Rain Barrels
Rain, rain, go away… wait! Fill up my rain barrel first!
Here it is, yet another rainy day in North Texas. Although I prefer sunshine over rain and five consecutive days of precipitation is making me slightly crazy, I have to admit we really needed the rain to help replenish our water supply, soak our parched landscapes, and clean the air. It’s just a shame that so much of this free water from Mother Nature is going straight down the sewer. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could keep some of it to use later?
Good news, friends! You can! I’d like to re-introduce everyone to the long lost art of rainwater collection and rain barrels. Check out this quick introductory video from HGTV about why and how to build and/or set up your own rain barrels.
For all you do-it-yourself people, the DIY blog has very detailed, step by step instructions. This project costs around $30-50 and will probably take about an hour or so to get everything set up. Well worth it for the amount of money you’ll save on your utility bills and landscaping costs.
If you’re not very comfortable with power-tools, you can also buy pre-fabricated rain barrels at your local home improvement store or online. They can be kind of pricey though, so it may be worth exploring your handy side.
This is a water and MONEY saving opportunity that just about everyone can take advantage of at home and with their business. So collecting rainwater for your landscape gets you one step closer to sustainability in regards to planet AND profit.
Is your triple bottom line balanced?
#1 from Tom Buddenbohn on October 09, 2009
What a great idea. So good, that I installed a rain barrel at my home. I like the fact that I can easily fill my water buckets for all the plants with “free” and clean water.
Thanks for the idea and inspiration.