Rain Barrel Update

Since we are nearing the end of our rain barrel use for the year, I thought I'd poll the group to see how things went with our barrels this year. I sent out an e-mail asking for input and received a number of responses. I'll summarize.

First, it was a wet, cool summer, so for most of us our rain barrel use was somewhat down. A couple of us did drain our barrels once or twice over the summer, but rain did seem to come at regular intervals, so that situation was amended quickly.

One trend I noticed was that - no surprise - rain barrel use accelerates if you have potted plants. Even in a rainy season like the one we just had, pots pretty much need to be watered every day. Same for vegetables. They require more water than most flowering plants - and double that for tomatoes. Erica used rain barrel water as fertilizer for her tomatoes.

Some people did attach soaker hoses to their barrels. The Bradleys report that their barrels drained quickly with soakers attached.

A few people expanded beyond plants with their rain barrel water. The Carters used it to wash their car and to clean their driveway after some work. I also used the water to wash our car and rinse out things like my compost bucket. We had some work done here over the summer, and I was able to direct workers to rinse their materials in the rain barrel water.

Regarding maintenance, the Bradleys report that they will be fixing the stand for their 55-gallon barrel this year. It's leaning and needs to be enlarged. Martha found that an old fashioned rag mop was great for cleaning it out.

This is our 3rd or 4th year with our barrel (can't remember), and I will say that each year I come to rely on it more. When it is dry, I somehow have found it inconvenient to have to use a hose, and besides, the water from the hose smells funny, like chlorine. And then there's the whole thing about unwinding and winding up the hose after a small use - I just don't want to do it. So I think I have entered the 'other side' and have become a full rain barrel convert. I don't want to speak for the others, but I would guess they have too.

Using that rain barrel water

With all the rain we've been having lately, I'm assuming all those rain barrels we sent out from the Rain Barrel BBQ are full to the brim and providing you with all the water you need. This week I took advantage of the heat and washed my car and my bike with rain barrel water. As you can see from the picture, I washed the car on the lawn so the excess water would drain into the ground and not into the sewer system (where it would have to be processed). Here's how I do it: I dump 2 buckets on the car to do an initial rinse, fill a bucket with soapy water, wash, and dump 2 more buckets for the final rinse.

This is my third season with a rain barrel, and I can see my mind set shifting a bit. At first, I wasn't too sure I liked the idea of lugging buckets of water over to my plants, bird baths, cars, etc. It seemed like more work. But I did it because I was not tapping into our house water system and that felt good.

Now, however, 3 years in, I'm finding that lugging buckets is no big deal. Of course, I've learned to make sure the buckets aren't too big, and if I have to make more trips, what's the hurry anyway? This year, it also occurred to me that when I use rain water I don't have to disentangle my hose and haul it around the yard. I never liked that either. The water is also pleasantly warm, not chilly like hose water -- much nicer when washing the car. I'm also grateful for my rain barrel when rinsing out my compost buckets. I feed the residue to my plants.

So, like everything, this is a process. I'm sure many of you have come up with unique ways to use your water that wouldn't have occurred to me. I'll post them with pictures if you'd like to share your ideas.

Rain Barrel BBQ 2008

A few pictures from Saturday's Rain Barrel BBQ in the Green Garage.

The group at work.


A young driller.


Suzanne with her new barrel.

Preparing Rain Barrels

A few pictures from Friday, May 16 -- getting the rain barrels ready for Saturday's Rain Barrel BBQ.

Another rain barrel class

On Saturday, March 1, we conducted another rain barrel presentation, this time at the Clinton-Macomb Public Library. We didn't build a barrel at this one, only talked about them and brought one along so everyone could see it. It was a small but very interested group, and the size made for great discussions.

On another topic, I ran across this cartoon today while reading the No Impact Man blog, and thought you would all appreciate it. Credit for the cartoon goes to Eric Lewis of Cartoon Bank.

Rain Barrel Workshop Presentation

This coming Saturday, March 1, from 11:15 to 1 PM, we will be at the Clinton-Macomb Library to do another rain barrel presentation. We will be doing essentially the same presentation that we did at Bioneers in October (see Rain Barrel Workshop Presentation), except that this time we will be not be building a barrel, but will bring one for demonstration purposes. If you can come, we'd love to see you there! For those interested in building a barrel of their own, we will be hosting the third annual Rain Barrel BBQ on May 17th. Reservations will be required so we can have a barrel ready for you. Contact the Bradleys at BradTH@aol.com to reserve a barrel.