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Barreling Through the
Dry Times
By Barbara Elmore,
HCMG
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How easy is it to make your own
rainwater collection
barrel? Almost as easy
as shooting fish in a
barrel — with a little
bit of guidance and
eager volunteers.
Hill Country Master Gardeners
have made 124 barrels
for both members and
others in the community.
Multiply that by 55
gallons, the amount each
barrel holds, and that's
almost 7,000 gallons of
water not coming out of
the aquifer.
Here's a DIY recipe if you
want to try it.
Items you will need:
55-gallon
food grade poly barrel
3/4-inch
outdoor hose bib faucet
Roll of
window screen fabric
Tube of
silicone sealer
3/4-inch
PVC threaded elbow
1-gallon
black nursery pot
Tools you will need:
1-inch
paddle drill bit
Rock wall
saw
Electric
drill |
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Step 1:
Clean the container by
rinsing with water.
Step 2: Place the gallon
nursery pot in the
location you designate
to catch the water flow
from the roof,
downspout, rain chain,
etc. Trace the pot
bottom and cut the hole
using your saw. The
cutout should be about 6
inches and the pot's lip
should fit snugly in the
hole. Do not glue the
pot to the barrel
because you'll need to
remove it to clean or
replace.
Step 3: Cut a piece of
window screen fabric to
fit in the bottom of the
pot. This will keep
debris out of your
rainwater.
Step 4: With the paddle
drill, make a 1-inch
hole for the hose bib or
spigot. This hole should
be about 4 inches from
the bottom of the
barrel. Thread the
spigot into the hole.
Then remove it, cover
the thread with silicon
sealant, and reinstall.
Let dry.
Step 5: Install an overflow
vent an inch below the
bottom of the nursery
pot. Thread the 3/4-inch
PVC elbow into the hole.
Remove the elbow and
place sealant on the
threads. Reinstall. Let
dry. Make sure the vent
faces down instead of up
to deter bugs from
flying in.
Step. 6. Put your barrel
under the downspout and
wait for the rain.
Putting your barrel on
cinderblocks or some
other platform makes
getting the water out
easier and allows easier
access to make repairs.
Elevate it before the
rain comes because a
50-gallon barrel of
water weighs about 400
pounds. |
Note:
If you want a
multi-barrel system, you
can connect them using
3/4-inch PVC pipe and
male and female
adaptors. Place them so
that the water goes into
the first barrel, and
position the overflow
pipes to connect the
barrels.
For someone who knows
how to use tools,
building the barrel
should take about 45
minutes. |
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Photo by C Brinkman |
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