On average, the DuPage County area receives about 35″ of rain annually. A vast majority of this rainfall will end up as run-off, flowing from your property to sewer drains and eventually to rivers and retention areas. Wouldn’t it be nice to keep more of that water to use when dry weather settles in?
A rain barrel is an excellent way to collect rain and save it for drier times. Rain barrels are readily available throughout DuPage County. Most of the rain barrels sold locally are produced from plastic 55-gallon, food-grade drums. These containers are perfect to use for rain barrels.
I personally prefer these over the commercially produced rain barrel. These are often cheaper and recycle a plastic drum that could otherwise end up in a landfill. The one downside to these barrels is that they are generally not as attractive as the commercially produced rain barrels.
I have three rain barrels in place on my property. For the most part, the barrels are strategically hidden with plants and bushes. The rainwater collected in these barrels is more than sufficient to maintain even watering of all my gardens (and I have a lot). I simply attach a hose and let gravity work its magic as I water my plants.
A great place to purchase to buy a rain barrel is through The Conservation Foundation in Naperville (www.theconservationfoundation.org). They sell a great barrel at a good price and all the proceeds go to a worthy cause. Get your rain barrel now, before the hot, rain-less days of mid-summer approach.