by Sam Zastrow, Outreach and Education Market Manager
Spring has arrived early in many parts of the United States, but are you ready for spring showers? Water conservation efforts and planning around your home can prevent water damage to your home and reduce your water use. Rain barrels have water conservation and storm water benefits, while protecting your home from water damage and flooding.
Rain barrels slow runoff and allow water to soak into the soil. Roads, parking lots, sidewalks and other impervious surfaces alter natural rainfall runoff patterns. Most paved surfaces are impervious, does not allow something to pass through it, changing the way rainwater collects and travels through local ecosystems.
Changing the way rainwater collects and travels has the potential to damage sensitive ecosystems as it collects harmful chemicals and substances from paved surfaces. By collecting rainwater in rain barrels, it reduces flooding and allows yards, gardens and other natural areas to use a more natural water cycle path to absorb rainwater. Rain barrels reduce flooding and allow water to soak into nearby soils instead of collecting chemicals and substances while traveling to reach nearby soil.
Collecting rainwater reduces yard flooding, helping to prevent water damage and flooding to homes during wet spring and summer months. Rain Barrels collect and store rainwater from your roof that would otherwise be lost to runoff, cause yard flooding or diverted to storm drains and streams. Watering your lawn and garden make up nearly 40% of total household water use during hot summer months. Rain barrels provide a free supply of “soft water” to homeowners for gardens, flowerpots, and car and window washing.
A rain barrel can save most homeowners about 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months. Learn more about rain barrels and their water saving benefits with information from the Environmental Protection Agency:
• Green Landscaping: Rain Barrels
• How Can I Make a Rain Barrel?
Find more no cost and low cost energy efficiency and conservation tips from Conservation Conversations! Use our tips to reduce your electricity, gas and water use to save 10% on your energy bills.
Para información en español visite: http://www.conversaciondeconservacion.com/
