Do you own a rain barrel?

I'm looking at buying 1 or 2 for my home and was looking for some feedback and possible advice. I have a couple of raised bed gardens.

it was timed and expired or something.

Anyway, it was to a $200 above ground swimming pool with about 3,000 gallons capacity. Use it for fun, and have it available as a backup water source, or for summer garden water.

(on edit) That's roughly 60 or 70 regular sized barrels worth of water.

Stagnant water gets pretty ripe in short order. If you treat it, your veggies ain't going to appreciate the chemicals.

I got one that you can connect to your drain spout so the water from your gutter goes into the rain barrel. Any overflow once the barrel is filled then goes out the drain spout. There is also a spigot where you can connect a garden hose. I got it last summer, used it quite a bit. Works very nicely.

but it's sort of brownish/tan and I got it at Lowes (or maybe it was Home Despot) for about $80. It's a lot like this one (I think this is a new version of the one I got last year). http://www.lowes.com/pd_306222-1078-59965935_4294817848_4294937087?productId=3032158&pl=1¤tURL=/pl__4294817848_4294937087_?identifier=

Barrels fill up very quickly. If you have gutters and a downspout, even an average house has a LOT of collection area. One inch of rain on 1200 square feet of roof gives you 100 cubic feet of water or 750 gallons -- that's a lot of barrels or trash cans.

That's amazing. I can't afford to build a cistern.

like Colorado

http://www.denverwater.org/AboutUs/WaterLaw/FAQs/

"Q. Can I collect rainwater?

A. Capturing rainwater is an ongoing issue in Colorado, and it is not allowed if it will injure vested water rights. In 2009, the Colorado State Legislature passed two laws that carve out exemptions from the general rule.

The first law says that if you are not served by a domestic water system, such as Denver Water, you are allowed to capture rainwater as long as it is applied to uses specified in the well permit that applies to your property. The second law allows the state to participate in a study of 10 new developments to determine the impact of capturing rainwater on streams, rivers and tributary groundwater."

I don't totally understand the exemptions but it sounds like, if you're on a well, you're probably okay. Serviced by a water system, no go.

Infuriating, really. It sounds like they don't want anybody using free water that falls on their property if it is going to cut into their profits.

... it's an amazingly dizzying subject!!

When I first moved here in '78, I had the wonderful opportunity to get to know an 82 yr old neighbor who absolutely chortled about water rights in Colorado. She said the subject had been debated and legislated since her birth and would be long after her death.

I seem to remember that years ago they promised Kansas a bunch of water and regret it now. Does this sound familiar?

but that doesn't mean much as I'm not well read on the subject. I did a quick google and a boatload of info popped up. Colorado's been regulating and legislating and contesting water use for a long, long time.

http://www.democraticunderground.com//discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=246

a wealth of info......post your question there.

(with barrels) you can stairstep them so that when one is full, it overflows to the one below.
You will have to build supports "steps" for the barrels to rest them on - and the steps will have to
be sturdy b/c a full barrel weighs alot.

Also, have you looked into "ferrocement" - you may be able to make a 250 - 500 gal container
affordably. it's basically concrete rebar and hardware cloth with a cement overlay - very sturdy.
google it.

Sometimes scrap yards have used food industry barrels - don't pay over 25.00 for one used.

Try craiglist.

I never thought of this, since we just use the water for the flower beds, but it does happen to be blue.

anyway +1.. another rain barrel here, homemade.

if they don't know anything have them contact Pima or Cochise counties in AZ - or the U of A Waterwise program. Tons of info available.

here: http://ag.arizona.edu/cochise/waterwise/

http://cals.arizona.edu/cochise/waterwise/waterharvest.html

I plan to have a large cistern so during hot summer weather I can water the garden without depleting any aquifers.

Just a part of my long-range pipe dream.......

I got a food products 50 gallon barrel, a spigot for the garden hose, and another hose connection that attaches to the top of the barrel for overflow. I ran the downspout into the barrel and after cutting the downspout to length I had it ready to go. I believe it all cost about $11.00.

Do it, once you get stuff rounded up it takes very little time to set up something very serviceable and a great water saver.

I'd like to add another this summer - I'll see if I get to it.

I had that experience. I wanted goldfish in my barrel but the roof is treated with anti moss chemicals that killed them. Would not want to water food crops with that.

... moss that washed down the drainpipe and blocked the take-off point
for the water butt ... didn't realise until happened to notice that the
butt was sounding emptier than expected after a storm ...

:shrug: