Rain Water Barrels -- the Art of Collection

Rain barrels are becoming a popular commodity for backyard gardeners. They are an excellent way to reduce the cost of water usage for your lawn and garden. By collecting your rain water, you can save up to 40% of your total water use during the hot, summery months (1) or roughly 1300 gallons of water. Collecting rain from downspouts diverts stormwater away from sewer drains alleviating sewer overflows or localized flooding. It also prevents any unwanted discharges of pollutants in our water systems caused by stormwater runoff. A sustainable win-win.

From http://www.reducethejuice.ca/about-us/the-blue-barrel

Rain barrels come in all shapes and sizes. The most common rain barrels are large 55 gallon PVC drums which are on the more affordable end of the cost spectrum. Craigslist.com has a good amount of people trying to sell off these kinds for up to 25$ or so, depending on the city you live. These drums are great for people who love DIY and putting their personal touch on them. You can easily go online and look up ways to install spouts for cheap and as well design ideas to paint on them (a good video to watch). Then there is the more specialized stores that sell designer barrels that don't even look like barrels! These can cost anywhere from 60$ and up. In the end, a rain barrel is going to do what any rain barrel does which is to hold water. It is a matter of how much you are willing to pay for it.

Picture from Woodland Direct

Some things to keep in mind about rain barrels:
1. Open water allows insects, especially mosquitoes, to get in. Opt for some sort of mesh to cover openings.
2. There is a lack of research in the quality of rain water in a rain barrel. Therefore, the water should not be consumed by human or animal or be used to water your vegetable/fruit garden (2).
3. Water pressure is not going to be as high as what you would get directly out of your spout.
4. You might need a crash course on disconnecting your downspout. An example of one is here.
5. Check with your local municipality for rebates or discounts for rain barrels. For the city of Chicago, there is a rain barrel rebate program if you join the Sustainable Backyard Program: here
6. Make sure your rain barrel is secure at all times.


1. http://www.epa.gov/Region3/p2/what-is-rainbarrel.pdf
2. http://www.extension.umn.edu/environment/00023.pdf
3. http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/article/182095

Stormwater discharges - where do they go?

Combined sewer systems (CSS) are a remainder of the United State's early waste water infrastructure and are truly relics of the past. In older cities like Chicago, combined sewer systems removed both sewage and stormwater away from city streets. Unbeknownst to city officials then were the environmental or health advantages for creating a separated sewer system for stormwater and sewage. Instead a cheaper alternative was introduced in the form of a single pipe to collect and transport both stormwater and sewage to a waste water treatment facility. In the United States there are 772 communities that use CSS serving 40 million people (1).

Combined sewer system demagraphics in the US (1). 

What's terribly flawed about collecting both rain and sewage in the same pipe are combined sewage overflows during rainfall. A CSS plant is built dependent on the number of homes they have to accommodate, but it did not account for unpredictable climate. During dry times, sewage has no problem moving through the pipe and into the treatment plant. But during heavy rains, stormwater can quickly overwhelm the pipes causing combined sewer overflows (CSO). These overflows are a combination of raw sewage and rainwater that either spills over into rivers and lakes or creates basement backups. Both are a health hazard to humans and animals.

Combined sewer system and overflows (2).

Some municipalities with combined sewer systems are choosing to separate the two, which is no small feat. Many urban cities have realized the inevitability of combined sewer overflows and have opted to separate the two systems early in construction. These separate sewer systems are called MS4's or the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. Stormwater is now collected in a separate pipe and discharged into a body of water, often untreated. Because of this, residents should be aware that dumping any substance down sewer drains should never be permitted, regardless of a 'No Dumping sign' or not. Also, check out my post on Silent oil spills which is how our motor oil pollutes our water ways.

No Dumping sign in Hoboken, NJ (3).

Curious to know if your city of residence in Illinois has a combined or a separate sewer system? Check out IEPA's website here. For all others, check your respective EPA website.

References:
1. http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/cso/demo.cfm?program_id=5. Accessed on 9/13/13
2. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/pollution/media/supp_pol03bc.html. Accessed on 9/13/13
3. http://theboken.com/hoboken/photo-of-the-day-sewer-signage-no-dumping/. Accessed on 9/13/13