Last year’s crippling drought – and the very real possibility that it may not be over yet – has many Texans considering the old tried-and-true pioneer idea of catching and saving rainwater.
For Brown County Master Gardener and Rainwater Harvesting Specialist Leslie Courington, catching rainwater and saving it for an “unrainy” day just makes sense. For her and other Master Gardeners in the area, the idea of building and using rain barrels is an old idea whose time has come again.
Leslie and other Brown County Master Gardeners will present a Make-and-Take Rain Barrel workshop Saturday, June 2, at the Brownwood Area Community Garden. Participants in the workshop will get hands-on instruction in building their own 55-gallon food-grade plastic barrel that can be set under a rain gutter downspout. Cost of the workshop is $50, and includes all materials necessary to build a functional rain barrel that participants can immediately put into operation.
“Rainwater harvesting just makes sense,” Leslie says. “Even when we’re not in a drought, rainwater is superior in so many ways. It has no added chemicals and is soft and free of dissolved minerals. This untreated water is great for your houseplants, your garden, washing your car, and filling your birdbaths.”
Rain barrels are essentially storage containers that collect rain water from downspouts attached to gutters on a house or other structure. Downspouts direct rain water from the roof to the ground or storm sewer, or to a container. Rain barrels usually consist of a plastic storage container with lid, a system that diverts water into the barrel, an overflow that diverts water away from the house, a screen to keep out debris, and a water spigot to which a hose can attach.
How much water can a rain barrel reasonably catch? The standard formula is .6 gallon of rainwater per square foot of roof space per inch of rain that falls. A 1,000-square foot roof surface can catch 600 gallons of water in a one-inch rain. An annual rainfall of 20 inches can yield 12,000 gallons of water.
A common question is where to find rain barrels. You can build your own or you can purchase ready-made barrels. Finding barrels or containers that have not been contaminated with powerful chemicals is the key element to building your own. Many barrels are offered for sale on the internet and because of the drought and interest in rain barrels, have become quite expensive.
“You have to know what the barrel was used for,” Leslie says. “Food-grade barrels are best. You don’t want to collect rainwater for your garden in a barrel that contained herbicides or other toxic substances.”
The “Make-and-Take Rain Barrel” workshop will be held at the Brownwood Area Community Garden June 2, 9 a.m. Cost is $50, which includes the barrel and all hardware. Master Gardeners will be on hand to help put barrels together.
Registration is limited and payment must be received by May 31 to reserve a seat in the workshop. Checks made out to Brown County Master Gardeners may be mailed to Leslie Courington, 8420 CR 464 Brownwood, Texas 76801. Participants can save $5 by liking the Brown County Texas Rainwater Catchment page on Facebook! Proceeds will benefit the Community Garden.
“Drought or no drought, we should all conserve water,” Leslie says. “Our groundwater and fresh water supplies are limited, so we need to use it responsibly. Rainwater collection is not only important to your personal garden, there is a decreased impact of storm water runoff to streams which helps to protect the environment by reducing the carbon footprint from the electrical company and the water agency because they won’t have to pump those harvested gallons of water to your home anymore.
Rainwater catchment also minimizes sewer back-ups. Runoff can cause erosion, and it can carry fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals into streams where they are very damaging. Rain barrels help you manage peak storm runoff.
“A rain barrel is a place to start. It’s part of people becoming aware of the issue of a finite resource,” says Tim Pope, president of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association, based in Austin.
And, Leslie points out, if you don’t want to build your own barrel, there are many sources in Brownwood for “store bought” rain barrels including Sue’s Backyard, Tractor Supply and Home Depot.
