Rain Barrels

Rain Barrels

Information about rain barrels appears as part of The Rain Catchers program.
Rain Catchers emphasize clean water and lake/stream friendly neighborhoods through the establishment of rain gardens and use of rain barrels.
When it comes to rain, rooftops, in a sense, are actually useless. Indeed, they keep the people and things inside warm and dry, but rooftops waste the rain. One inch of rain falling on an average-sized rooftop over a 24-hour period adds up to 700 gallons of rainwater! Since a rooftop cannot soak up water, all of that water flows off the roof and onto the ground. As it flows downhill, run off water collects nutrients and sediment particles, which ultimately end up in lakes and streams. The nutrients in the run off water can diminish the water quality of lakes and streams by stimulating the conditions that foster fish kills and diminish recreational activities. Fortunately, rain barrels can put run off rainwater to good use. Rain barrels are large containers used to capture rainwater. By placing a rain barrel on the side of a house underneath a gutter downspout, rainwater can be collected and recycled to water plants and gardens. Rain barrels come in a number of shapes and sizes, perfect for any home. Rain barrels can exist alone, or even better, with a rain garden!

2008 Rain Barrel Pilot Study

Cornell Cooperative Extension has recently installed rain barrels in 5 local homeowner’s yards as part of a pilot study. The goal of the study is to figure out which rain barrels work well and how people use them. For three months, the participating homeowners will track how much rainwater is collected in their barrel daily and how much water they use from the barrel.They will also give us feedback about what they like about the barrel and which features they dislike so that we can all learn about the best rain barrel designs and set-ups. Read on to learn about each barrel, where they are installed and what the homeowners think about rain barrels so far.
(Click each picture to see the barrel’s size specifications.)

Oak Whiskey Rain Barrel

This rain barrel is an old oak whiskey cask installed at the home of Marie McDonough in Skaneateles. The rain barrel is placed under the gutter downspout on the front of the house. Marie’s two children, Ryan and Justin, are going to be in charge of measuring how much rain water is collected in their barrel each day. Despite the heavy weight of the barrel (125 pounds when empty), Marie loves the look of the aged wooden barrel in her front yard landscape. The wood was dry when it was installed, making the barrel leak at first, but the barrel will hold water once the wood saturates and expands. The McDonough’s plan to use the water they catch to water their front and side yard gardens.

Wood Grain Rain Barrel

This rain barrel resembles the oak hiskey cask, but is actually made of plastic with a faux wood-grain finish. This barrel is being trialed at Carolyn Widas’ home in Skaneateles. Widas’ home is on the shore of Skaneateles Lake next to a small creek running into the lake. The creek-side of her home is especially prone to erosion caused by the run off flowing from her roof. Widas looks forward to catching the rain with her rain barrel to minimize the negative impacts of run off on her property. She is very pleased with the appearance of her rain barrel, which resembles a wooden barrel and has a flat back for table placement. She also likes the light weight of the plastic barrel so that she can move the barrel to be tested at another gutter downspout.

Blue Plastic Rain Barrel

Chris DelMonico, a resident of Skaneateles, is piloting a blue plastic rain barrel. This rain barrel was made from a recycled food-grade container. The manufacturer drilled holes for a spigot and overflow valves and secured a mesh screen to the cover of the barrel to prevent debris and animals from getting inside. The barrel was installed on the back side of the DelMonico’s house. The rain barrel system now replaces a long gutter attachment that previously directed the water onto a sidewalk on the back of the house. Chris is looking forward to collecting a large portion of the rain water that flows off her large roof. She is eager to test the rain barrel and she plans to use the water she catches in her gardens.

Octagon Rain Barrel

Rain barrels come in many shapes in sizes, like this octagon-shaped model. This type of rain barrel is installed at Karyn Campbell’s house in DeWitt. This barrel is shorter and flatter than a traditional barrel and this shape helped it to perfectly fit beneath the shrubbery on the side of Karyn’s house. Karyn plans to attach a garden hose to the spigot on the bottom of the barrel to direct the water to a garden in the back of her yard that tends to get dry in the summertime.

RainCatcher Rain Barrel

The RainCatcher rain barrel is one of the most popular rain barrel models available, as it has been featured on the television show “Ask This Old House” and on the Home and Garden Television Network. Chris Scholl is testing the innovative RainCatcherTM at his home in Moravia. This model has a flat back as well as a spigot connection that can link two barrels together to increase holding capacity. Chris has indeed attached two RainCatcherTM barrels together so that he can prevent even more storm water from becoming run off. Chris and his wife have recently been planting more gardens on their property and they are excited to make their rain barrels an important part of their new gardens.

Updates about the rain barrel pilot study, including homeowner’s feedback and data, will be posted soon!
Installation and Maintenance

• Choose a downspout located near plants or gardens that will receive the water.


• Prepare a secure area for the barrel– Remember the barrel will be very heavy when full of water! An elevated platform (made from concrete blocks or other sturdy materials) can improve water flow from the barrel.


• Use a hacksaw to cut the downspout above the top of the barrel, leaving room for an elbow attachment or flexible gutter extension.


• Position the rain barrel and attach the downspout fitting so that water flowing from the gutter will enter the barrel according to the barrel’s design (either through a mesh screen or directly into a fitted opening).


• Attach an overflow hose to the overflow outlet and direct the hose away from the building foundation to an appropriate location (a garden or lawn, or into a consecutive rain barrel if more than one barrel will be used in series). Be sure that the overflow will not direct water into your neighbor’s property!


• Attach any gardening hoses or soaker hoses to the spigot, as desired.


• Routinely check gutters, downspouts, rain barrel intake, and spigot for leaks, obstructions or debris.


• Keep the lid of the barrel sealed– Never use an open container or leave the lid off your barrel! Open barrels are a safety hazard for children and animals.


• Completely drain the barrel of water before temperatures drop below freezing. During winter months, turn the barrel upside down or disconnect the downspout to keep water out.


• Never use rain barrel water for drinking or cooking.

Where to Purchase Rain Barrels Locally
You can find rain barrels from a number of local suppliers. The following nurseries can special-order rain barrels:

Twin Oaks Nursery	Ballantyne Gardens	Chuck Hafner’s Farm Market & Garden Center
4107 New Court Ave	4825 Hopkins Road	5169 West Taft Road
Syracuse, NY 13206	Liverpool, NY 13088	North Syracuse, NY 13212
315-437-9678	315-453-0621	315-458-2231

There are also many retailers on the internet:
Aarons Rain Barrels: www.ne-design.com
AquaBarrel: www.aquabarrel.com
Clean Air Gardening: www.cleanairgardening.com
Green Culture: www.watersavers.com
The Great American Rain Barrel Company: www.tgarb.com

These local suppliers carry recycled food-grade plastic containers that can be made into rain barrels:

Syracuse Barrel Company	Bronstein Container Company
317 Burnet Ave	1313 Rams Gulch Road
Syracuse, NY 13203	Jamesville, NY
315-479-7249	315-469-6191

For information about how to build your own rain barrel, visit:
www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox/other/KSMO_buildarainbarrel.pdf
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/onondaga/rainbarrel.pdf




Rain Barrel Styles and Design Resource Sheet
Installation and Maintenance Resource Sheet
Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Do-It-Yourself Rain Barrel Installation Guide



**The resources listed on this website are for informational purposes only. The products, services, and companies listed does not imply an endorsement by Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Are you a Rain Catcher? If you have planted a rain garden or installed a rain barrel, we would like to hear from you! To include your garden or barrel in our Rain Catchers tally, please send us the information below: Your name and contact information The location and size of your rain barrel or rain garden The number of gallons your rain garden or rain barrel is designed to capture A picture of your rain garden or barrel (optional) Send an email to: Christine Moskell at csm94@cornell.edu OR Print and fill out a Rain Catchers Postcard and mail to: CCE of Onondaga County 220 Herald Place, 2nd Floor Syracuse NY 13202