Rain Barrels - A Simple Device that Saves You Money and Helps the Earth

Have you ever heard of rain barrels? They have been around for quite some time, yet don't seem to get a great deal of national recognition. However, these energy-saving devices more than pay for themselves in the long run, and help the Earth in the process.

A rain barrel is a special barrel, which usually can contain around 60 gallons of water, though there are other sizes available. These barrels cost around $70-$80 U.S. dollars, and are used to trap rainwater from your drainpipe or downspout to use for gardening. They have special filters to trap out insects and debris, and a valve once they're full to let out excess water. There is a spicket located on the side where you can fill up your gardening can or hose and use the water.

If it seems like a lot of hassle, consider these statistics. A once-inch accumulation of rainfall, draining off of an average size home, around a 1000 foot roof, accumulates over 600 gallons to your rain barrel! That's 10 times what the device can hold in one rainstorm! Even a sprinkle fills the barrel quite a bit, and in arid climates and with rising water costs, you could save a lot of money very quickly. You can even use the water inside your home for houseplants, humidifiers, and any other non-drinking sources.

The water is purified and kept clean by a filtration system, though you possibly could filter it more through your drinking water system to make it more suitable to ingestion. The mesh on the barrel keeps out mosquitoes, and any excess water can be diverted to another rain barrel or straight into the garden or public filtration system. Really it's up to you how you want to use your free water! You could bathe the dog, use it for the kid's wading pool-really anything goes! With rising water costs, something as useful as a rain barrel sets you up for life with our dwindling water supply. It is predicted that Industrial water costs will only increase exponentially, so it is a safe, wise choice.

A great site to learn more about rain barrels locally, in my home state of Ohio, is www. Littlesquarefarm.com. They are a small business specializing in eco-friendly practices and supplies. They retail their products to such businesses as the Clintonville Community Market, which is a great local Co-op. To visit the, please check out their site at Communitymarket.org. For more direct info on rain barrels and how they work, please visit a great site, www.rainbarrelusa.com. They're a wise investment