Using rain barrels to harvest rainwater from your roof is a simple, low-expense solution for conserving water and saving on your water bill.

Why pay to pour thousands of gallons of municipally treated tap water on your lawn and garden every summer if you can irrigate for free? That’s the thinking behind the growing interest in rain barrels, which let you conserve water, protect the environment, and save money at the same time.

Considering that an inch of rain dumps 500 gallons on the roof of a typical 2,000-square-foot house, it’s possible in most parts of the country to collect more than enough runoff for basic landscape irrigation needs. A rain barrel will save about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In a national survey by DC Urban Gardeners, a rain barrel lowered water bills by about $35 a month in the summer. For as little as $100 for the barrel and downspout fittings, a rain-harvesting system can pay for itself in just a couple of seasons.

How much rain can you collect?
The first step is to figure out the potential runoff amount from your roof. Multiply your area’s average annual rainfall in inches by the square footage of your roof. If you don’t know exact roof area, it’s fine to use the dimensions of your house’s footprint. Then multiply that number by 0.623—the amount of water in gallons needed to fill one square foot of space to a depth of one inch. The result is the number of gallons you can harvest. (Keep in mind, though, that most rain barrel systems are set up to collect only a portion of that, depending on irrigation needs.)

If your main goal is to water flower beds or run soaker hoses during dry spells, one or two 55-gallon barrels will suffice. If you want to turn off the garden tap all together, you’ll need multiple barrels or a cistern, a large tank that stores from 300 to 3,000 gallons. But cisterns cost considerably more (up to $2,500) and are more complicated to install and use, which makes them best suited for larger-scale rain harvesting systems that include such indoor uses as flushing toilets.
The cost to set up a rain barrel system
Commercial barrels cost between $50 and $200, though you can also make one yourself from castoff food-grade containers. One couple linked together five 55-gallon syrup drums they bought for $10 apiece from the local Coca-Cola bottling plant. Their blog is an amusing and instructive rain-harvesting primer.

A typical system consisting of one or two barrels and off-the-shelf parts such as spigots, downspout extensions, mesh screens, and soaker hoses costs between $35 and $600. Cobbling it all together might take a weekend or two, but it’s not rocket science. The Maryland Environmental Design Program offers easy step-by-step instructions for building your own barrel with about $15 worth of supplies.

Unfortunately, most rain barrels are not very handsome, and it’s not always easy to camouflage them. Some people like the folksy wooden water barrel look, but generally speaking, the more water you’re trying to capture, the bulkier the containers—and the harder they are to make inconspicuous or tuck behind bushes, especially since they need to be located near a downspout on your house.

Safety requirements and caveats
Rain barrels work via gravity, so the barrel must be level, stable, and elevated to allow water to move out of the tank. You’ll want two spigots, one at the bottom to connect a hose and the other about two-thirds of the way down to fit a watering can or bucket underneath. If you want to move water to a higher level, you’ll have to add a small pump ($50 to $150, depending on type).

You’ll also need to take a few other precautions for safety:
Covers and screens:
A secure cover keeps children, pets, and wildlife out. Fine mesh screens prevent mosquitoes from breeding (a mosquito dunk, which kills mosquito larvae but is non-toxic to plants or other animals, is also not a bad idea) and block leaves and twigs from clogging the works.

Organic growth:
Water that sits for days or weeks, especially in hot weather, can start to grow algae. Try adding a capful or two of bleach to the tank and letting it stand for a few days before using. If that doesn’t work, you may have to drain and scrub the inside periodically.

Overflow:
A 55-gallon barrel (or even two) will quickly fill up, especially during intense downpours. An overflow system that diverts water to a storm drain or into a moisture-tolerant part of the garden is essential.

Restricted uses:
Although good for plants and perfectly fine for washing cars or garden tools, water that comes off the roof is far from pure. It may be contaminated with dust, insects, bird droppings, pine needles, pollen, and other pollutants. Be sure to clearly label all rainwater-supplied fixtures as “Non-potable—Do Not Drink.” Nor is it safe to mix fertilizer or garden chemicals in the barrel, even for garden use.

Benefits that go beyond saving money
Collecting rainwater has numerous benefits apart from low-cost irrigation. Free of chlorine and sodium, naturally soft rainwater is superior for plants. Capturing roof runoff also lowers the risk of flooding and reduces the burden on storm sewers and local watersheds.

That’s one reason why a number of local and state governments are offering tax breaks or rebates for rainwater harvesting systems. A few, such as Washington, D.C., San Antonio, Texas, and San Jose, California, will even conduct a rainwater audit of your property, make recommendations, and implement rain barrels or other storm-water runoff strategies at a subsidized rate.

Related articles by Zemanta:
"When It Rains, It Pours" or "How to Use a Rain Barrel" (gomestic.com)

Minnesota-Based Barrel Depot Takes Rain Barrels on the Road (eon.businesswire.com)

The not so ugly rain barrel (thecrunchychicken.com)

Best Things About a Rain Barrel (hedbergrocks.blogspot.com)

Build a Gutterless Rain Barrel [DIY] (lifehacker.com)

And, when looking for a home in the Johns Creek, North Fulton area you need look no further than:

www.AnzianoRealEstate.com

Water Saving Irrigation Strategies

Simple, low-cost watering systems help you save water and money but still have a great-looking yard.
Almost one-third of the water your family uses—some 100 gallons a day on average—ends up on your yard and garden, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Nationwide, more than 7 billion gallons a day go to landscape irrigation. If that weren’t problem enough, as much as half that water is wasted. It falls on sidewalks or evaporates into the air before it ever reaches the ground. With a few simple changes to the way you water, you can save a precious resource and lower your bills at the same time. To remember the steps to take, just use our handy acronym: DIRTS, which stands for drip irrigation, recapture, timers, and sensors.

Drip irrigation sends water only where you need it
Drip irrigation systems can be a great way to save because they put water only where you want it. Unlike a soaker hose, which emits water all along its length, a drip system delivers water directly to plants’ roots, which cuts down on waste and also reduces weeds.

A drip system is basically a long, thin plastic tube sitting on the ground or, less often, buried right below the surface. Small fittings, called emitters, release water at rates of one-half to four gallons an hour. The tubing is attached to your outside faucet with a valve. You can turn on the drip manually or put it on a timer. Some systems also let you adjust the water flow, which can help prevent overwatering.

Installing a drip system is pretty easy.

Attach the valve, run the tubing, and insert the emitters where you want water. The number of emitters you need depends on what you’re watering. A 10-foot tree that soaks up 60 gallons of water a week might need several emitters, while a small plant that only requires a couple of gallons would need just one.

A new drip system will cost about anywhere from $50 for about 20 plants to $200 or more for a whole yard. You can also convert your existing in-ground sprinkler system. Companies like RainBird make adapters that let you replace sprinkler heads with connectors for drip tubing. Going from sprinklers to drip irrigation can cut lawn water use by up to 50%, saving you about $70 off the average annual household water bill of $475.

Recapturing rainwater lets you irrigate for free
Plants love the purity of rainwater, and you can’t beat the price. One inch of rain on a 1,000-square-foot roof provides 600 gallons of runoff. Depending on your local rainfall, that could be enough to water your plants all summer.

All you need to harvest rainwater is a simple plastic or wooden drum with a spigot near the bottom where you can attach your hose. A 60-gallon model will set you back $75 to $150.

Just put the barrel underneath a downspout to catch rainwater coming off the roof. You’ll need to attach a flexible elbow to the downspout so it feeds into the barrel. In areas of heavy rainfall, you can expand your storage capacity with $10 connectors that let water flow from one barrel to another.

A few cautions. Roofs made of asbestos shingles, treated cedar shakes, or old tar and gravel aren’t good candidates for rainwater collection because the runoff may contain high levels of contaminants. To keep debris out and pests away, especially mosquitoes, cover your barrel with a fine mesh screen or lid. If you have kids, clamp the lid down to keep them from falling in.

Timers and sensors keep water waste to a minimum
Whatever watering system you choose, putting a timer on it will make your watering more efficient. Plus, if you live in a drought-prone area where watering schedules are restricted, a timer can keep you from getting a ticket.

Timer kits range from simple $20 dial models that screw onto the faucet and let you set on and off times manually to electronic controllers that let you program multiple on-off times and different watering schedules for different days of the week. If you want to track your water use, you can add a garden water meter for less than $10.

For even greater water savings, you need a sensor ($20-$30) that adjusts the water flow depending on how much rain you’ve had. These sensors measure either actual rainfall or the moisture in the soil, then automatically subtract that amount from the next watering cycle. Savings can be significant: A University of Florida study showed that soil moisture monitors can cut water use by more than 50%.

You can even give your water monitoring a high-tech spin with an ET (evapotranspiration) controller. These “smart” controllers use real-time satellite weather data to make watering adjustments. They can also be programmed to adjust for soil type, weather conditions, and slope. Installation requires a professional, but savings can be 20% to 40%, according to the Irrigation Association. Many water agencies in the West give rebates to customers who install “smart” systems; in southern California, installing an ET controller qualifies you for a $200 rebate.

An edible garden featuring vegetables and herbs can save you a bundle if you keep it simple and raise plants that offer high yields.

Edible gardens aren't just good for your health, they're also good for your wallet--a well-maintained garden can yield a half-pound of fresh vegetables for every square foot of garden space.

Whether you’re trying to pinch pennies on your grocery bill or just hungering to eat healthier, having your own edible garden is the answer. The beauty of tending a backyard vegetable patch is that you can pick and choose what to grow, allowing you to customize a mix that suits your family’s palate—and gives you the greatest return on investment.

How much can you save?
A backyard edible garden will trim costs from your grocery bill while providing you and your family with the freshest produce possible. According to Bruce Butterfield, research director for the National Gardening Association, a well-maintained garden can produce a half-pound of fresh vegetables for every square foot of garden space. At average market prices, that means a garden returns about $1 per square foot.

Studies conducted by W. Atlee Burpee Co., a mail-order seed company, are even more optimistic. According to Burpee, the average cost-to-benefit ratio of home-grown produce for those who have established gardens is better than 1 to 25. That means every $1 spent on seeds and supplies yields at least $25 worth of vegetables.

Even first-time gardeners will benefit. George Ball, owner of Burpee Co., says that a $10 investment in seeds for tomatoes, beans, bell peppers, lettuce, peas, and carrots, plus $80 for soil, fertilizer, and the cost of building several raised beds, can yield more than $250 worth of veggies and herbs—a substantial portion of the approximately $3,465 the average U.S. family spends on a year’s worth of groceries.

For families that save the harvest, either by freezing, canning, or drying, the cost-benefit ratio climbs even higher. Martha Garway, who tends a 10x10 plot in a Providence, R.I., community garden, freezes much of her summer produce, such as okra, tomatoes, and peppers.

That summer harvest, which costs her $20 for the plot plus the cost of seeds (and she tends to save her own), enables her to “buy only meat and fish through winter—no vegetables,” she says.

Top plants for great returns
For the average gardener in most regions of the country, here are some of the most cost-effective vegetables to grow, and an estimate of what you’ll save over store-bought produce. These figures reflect veggies harvested for fresh eating only; if you freeze or can produce to consume beyond the harvest season, your savings will multiply.

Slicing tomato
Seedling cost: $2.00/plant
Yield: 10-15 pounds tomatoes/plant
Savings: $15-$23/plant

Bell pepper
Seedling cost: $2.00/plant
Yield: 6-8 peppers/plant
Savings: $9-$12/plant

Cucumber
Seed cost: $2.95/packet of 240 seeds
Yield: 10-15 pounds of cucumbers per plant
Savings: $5-$7.50/plant

Bush green beans
Seed cost: $2.95/packet of seeds
Yield: 2.5-3 pounds/5-foot row
Savings: $3.75-$4.50/row

Pole green beans
Seed cost: $2.95/packet of seeds
Yield: 4-5 pounds/5-foot row
Savings: $6-$7.50/row

Leaf lettuce
Seed cost: $2.00/packet of mixed lettuces
Yield: 16 oz. of salad every 3-5 days after leaves mature
Savings: $4 per week

A few vining vegetables, like squash or Malabar spinach, produce abundant yields for the price of a packet of seeds ($2.95). Winter squash types in particular are easy to cure and store, lasting well into spring and offering savings of up to $10-$15 per vine.

Herbs
Herbs offer amazing return. For $1.50, you can buy a 3-inch pot of parsley, chives, oregano, mint, or basil and harvest leaves all season long. With the perennial herbs, like oregano and mint, the harvest continues for years with little maintenance action required. Compare that to “fresh” herbs you’ll get at the grocery for $3 for a 3-ounce packet.

What not to grow
Some vegetables aren’t cost-effective in an edible garden. For instance, you could spend $20 for organic seed potatoes that will yield 15 pounds of spuds from a 20-foot row planting. Compare that with the average price of white potatoes in the supermarket at $1 per pound. Then again, you can’t find Russian Banana fingerlings or Purple Viking potatoes at the grocer, so if you want a specialty spud, grow your own.

Other veggies that don’t pay to grow are ones that are finicky, like celery or asparagus. Both are labor intensive. Onions are relatively cheap to purchase, and it can be difficult to get a large yield of good-size bulbs without a massive garden.

Try growing shallots instead, a gourmet-style onion family member that produces green tops you can harvest like chives and mild flavored bulbs that cost up to $4 a pound at the store.

How big an edible garden?
The median size of an edible garden is about 100 sq. ft., according to the National Gardening Association. For a family of four, a growing space of 200 sq. ft. should keep the family in veggies all summer long. Plan to spend 4 hours a week tending your garden, with 8-12 hours for preparing the planting area in spring, shopping for seeds and seedlings, and sowing crops.

Where to get the best garden land?
Well, that we don't know but we do know that Johns Creek is a wonderful place to start growing your family. See all the houses in Johns Creek at: http://bit.ly/9XJ70b