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How To Setup a Rainwater Collection System
By Sarah Perkins of Sustainable Living Systems, Inc.
Using Blue, Food-Grade, 55-Gallon Barrels, setting up a rainwater collection system takes determining where you wish to collect rainwater, gathering the needed materials, and a good sunny day. Below are the 10 steps I used in constructing a rainwater collection system for use in my garden-landscape. Step 1 – Gather Materials and Tools Materials: 4 Blue, Food-Grade, 55-Gallon Barrels – $8 each from local honey and vanilla manufacturing company
1 Metal, Male Threaded Spigot – $5 from local hardware store
6 Metal, 5/8 In. Male Threaded Coupler with Tightening Clamp – $2 each from local hardware store
8 In. Tube, Fast-drying Silicon Caulk – $4 from local hardware store
3 Ft., ¾ In. Diameter Garden Hose – Had on hand: $5 value.
8 Ft., Flexible, Downspout – Had on hand: $10 value
8 Cinder Blocks – Had on Hand: $10 value
6 In. Square Piece of Window Screen - Had on Hand: $3 value Tools: Garden Snipers for Cutting Garden Hose
Lock-in Pliers for Tightening Spigots
Flathead Screw Driver for Tightening Clamp around Coupler and Hose
¾ In. Drill Bit with Drill for Drilling Holes in Barrels
Shovel for Leveling Ground Step 2 – Drill Holes Drill seven holes using a drill bit that’s slightly smaller than the coupling and spigot. Drill the holes to create a flow from the first barrel, which attaches to the downspout; to the last barrel, which has the spigot. Drill three inches from the bottom in order to drill straight holes. Once drilled, set the barrels in a sunny location to heat and expand. Step 3 – Attach Couplers & Spigot When the barrels are warm to the touch, put silicon caulk around each threaded section and screw on couplers and spigot with lock-in pliers till tight. Let dry for 20 minutes. Step 4 – Cut & Attach Garden Hose With the snipers, cut the garden hose into three, one foot sections. Put silicon caulk around the exposed portion of one coupler on each of the first three barrels; then attach a section of hose to each of the three couplers. Fit the hose snuggly against the barrel and tighten the clamp thoroughly with a screw driver. Caulk again around the clamp. Allow to dry for 20 minutes. Step 5 – Prepare Location Using a shovel, level the ground where the barrels will be placed. Place two cinder blocks where each barrel will set. Putting the barrels on cinder blocks makes it easier to attach hoses and fill containers under the spigot. Level the ground so that the first barrel is slightly higher than the second barrel; the second is slightly higher than the third; the third is slightly higher than the fourth; with the fourth lower than all. This forces the water through each barrel, using the water on the bottom first. Step 6 – Attach Barrels Together Place the barrels on the cinder blocks and repeat step 4 on the three remaining exposed couplings. Once the connections are made, with extra silicon caulk applied, open the spigot and remove the caps on the tops of the barrels. The caps are easily removed with a pair of pliers opened inside the lip edge of the cap. Dry and vent for 4 hours. Step 7 – Attach Downspout Press the end of the downspout together, and push it into one of the cap openings in the first barrel. Before pressing it in, insert a screen over the end of the downspout where it fits into the barrel cap. Step 8 – Wait for a Rainy Day After the first rain, the barrels filled halfway. Because I tightened the caps, the first two barrels filled completely, and the last two barrels were empty. As soon as I loosened the cap on the last barrel, the air pressure released and the water equalized in each barrel. Loosen the cap on the last barrel as the overflow point. Step 9 – Dispense Water Dispense rainwater into a container or attach a garden hose. Step 10 – Use Free Water My cat drank the first glass, lapping it up faster than her usual well water. My potato patch than received a thorough watering.
Sarah Perkins is a sustainability specialist focusing on sustainable construction and design, renewable energy and efficiency, and writing on systems for sustainable living: such as green building methods, solar technology, composting techniques, edible landscapes, greywater restoration, and much more. She is co-inventor of the C.O.R.E. Home and Founder of Sustainable Living Systems, Inc. For more info on Sarah Perkins and the C.O.R.E. Home, visit her website at www.TheCoreHome.com.
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Contributor's Note
The photos for this intel were taken by me, using my iPhone.
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Tools with Couplers Attached
Barrel Alignment for Drilling Coupler Holes
Caulking Couplers
Attach Hose to Coupler
Tighten Clamp on Coupler & Hose
Barrels Attached Together
Attached Downspout
Dispense Water
Use Water
Potato Patch
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The copyright for this content entitled "How To Setup a Rainwater Collection System" has been specified by the contributor as:
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0
Details 
This content may be copied, distributed, and modified, as long as a) it's for non-commercial purposes, b) the original author is acknowledged with a link back to the content page, and c) if the work is modified, the result is distributed with this same license.
If you use this content according to the license specified, you must link to the following URL:
http://thecorehome.qondio.com/
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