GREEN SPACE: Rain barrels save dollars, make sense

The only reason my lawn is green this summer is because of the abundance of rain, so it is hard for me to believe this statistic: 40% of the average homeowner's water usage can be accounted for in outdoor usage.

Plus, the sheer amount of pavement and concrete and rooftops mean that most rainfall in urban and suburban communities gets funneled into an increasingly overtaxed stormwater system -- where it must be treated before its release or reuse. Which, of course, takes energy and resources -- that can and should be conserved.

How? By catching that rainwater in a rain barrel that can be used to water your plants and garden and wash your car.

Rain barrels get linked into your gutter system and store the water for later use. Lids keep animals and children from climbing in and they usually have screened louvers to keep bugs from proliferating. One inch of rain falling on a 1,200 square foot roof will yield over 700 gallons of water, so we're not talking small potatoes here.

Slow's Bar B Q in Detroit is installing a rain barrel for two reasons: to collect water for their garden and trees as well as to divert heavy rainfall from taxing an aging storm water system. "We generate a huge demand with 3,000 square feet of a flat roof," says co-owner Philip Cooley. "When we’re busy and there's a huge rain...We want to get that off of the system."

Slow's is putting in a 900-gallon plastic barrel with an in-line pump, which may sound a bit daunting for the average homeowner. But take, for example, the New Englander, which is 55 gallons and has two spigots, one for overflow and one to connect to a hose. A partnership between American Rivers, the Toledo Stormwater Program and The New England Rain Barrel Company has made them available to consumers at the discounted price of $72 -- as opposed to the regular price of $99.

The New Englander must be ordered by July 28 and can be picked up on August 2 at the Toledo Erie St. Market. For further information or to order a rain barrel, call The New England Rain Barrel Company at 877-977-3135 or order online at www.nerainbarrel.com.

Sources: New England Rain Barrel Co. and Philip Cooley, Slow's Bar B Q
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh