Green Home

Rain Barrel Stands – Using Rainwater to Save Water

In today’s worsening economy, saving money in any way possible is a very important task. As jobs become less common and prices go up, people are trying to pinch pennies wherever they can.

At the same time, there is a huge uproar about global warming and the worsening environment around us. Companies everywhere are starting to release green products, and people often judge us based on how green we are. Unfortunately, many of these new green ideas are very costly to the average American that is struggling to stay afloat.

Using rain water as a way to save water in your home is one easy way to save money and the planet all at once. Collecting rain water is as easy as setting up rain barrels on stands around your yard. Dispensing the water from these barrels can then be done through either a siphoning or pump system, or even just using large bowls, containers, and ladles.

Rain water can be used in a variety of ways around the home. Some common ideas include:

• Take a bowl for your pet’s water

• Filling up a bucket to wash your car

• Use a watering bucket to water all of your plants, garden, and lawn

• If allowed in your city, use it to flush the toilet

These are some of the most common ideas put together by the public, but really rainwater has a lot more uses than just these. Any time water will be used in a way that does not need to be 100% sanitary, rain water can be substituted as a greener, cheaper way of doing it.

Soaking your feet? Put some rain water in a pot and heat it over the stove for a relaxing foot bath. Does your car need replacement antifreeze in the radiator? There is no sense in mixing potable drinking water in with a bunch of hazardous chemicals when there is perfectly usable rain water available for free all around you.

Rain barrel stands can be purchased in a growing number of home improvement and gardening stores, and are also available online. They can also be made at home using a few cinder blocks or similar sturdy materials as long as you have a barrel or other large container lying around.

Ideally, the container should be above five gallons so you do not constantly have to empty or use it if you can’t find a use for it right away. The mouth of the container should also be extremely wide to catch as much rain as possible. Really the mouth should be as wide as it possibly can be without throwing the container off balance or becoming an obstacle in your yard or walkway.

Rain water is a precious resource that can save you a good bit of cash in the long run, as well as saving our planet from excessive water usage. While it is still not extremely popular, more and more people are starting to take advantage of this free supply from above. This is a good thing because as cities and populations continue to grow, water will continue to become scarcer and scarcer. Using rain water is the responsible thing to do, and is good for your wallet too.