Pro tip: Install a rain barrel and save $40 on your water bill each month

I put in a 50-gallon rain barrel at my house in Austin last summer. It catches runoff from my garage roof, and I use that water for my vegetable garden and lawn. Last month I checked my water bill and I was using 30% less city water than the same time the year before. The barrel cost me $80 at the local hardware store, so it paid for itself in two months. Has anyone else tried this in a dry climate like Texas?

3 comments

3 Comments

fox.jesse1mo ago

Wondering if you covered the barrel with something to keep the evaporation down. In Austin we get enough cloud cover and humidity that my barrel stays pretty full for a few days after a storm, but in Phoenix that sounds brutal. You might need a bigger barrel buried underground or a sealed system if you really want it to work out there. Did the hardware store guy give you any advice on that or was he just happy to sell you the thing?

sammurray1mo ago

Sharing your pain @rubyreed, that Phoenix heat is no joke on open water. I'm in Austin too and I actually buried my barrel about halfway in the ground and painted it light gray to reflect some of that sun. You could also rig up a simple lid with a mesh screen like @fox.jesse mentioned, that'll cut down on evaporation and keep out the bugs.

rubyreed1mo ago

Ha, lucky you. I tried a rain barrel in Phoenix and it just turned into an expensive bird bath that evaporated before I could even water a single tomato plant.