Great Post Tracy..I have been thinking of the same thing..I will be anxious to see this post grow also.

Around here, recycled barrels are available for sale. We bought fifty-gallon barrels that once held liquid soap for less than ten dollars each.

Mine was a different project (greenhouse heat sink), but the hole at the bottom is essentially the same, you just need a spigot, we have hoses.
You can get fittings at Home Depot or Lowes. We made the holes with a drill and a hole cutter.
The trick is to get the inside part screwed on the outside part of the fitting -- I think it involved a piece of string, LOL.
Mine sit on stepping stone squares from the same place, with brick patches to make the platform long enough.

{{gwi:704261}}

We knew the barrels were clean, once we got the soap remnants washed out!

Nell

Here in Australia where we have had a drought for 12 years straight now, this is definitely a hot topic. There is a move to using the "wheelie bins" as rainwater tanks. I'm not sure if you have these same wheelie bins for your rubbish collections in the US but if so you may find this interesting.

I've cut and pasted an extract from an environment article I found online below"

"Local councils have old wheelie bins available with either broken wheels or lids, which make wonderful small tanks," he said.

"Place under a roof downpipe. Add a small, angled piece of mesh just under the downpipe to divert any leaf litter away from the tank. Drill a hole near the bottom of the bin large enough to install a standard hose connector and away you go."

Sounds like a smart way of providing relief for parched gardens.

Incidentally, another use we've seen for the older-style wheelie bins that have seen better days is as compost bins."

a cheap and easy option...

and here's a link to one of a number of companies here who make the whole thing..obviously you wouldn't want to ship this from Australia but there may be similar co's in the US. Or at least it gives you a picture of what I mean by wheelie bin in case it's not a familiar term to you!

http://www.enviro-friendly.com/grey-water-bowser.shtml

this is a very interesting post... i have been wanting these for years and was just going to beg to buy them. haha

I will have to look into these ideas.. cant wait to read more!

Traceyc- woudlnt you need to cover the barrels so that it doens get filled with mosquitoes?
or are they already covered?

Hi Friend

the wheelie bin is already covered - it has a lid on it and if you were making your own out of an old one, you could either seal it shut or use some kind of padlock. But the lid is designed to fit tight (to keep birds and animals from being to open them and get at the rubbish). If you look at the website link I included you can see the wheelie bin photos there which show the design with lid.

Do you all have rubbish bins like this for your garbage to be collected? The trucks are fitted with a prong which picks them up by the handle and empies them.

Hey Tracy...after looking at this thread and the website. I dida search on ebay. There is a very similar "kit" you can buy for 89 dollars plus shipping to convert a barrel you might have...plus shipping... I typed in Rain barrel kit

Tracy,
I went to a lecture on saving the Lynnhaven River, which is a watershead for the Chesapeake Bay, because they offered rain barrels for $40.00 each which included the price of the associated hardware.

Turned out the lecture was very interesting. I learned allot.

After the lecture those of use who were getting rain barrels received instruction on drilling the holes for the spigot and the overflow tube connection. We fitted the screw off lid with a screen using silicone calk. We also used the silicone calk to secure the spigot and overflow connection to the barrel. It was very easy to do. I was told these barrels only held foodstuffs (i.e. pickles and olives) so there was no fear of getting a barrel that may have held a chemical which could be bad for the garden and most anything else you use the water on. I could tell my barrel held pickles, the odor was definitely pickles, lol.

I suggest you call your local extension agent to see if they can direct you to a source for reasonably priced barrel. You can also try a local food service, i.e., U.S. Food Service, Sysco, ConAgra Foods.

{{gwi:704262}}

I chose this spot for the rain barrel because it is close to my deck and I want to use the collected water for the container plants on the deck. Also, the down spout was attached to runoff tubing that is buried underground along the sidewalk and goes under the sidewalk at the "L" and empties into the trench around the bed where the large nandina is. We cut the downspout and fitted it with a plastic accordian type connection we got at Home Depot. I can take a picture of the overflow tube which is on the other side of the barrel if you want me to. You must have an overflow tube. We had some heavy rain this spring and the overflow tube worked like a charm. On occassion I even had to bring the hose out into the yard or into a flower bed to keep the barrel from overflowing because there was more rain than the overflow tube could handle.

Now, do I like the rain barrel? Its okay. Its more work to water the deck plants than I realized. I used to just bring the hose up on the deck and get the job done in no time. There is not enough pressure from the rain barrel therefore, I must fill my watering can at the rain barrel and make several trips to the deck.

Whew! I'm sure this was way more information than you probably wanted. Hope you haven't dozed off and hit your head on the keyboard. Let me know if you want to see more pictures or have any questions.
Vikki

I have a question for those of you who obviously know what you are talking about on this topic! My husband is intereseted in this idea, but I was wondering how long the water could sit in the barrel before using it? I mean, is there any concern about things "growing" in the barrel like any type of bacteria? Here in California it rains all winter, but not at all other times of the year, and I don't think rain barrels would be worth it for us unless you could hold quite a bit for quite a long time.

Also, as far as using run-off water from your roof... Is that safe? We have a tar and gravel roof and I would worry what would be in the water as a result.

Thanks!

Catankgirl,
Good questions. I found the site at the link below that pretty much answers all your questions. I only use the water in my rain barrel to water my yard, flowerbeds, and containers.

We leave on vacation this Sunday and I see they recommend empting the rain barrel before you leave it unattended. I hadn't thought of that. We haven't had rain for about 2 weeks but no doubt as soon as we pull out of the driveway we'll have a deluge.

Hope the info helps you make a decision about installing a rain barrel.
Vikki

Here is a link that might be useful: Rain Barrel Guide

Gosh, Vikki, I'm envious that you were able to obtain rain barrels for $40 apiece. I paid $125 each for mine. It makes no sense that they cost so much.

Friend, about a teaspoon of bleach will kill off any mosquito larvae which might end up on the water's surface. Bleach breaks down within 24 hours, so it is not an environmental hazard whenn used in a rain barrel. Some folks use minnows to eat larvae. I know a woman who keeps minnows in her horse trough.

Tracyc, yes, we have that sort of trash/rubbish collection barrel in the US. I've heard that most Aussies have roof collection systems which feed collected rain water into underground cisterns. I would love to have a system installed. I looked into it. The going price is listed to be about $2000.

Lorna

The house where I was born had a cistern for collecting rainwater. My Fictive Blog has a diagram of how a cistern system works.

Please don't be distracted by the blog, it's just a collecction of ancient family photos woven into a story to entertain my nephews.

Nell

Here is a link that might be useful: Cistern Diagram

Keesha, my son in Indiana just got some rain barrels. He is near Noblesville. I know he didn't pay a lot for them. I can ask him where he got them and how much if you are interested. Just email me, if so.

Vikki, nice set-up!

Diana

Pictures of my 4 linked rain barrels hubby put together for me. They work fab! I have a sweet autumn clem on it now, it grows to be a monster and hides a lot of the platform.

Instructions on how dh built it is part of the slideshow...

Here is a link that might be useful: Kristine's Rain Barrels

That sounds like a great idea Tracy. I'd love to have a wine barrel with a rain chain hanging from the roof.

Find a winery in your area and ask them if they have some old barrels. They love getting rid of them.

Edna

Hi Lorna

Yes alot of Aussies do have water tanks - especially in the country as many areas do not have any access to "town" water at all and rely on tank water for all their needs.

Most tanks sit beside the house but for newer houses if you can get them built to sit under it's more aesthetic and saves space too.

I live in the country but "in town" and so have both town water and a water tank. Mine is a big corrugated steel tank with a special lining to keep the water in good condition, clear and fresh for drinking and household use. All the gutters feed into it. It sits beside the laundry and has a pipe through the wall which comes out over my wash trough. With the tap attachment, I can use the water both in my gardens outside and for washing/cleaning inside.

Having the tank has saved my garden in the past few years since water restrictions have been so harsh we have only been able to water using a handheld can for four hours a week. I have over half an acre of gardens so without the tank - all over red rover - as we say here!!

So a long winded post (sorry!) but I thought I'd just make the point that in being forced to consider a future where water restrictions are a constant reality, where global warming means hotter summers and extended drought and where every drop of water we can reuse or recycle contributes back to the chance of a better planet, spending money, if at all possible, on water tanks is a worthwhile investment which will repay itself year after year, both in water bill savings and keeping plants alive. Because growing plants is ultimately one of the best way to give back to the environment too.

I want to keep gardening, as like all of you, it's my thing in life. I don't want to have to gravel over all my flowers and garden beds and just have patches of succulents (which some here are doing). And I don't want to lose all the plants I've spent money on and time nurturing.

I found a link to Australia's biggest tank manufacturers USA division - so here it is in case anyone's interested.

http://www.pwtusa.com/

Diana, could you please do that for me? I would be quite interested. My daughter lives near Noblesville, in Westfield. SO it would be just the excuse to visit. MY hubby also works in the Indy area each day.

Krystine ~ what an amazing set up you have! I was fussing today as I was trying to empty my rain barrel because of our upcoming vacation. I wish mine was higher up so I could get more water pressure and I wish I had put the spigot lower on the barrel.

Tracy ~ you were very smart to querry the forum to get dos and don'ts before you took the leap.
Vikki

My rain barrels cost about $14 each, plus the cost of goldfish. I don't have hoses attached, but that means I didn't have to build a platform. I just dip my watering cans, or buckets, into the can. Because it's wide-mouthed, that works out well. And I have most of the barrels placed close to what I need to water.

I spend $10 for a 32-gallon trash can on sale, $4 for a plastic accordianed gutter piece. I use a hacksaw to cut my aluminum gutter...downspout?--the vertical piece--in the right spot. Sometimes I have to use a drill and 3/16 drill bit to drill through a rivet holding the gutter on the house. The accordianed plastic gutter bit usually can extend far enough to reach the trash can. For the winter, I keep the plastic accordianed bit on, and use it to reattach the cut-off downspout.

I don't have anything for dealing with rain-barrel overflow, other than tilting the barrel so it overflows away from the house. I'll often have the trash can overflow into one of those large plastic gardening containers, and from there into a 5-gallon bucket. But that's just because I like to hoard water--it could just flow onto the grass, that's what it did before, with the downspout. I use bricks to tilt up the trash can, or a scrap of plywood and a brick.

I use feeder goldfish to get rid of mosquito larvae. The water is gunky sometimes, as I don't have anything to exclude leaves and all the different seeds the trees throw at the ground. If the water gets pretty bad, I move the fish to another barrel and make sure I use up all the water in the funky barrel. If I need all the water, I move the fish into a bucket, and use a little air pump for them. (I had 4 live inside over the winter, so I have a $6 air pump for them). IÂve learned itÂs best to get orange fish onlyÂor white; my one little grey minnow ended up going for a ride in the watering can a couple of times! Luckily the one with a rosette!

Mosquito "dunks" will work just as well for preventing mosquitoes, they are just Bacillus subtilis variety israeliensis. A 6-pack is about $12, and one dunk will last for months. Goldfish are a lot cheaper, and theyÂre fun. But itÂs sad when some die, and that will happen.

In the front of my house, I have screened the rain barrel from view by using some framed lattice pieces. My house is yellow, and I used my one beige trash can there. Elsewhere, the rain barrels are in "utilitarian" areas of my yard, so color doesnÂt matter as much. And, people sort of donÂt look twice at a trash canÂeveryone has them!

Keesha, just sent my son an email. I told him about this thread so he may post on here or email one of us. His name is Jon.

Krystine, thanks for the slideshow! Love your set-up!

Stage rat, good info! I was wondering about the water condition and keeping it somewhat clean.

Most of our rain out here falls in the winter but we do get summer thunderstorms where I'm at. I think I will look into getting a couple of these barrels. I've seen some for sale but never bothered to price them. We're on private wells and had a lot more rain and snow this year than in the past so no water shortages. But AHNOLD has declared a drought for the state so who knows what's to come of that proclamation (other than him getting his pet projects through).

Diana

Wow!!! Thank you ALL for the amazing responses. I checked with our village and town and they don't sell anything, even though I swore they did last year when we moved in!!

I will check our cooperative extension, another great suggestion.

If not, I'll take the DIY mode. Thank you all for the photos and tips. This helps so much.

Tracy

Keesha, I hope you see this. I had sent you an email via GW with the info from my son. He said the man who has the barrels is in Arcadia but Jon could get them for you and meet you or your hubby somewhere with them. Jon also has a few extra himself. He said always happy to help a fellow gardener. : ) If you still want some try emailing me from my page or try angelcub at mac dot com.

Diana

emailed you from your page !!! Shanks!! I almost missed this post

These are all awesome ideas, check out my contribution!

Here is a link that might be useful: plantsloverain

I'm interested in everyone's ideas--thanks! For those who don't have the time to hand-water, have you seen these? Solar powered pumps to irrigate from a water reserve? http://www.gardeners.com/Solar%20Irrigation%20Kit/SummerSaleGardening_Watering,36-517,default,cp.html
Not exactly cheap, even on sale, but I suppose over the course of several years, along with the "free" water from the roof, it might pay for itself?

I always wanted rain barrels.... but I am afraid my home owners association would have a fit... I will never live in a neighborhood with an HOA again.

too bad I can't make them pretty? I have gutter down spouts near each bed and I could water them well with the rain water.

Karen

Here's a site that describes how to make RBs for about $40, if you have a local source of barrels. BTW, you can 'pretty' them up by painting or hide them with plants or a bit of lattice fencing.

My county had limited sales of commercial ones this summer for $65. Glad to see the price coming down on these. I just wish I could put in a cistern and pump system!

Here is a link that might be useful: Make your own rain barrel

I'll have to take a pic of the 1 my hubby completed this past summer. I don't think it cost him over $35 per barrel after all costs. He painted his too.

Melissa

Pricewise, it's hard to beat making your own, but we already have so much on our plate I ordered some made from recycled food-grade shipping barrels - found them on Ebay for $40 each, already fitted with a brass spigot, plastic overflow, and insect screen. Shipping wasn't bad, even though they came all the way from Louisiana. They're about 50 gallons, terra cotta color, with a black top. I just checked Ebay and it looks like prices and shipping have both risen.

I may try painting one a forest green to see how it holds up - solid terra cotta is certainly better than green-flaking-to-terra-cotta. Placed against the house, though, behind some larger shrubs, they really aren't too noticeable until you're right up on them.

The insect screen should keep mosquitos out (though I don't know about these tiny new African "Tiger" mosquitos), but if that should fail there's always the Bti (bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). It's deadly to mosquito larvae, but harmless to people, pets and wildlife and can be found in most stores that sell pond and gardening products. It's available in a solid form (like the "Dunks" that look like little donuts) or granular, which is what I bought for the bog adjoining my koi pond.

I never found the stored water to get funky, but do empty them, rinse out, and store upside down when freezing weather sets in.