Accent on Natural Landscaping

Donna VanBuecken

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Resources
  • Organizations & Blogs
  • Archives
  • Contact

Home Storm Water Management – Rain Barrels

May 9, 2016

This is just one of many styles of rain barrels.
This is just one of many styles of rain barrels.

Spring typically brings the rain needed to maintain healthy vegetation throughout the summer, so I thought it would be a good time to discuss home storm water management. Home storm water management through the use of rain barrels provides a water source for those thirsty planters and gardens and for our newly planted native plants without having to draw from our potable water supply.

Water caught from our house’s rain gutters into barrels is relatively clean and chemical free. Years ago, our ancestors harvested rain water for household use by collecting it into large stone cisterns or holding areas in their basements. Water was then pumped for use by a hand pump, although it typically wasn’t used for drinking water.

With just 1 inch of rain, a 1,000-square-foot roof can capture up to 600 gallons of water. At the WILD Center in Neenah, Wisconsin, the average rainfall is around 23″ from April to November. This could equate to around 14,000 gallons of rainwater that could be collected.

Instructor Rod Sternhagen introducing rain barrel makers to the process of making a rain barrel. Classes will be held at the WILD Center throughout the month of May.
Instructor Rod Sternhagen introducing rain barrel makers to the process of making a rain barrel. Classes are held at the WILD Center throughout the month of May.

Today, the practice of rain harvesting has pretty much been forgotten, and in its place a modern infrastructure to transport water to urban and suburban locations. But rain barrels still have their place. You can make a rain barrel or buy one. Ready-made rain barrels are available at local hardware stores, garden centers and the Internet. You can sign-up for a local rain barrel workshop and pay for the materials and get free instruction to build one. Or, you can find a “how-to” webpage on the Internet and try to construct one on your own.

Typically, rainwater that goes into our community storm sewer systems goes directly to our lakes and rivers. By using rain barrels, we help protect the environment by reducing storm water runoff that would otherwise cause erosion and carry pollutants into our lakes and streams. That along with providing a free source of water for watering your garden and other plants, for washing cars and cleaning windows, or for bathing water for the birds — it’s a win, win situation!

Home water management is easy and fun to do using rain barrels.

From Rain Barrels to Rain Gardens by Lorrie Otto

Home Water Management using Rain Barrels by Donna VanBuecken

Rain Water Harvesting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

   Send article as PDF   

Comments

  1. Lucy Valitchka says

    May 13, 2016 at 9:05 pm

    Informative article, Donna. We have two rain barrels, which I use every summer.
    I use the rain water for my house plants, as well as outdoor purposes.
    I like the feel of the rain water on my hands.
    Our younger son has a rain barrel & am trying to encourage the other three adult children of ours to use rain barrels, as well.

    Reply
    • Donna VanBuecken says

      May 19, 2016 at 9:29 am

      Hi! Lucy. We have two rain barrels that we use for watering the garden and new plantings as well. In fact, I think we’re going to attach another one to one of our existing barrels. During late summer especially, we always run out of rain water.

      Reply
  2. Nicholas Penaloza says

    June 14, 2022 at 3:14 am

    Hi My Name Is Nicholas Penaloza I Want Donna VanBuecken To Make It Rain Heavy In Oxnard CA RIght Now Please

    Reply
    • Donna VanBuecken says

      June 21, 2022 at 9:55 am

      I hear you, Nicholas! — Donna

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Signup button.

Recent Posts

  • OVER-THE-COUNTER NATIVE PLANT SALE MAY 21
  • WOFVA’s NATIVE PLANT SALE MAY 21
  • Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA)
  • Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame 2022 Inductees
  • Native Landscaping Design

Category Archives

  • Biodiversity
    • Monarchs
    • Pollinators
  • Birds
  • Climate Change
  • Events
  • Fire
  • Funding
  • Garden and Landscape Design
  • Heroes
  • Homestead
    • Recipe
  • Invasive Plants
  • Native plant garden design
  • Native Plants
  • Natural Landscaping
  • Prairie
  • Public Comment Opportunity
  • Railroad
  • The Sky
  • Wellbeing
  • Wetlands
  • Wildflowers
    • Trees & Shrubs
  • Wildlife
    • Wolves
  • Wisconsin
  • Women
  • Woodlands

Copyright 2005-2018
Donna VanBuecken