A Greenscapes Guest blog
It seems every year we are experiencing more changes in precipitation, with longer periods of drought and even off-season droughts like the one Massachusetts is currently in. As we grapple with changing climate, one way you can both conserve and reuse water is by installing a rain barrel.
A single rain barrel can collect and store up to 60 gallons of rainwater, which can cover about 100 square feet with 1 inch of water. Over the course of a year, one rain barrel can provide you with approximately 1700 gallons of water that can be used on outdoor gardens, irrigate lawns, wash your car, and almost any other outdoor use.
This means you can save the municipal water you use, or water from your private well, for essential household functions like laundry and bathing. It can also provide costs savings on your water bill by reducing overall water use.
Finally, if you have a rain barrel installed and have been collecting water, then you’ll have an option to water your garden even during dry times when there are water bans.
At IRWA’s headquarters – Riverbend – we use our rain barrel to water the garden during extreme drought. (Our low-maintenance native plant garden generally does not need additional watering other than what it receives through rainfall, although in times of extended dry conditions we are able to do so!)
The following communities are offering rain barrels, often at discounted prices, to residents this spring:
Danvers
Hamilton
Ipswich
North Andover
North Reading
Reading
Salem
Wenham
Wilmington
By using Greenscapes practices, you can create outdoor spaces around your home that help absorb and reuse the rain to reduce your overall water use while still allowing you to be able to water your lawn during water bans. Learn more about the program and use our Greenscapes guide to incorporate landscaping practices that protect our families, water, and wildlife.