Are Rain Barrels Good?

Florida comes with sunshine and rainy days, so why not take advantage of both? The humble rain barrel is a way to collect the water that comes from your roof. Rain barrels are often used for many things, including watering plants, washing your car, and even making it possible to use less water from the tap during times of heavy rainfall. They can be made from plastic or metal and come in different shapes and sizes. Here are some things you should know about rain barrels before deciding if they’re right for you:

Cost-Efficient

Rain barrels are a great way to save money, conserve water, and make your home more environmentally friendly. You can use the collected rainwater for watering plants, washing cars, cleaning windows, and even flushing toilets. Water collected from a rain barrel is also great for dishwashing and laundry if there’s a need to conserve the city’s water supply! Rainwater is free and it’s great for watering plants because it contains nutrients that will promote healthy growth in your plants, unlike tap water which is treated.

Drought-Assistance

Rain barrels are a great way to help conserve water during the dry winter season. You can save up the rainwater that comes in and then, if there’s a period of limited rain, you can use it to take care of your lawn or cleaning needs without being wasteful! Doing this helps out you as well as the area water supply, as you’ll be putting less stress on the city water supply.

Minimize Flooding

If you live in Florida, you understand that sometimes the rainy season is fierce; too much rain can be a bad thing. If you live in an area prone to heavy amounts of rain, these barrels can help catch that excess and prevent it from causing soil erosion in your yard. They can also keep puddles from sitting and growing nasty little funguses and the like that can hurt your lawn.

Reduce Runoff

Storms and Florida go hand-in-hand, and rain barrels can help prevent excessive amounts of storm runoff. With too much storm runoff, you run the risks of pollution and drain clogs. When the water is running down, it picks up all kinds of gross stuff which then flows into our water supply. When too much water full of debris goes into the drains, it can clog up the drain and it’s opening. Rain barrels can limit these potential issues.

How Do They Work?

Now that you know what they do and why they’re so useful, let’s talk about how they do it:

• Set up the barrels around your home’s downspouts. When setting the barrels up, you’ll line the bottom with gravel, which will act as a filter for the water. When it rains, water will flow through your gutters and down into the rain barrels.
• After a while, the barrel will fill up (most hold between 40-60 gallons) and you can harvest as you need to from the spigot at the bottom.
• If you’re worried about it overflowing, fret not. Most rain barrels come with an overflow valve that can be connected to a second barrel or just direct it away from your home’s foundation.

The answer to the question, “Are rain barrels good?” is a resounding yes! They have many benefits and are inexpensive ways of saving water from rainfall. Rain barrels are also easy to install and can be used in any type of weather. Luckily, there also aren’t any restrictions against having rain barrels in Florida…in fact, they encourage it! Some areas even offer tax incentives and rebates for any excess water.

Does it mean you should go out and add some? Well that depends. Reach out to us at Fishtail Landscaping and we can help you decided on a landscaping layout that conserves water and looks great. We have designed and installed some of the best landscaping in and around Ft Myers.