Approval by the homeowner’s architectural control commission.

The rain barrel is now installed. What’s not to like about this?  The first rain.

After just a brief shower the rain barrel is half full. We now realize the impact of the rainfall calculator rule of thumb: one inch of rainfall on a 1,000 square foot roof will yield 623 gallons of water. In a rainstorm our 60 gallon rain barrel will be the proverbial drop in the bucket. The overflow hose will carry most of the rainwater to our once again unsightly, soggy lawn.