Rain Barrels

Why Rain Barrels?

Take an active role in recycling rainwater - install a rain barrel at your house!  A rain barrel is placed under a gutter's downspout next to a house to collect rain water from the roof.  The rain barrel holds about 50 gallons of water which can be used to water gardens and for other uses.  Harvesting rain water has many benefits including saving water, saving money on your bill, and preventing basement flooding.  By collecting rain water, homeowners are also helping to reduce flooding and pollution in local waterways.  When rain water runs off of hard surfaces like rooftops, driveways, roadways, parking lots, and compacted lawns, it carries with it pollution to our local waterways.  Harvesting the rain water in a rain barrel is just one of the ways homeowners can reduce rain water from running off their property and possibly causing pollution and flooding problems in local waterways.

From left to right, Linda S. Crumbock (Cape May Co. MUA), Christine Boyajian (Rutgers student), Amy Boyajian and Jillian Thompson (Program Associates) at Coast Day NJ, October 10, 2010.  This event is held annually by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium and features tours, displays, and music related to the marine and coastal environments of New Jersey.  This year, Christine Boyajian, a local artist and Rutgers University student, painted a rain barrel during the event.  Linda Crumbock was the winning recipient of the barrel give-away. 

You can purchase mosquito dunks, which are made from organic material that prevent mosquito larvae from forming. Another option would be to add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable cooking oil, which will not hurt your plants. The oil will float on the water's surface and suffocate the mosquito larvae. If that idea does not appeal, go to a nursery or garden supply store and see if they have ”summer horticulture oil."

Do not install your rain barrel without a garden hose. The open overflow hole will allow mosquitoes in.

Direct your garden hose to a garden area, lawn, or some distant runoff area away from the house.

What precautions should be taken for your rain barrel?

Always keep the lid to your barrel tightly secured to avoid any accidents involving children or animals.  Please do not consume water collected in your rain barrel.  

Can I leave my rain barrel out in the winter months?

Why is Katie sad? Look at the bottom of her barrel!

It is best to bring your rain barrel indoors during the winter months, whether it is a wooden barrel or a plastic barrel.  However, it is acceptable to leave your rain barrel outside for the winter as long as there is no water accumulating in the barrel. Simply turn the barrel upside down and/or cover the barrel.  

"See what happens when you don't drain my barrel and then you leave it out all winter?
Frozen water in your barrel may cause the barrel to crack!"

I have previously applied a moss killer on my roof, but I would like to collect water for my rain barrel.  What should I do?

Allow for a few (three or four) heavy rainfall events to occur before collecting water for use with the rain barrel.  To be cautious, flush the first batch of water collected with the rain barrel.  If you would like a written confirmation that the water is safe, take a sample of the water collected with the rain barrel to be analyzed at your local water testing laboratory.

Is there a rain barrel brochure that I can download?

Yes!  Feel free to download the rain barrel brochure by clicking here.

What else can I do to save water and prevent flooding and water pollution?

To save water, follow these tips:

• Use mulch around your plants to reduce watering needs.
• Install low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, low-flow toilets, and other water saving devices at home.
• Plant native plants that require less water and less fertilizer than exotic ornamental plants.

• Redirect downspouts to areas where the water can soak into the ground.
• Install a rain garden on your property to capture rain water before it goes into storm drains and into nearby waterways (see Rutgers Cooperative Extension's Rain Garden Fact Sheet)
• Reduce the amount of hard surfaces on your property.  Use gravel, mulch, or pervious pavers to help infiltrate water into the ground.

• Michele Bakacs ~ Middlesex & Union Counties
  732-398-5274, bakacs@njaes.rutgers.edu
  
• Mike Haberland ~ Camden & Burlington Counties
  609-265-5050, haberland@njaes.rutgers.edu
  
• Sal Mangiafico ~ Salem & Cumberland Counties
  856-769-0090, mangiafico@njaes.rutgers.edu
  
• Pat Rector ~ Morris & Somerset Counties
  973-285-8300x225, rector@njaes.rutgers.edu

• Amy Rowe ~ Essex and Passaic Counties
  973-287-6360, rowe@njaes.rutgers.edu

• the skills to teach others how to build and install a rain barrel
• the knowledge to teach others about best management practices for water conservation and stormwater management
• the tools to conduct rain barrel activities in their communities