So we definitely got some rain today. Today was what my Grandpa Joe use to call a real soaker. Driving home through all the water on the road ways I started thinking do people still have rain barrels?

If you aren't familiar with the concept it is where you collect rain water in a container to be used for things other than drinking. The reason you don't want to drink the water is that it is usually run off from a roof. Roof run off water can be full of chemicals from your roofing surface and simply put bird poop.

So how could you use the rain water you collected.

  • It makes great water for your garden instead of running a hose use the collected rain to water your plants
  • It makes great water for outside clean up. If your lawn furniture needs a rinse this can really come in handy
  • I have known people to use it to wash their hair. Some say the mineral are restorative.
  • Rain water collected and saved can also be go to use in any outdoor water feature you might have like a bird bath or fountain.

So how do you make a rain barrel? It is pretty simple you grab a water tight container and simply place it under the down spout of a gutter. If you are serious about collecting rain water you can also have rain-scaping done around your house that can help direct the water into a storage system. This would allow for large containers.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you do decide to collect water you will be helping the environment by conserving water. Every ounce you capture and use is one less ounce you ran out of your faucet.

One more thing I want you to keep in mind is there are many people around the world who capture rain water and use it in their house. My sister lives in New Zealand and she captures rain water in order to have water in her house. They actually have giant capture tanks that treat the water so that you can us it for everything including drinking.

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