Thinking about stormwater management at home? Well, a great thing to consider is a rain collection system. Rain can be collected from rooftops and stored in barrels and reused to water your garden. An average amount of rainfall for one day can produce hundreds of gallons of water that just wash down your roof and out eventually to make into the local waterways.
Not only are rain barrels a good idea because they save you money on your water bill, but the environment benefits from their use. This is because water that washes off our roofs pick up pollutants like oil, and litter, and animal waste before reaching the local water way. By collecting the water we can prevent all those contaminates from entering the water ways.
Here is a guide for building your own rain water collection system:
Step 1: Cut a bucket to create the top of your rainwater tank
Step 2: Use your permanent marker and the top of the five gallon bucket and trace around the top of the 55 gallon / 210 liter drum.
Step 3: Spout it out
Step 4: Add a gutter extension.
Step 5: Measure and mark where you need to cut the fitting so that the end will run into the top of your rainwater collection barrel.
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Step 6: Ensure a proper fit.
Step 7: Strain the drain
Step 8: Place a gutter strain in the gutter on your roof.
For more information on rain collection systems in general visit,
http://www.stewardship.gatech.edu/potablewater.php
https://imageserv9.team-logic.com/mediaLibrary/198/How_toMakeaRainBarrelBrochure_Final_2.pdf
Blog Post by NOFA OLC's Fall Intern, Julia Rossi.
