The Many Uses Of Rain Barrels

11/15/08

Rain barrels which are also called rainwater tanks or water butts in the United Kingdom are water tanks that are used for the collection and storage of rain water from rooftops. This rain water often comes from rain gutters that are found on many rooftops. Similar storage containers also known as rainwater tanks are mainly used to collect harvested rain. Rain barrels are sometimes installed to collect water running off from concrete patios and even driveways.

Rain barrels actually have many uses, not the least of which is the storage of rain water for later use. With this usage, they can greatly decrease the consumption of water from the mains supply, which is of course a great benefit in terms of economical and environment considerations. Of course being able to store rain water also results in a certain measure of self sufficiency, since doing so will allow you to be less dependent on mains water to some degree, depending on how much water you consume on a regular basis.

The stored water from the rain barrels may itself be used for garden irrigation and other agricultural purposes, for household uses such as flushing toilets, washing clothes and cars, and in some cases even for drinking. This can be a great benefit in areas where water is less available, cost prohibitive or unsafe to drink. For this reason, rain barrels are often used in dry climates during the rainy season for storing water for later use in the dry season. When used for drinking however, water in rain barrels has to be filtered and otherwise protected from any type of contaminants.

Some rain barrels can be a bit expensive, but their many uses means that they will pay for themselves in the long run. Some homeowners have even been known to use small rain barrels that have a correspondingly smaller capacity. Rain barrels can even be fashioned from food containers that have been recycled, transport barrels, and even barrels used in the production of wine and whiskey. These types of rain barrels have the benefit of being quite inexpensive. It is important to make sure however that these rain barrels are sealed tightly so as to prevent mosquitoes from entering them. Even seemingly protected from mosquito entry, these rain barrels can still contain dangerous mosquito larvae, especially if you do not use a filter.

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