• Clean out gutters to remove debris.
• Use up all the rain water in the barrels in your gardens. Then rinse it with a simple vinegar solution and drain.
• Make sure screens are still in place to prevent mosquitos from entering.

You can read more here: Stormwater Control for Small Scale Projects, and you can also check out our school garden rain barrel  from our Rainwater Cistern in Action post from last year when we had our ribbon cutting ceremony.

Photo of Kat Sawyer’s Workshop at Clarendon Elementary School.

Making your own rainwater catchment system is an easy project that can be accomplished with supplies readily available at your local hardware store:

1) Place the rain barrel in a shady spot to reduce algae growth.

2) Elevate the barrel with bricks to facilitate drainage.

3) Ensure the top of the rain barrel has a hole that allows water to enter the vessel.

4) Place a filter (screen) on the hole to catch debris.

5) Drill a hole in the top quadrant of the barrel to prevent overflow.

6) Drill a hole and install a plug or spigot in the lower quadrant of the barrel to drain the collected water.

7) You can attach a hose to the lower hole for easier use.

These instructions are for a rainwater catchment system suitable for filling ponds, washing cars, watering lawns and gardens. To install a water catchment system suitable for drinking water you will need a pump and UV filter (consult a professional).

Initially building your own rainwater catchment system may seem like a laborious undertaking; however, it can be accomplished in a couple of hours and has long-term conservation benefits for your wallet, your community and the planet.

Sources:

Anderson, D. (no date). Rain barrel uses. Retrieved from http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/rain-barrel-uses-2401.html.

Jenkins, A. (no date). How to make a rain barrel cheaply. Retrieved from http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/make-rain-barrel-cheaply-20326.html.

It’s been a few months since the inauguration of our new rainwater catchment system, which The Watershed Project helped us to build. Finally, after a few weeks of well-needed rain this past March and April, we have a barrel that’s about 2/3 full. Our students, including our kindergarteners today, have been using the rainwater and watering cans to water our garden this Spring. Creative play also happens during watering time. A few kinders were pretending that they were “putting out fires!” It has been a great educational tool in the garden to teach students about water conservation and recycling water. Here are some photos from today’s watering as well as from our ribbon cutting ceremony in the Fall.