Hard to believe it’s the first day of spring with such dreary rain here in Dallas! These April (well, March) showers are sure to make for beautiful May flowers. With so much rain recently, it brings to mind rain harvesting and how we can repurpose this “natural” water to keep our water usage and water bills down—something especially important in drought-prone areas.
Rain harvesting is simply the term for “catching” the rain to use in other ways, such as watering lawns and flower beds. This is not an expensive process—many barrels with lids can be purchased for about $20 at local hardware and outdoor stores. The tip is to make sure it is opaque (or dark) and not clear, or it will grow algae. Once you purchase a barrel, find the best spot to capture the rain and install it about a foot or more off the ground, so you will be able to utilize the pressure to move the water back out of the barrel. Cut a hole near the bottom of the barrel and install a faucet. Cut a larger hole in the lid and divert your rain gutter into the barrel. Install a bit of netting over the whole top to keep out bugs and debris. If you aren’t this much of a do-it-yourselfer, you can purchase ready-made rain barrels with small pumps.
Have fun with this, and if you try it out—or you are already harvesting the rain—let us know by commenting below. Also, keep the tips and ideas coming for Green Tuesday by e-mailing us at mailto:Green@wnco.com
DING! You are now free to be Green!
