The popularity of
rain barrels was due to the urging of green conservationist and environmental agencies pursuit for a liveable planet. Though the practise of collecting water had been rooted to human civilization many years ago, the continuous drive and effort of environmentalist paved way to a more wise water usage habit and encouraged many household of water conserving practice such as the rain barrel.
Rain barrels, due to their affordability and comes with kit and instruction for easy installing is worth it as an investment. Just imagine how much money a certain household can save annually as water for gardening, toiler flushing, car washing and other outdoor and general cleaning can be done using rain barrel water. Aside from the fact that you are saving money, helping nature to preserve of its water resources, by installing rain barrel, you are also significantly reducing the urban run-off and water run-off in your place after a heavy rain, thus reducing the incident of flooding.
Urban runoff is source of pollution because rain water washes pesticides, petrol chemicals, and all sorts of contaminants into storm drains that flow into rivers and lakes, which then stream into reservoirs and end up in our drinking water. This is the primary reason why rain water is not ideal for drinking. But any households who want to make use more of rain barrel water, then one must install a reliable purification and infiltration system to ensure the
rain barrels water quality and safety.
As long as the collected rain water is not intended for drinking and cooking purposes and the barrel is built and maintained correctly in a place that receives enough rain, it provides a relatively clean, safe, and reliable source of water.
Those who want to experience the wonders of
rain barrels, roof construction and materials matter most. Make sure that they are not be treated cedar shakes or materials containing asbestos. The gutter system should not have lead solder or lead-based paint, and bird droppings should be cleaned from gutters and the roof as needed. One can install a fine mesh lid to prevent other particles and pollutant from falling in the water.
