Rain Barrel Info
If you’re looking for a rain barrel in Central Texas, click HERE for a few differences between Green Water rain barrels and anything else available. Perfect for Organic Gardening, Indoor Plants, Pet Washing, Car Washes, Window Washes, Aquariums and many other household uses!
Green Water rain barrels are made using recycled 55 gallon barrels from local Austin businesses. All Green Water rain barrels are made from food-grade level or higher containers, so no chemical contamination issues arise. Green Water rain barrels include a sturdy wooden stand to elevate the rain water collected for better water pressure when in use. Green Water rain barrels have incorporated a duel-screen filtration system to prevent large debris as well prevent mosquitoes in the barrel. Green Water rain barrels are designed to connect multiple barrels if desired (Up to 330 gallon capacity). We use a 2” connection to link multiple barrels for high output capacity. Green Water rain barrels use all metal connections for the hose spigot for commercial grade connection to hoses and gardening equipment.
Click HERE to view our current inventory of rain barrels and rain barrel accessories.
Click HERE to download a quick fact sheet (PDF) on the benefits of Green Water Rain barrels.
Rainwater Collection – Background Info
Residential irrigation can account for 40% of domestic water consumption in a given municipality. Rain barrels not only store water, they help decrease demand during the sweltering summer months. Only 1/4 inch of rainfall runoff from the average roof will completely fill the typical barrel. Collection of water from rooftop runoff can provide an ample supply of this free ‘soft water’ containing no chlorine, lime or calcium. Because it tends to have fewer sediments and dissolved salts than municipal water, rain water is ideal for a multitude of applications, including biodynamic and organic vegetable gardens, raised planter beds for botanicals, indoor tropicals like ferns and orchids, automobile washing, and cleaning household windows. Saving water in this manner will reduce you demand for treated tap water, and save money by lowering your monthly bill. Rain water diversion will also help decrease the burden on water treatment facilities and municipal drainage systems during storms. The storage of rain water is also recommended for general emergency preparedness, or for areas prone to disasters or drought. A good formula to remember: 1 inch of rain on a 1000 sq ft roof yields 623 gallons of water. Calculate the yield of your roof by multiplying the square footage of your roof by 623 and divide by 1000.
Water Quality, Mosquitoes & Debris
While the water from your rooftop is relatively clean, we do not recommend it for human consumption purposes, unless faced with an emergency situation. Should that occur, it is useful to keep a water filtration system on hand for purification. Because vector carrying mosquitoes are present in every state in the union, precautions should be undertaken to minimize infestation. Top side mesh screens or plastic lids will act as a barrier to insects, but eggs may still drop through. Non-toxic water treatment might be the best proactive approach to pest management (use of MOSQUITO DONUTS is an example of an ecological solution to mosquito control). For enclosed units that are not open to the air, and instead have water entering through a pipe or tube, mosquito eggs can still enter by traveling with rainwater from the gutters. Again, mosquito dunks can provide a earth friendly solution to mitigate breeding. Keep in mind that with this type of set up, roof top debris can enter a rain barrel. It is advisable to create or install some type of gutter guard that keeps leaves and pine needles out of the downspout.
