Even if the rain forces your activities indoors, you can take advantage of it to save money on water costs and protect the environment at the same time.
Rain barrels, which have been popping up under gutter spouts across the country, are an environmentally-friendly, cheap and efficient way of collecting water that would otherwise be wasted as runoff to nearby streams, rivers, or storm drains.
When used, the barrels provide a supply of free “soft water” – water that contains no chlorine, lime, or calcium – ideal for watering gardens, washing cars, or topping off pools, among other uses. They store and collect the water that gathers in your gutters, saving it for when you need to use it.
During peak summer months, times of heat and possible drought, the EPA estimates that rain barrels could save the average homeowner about 1300 gallons of water!