Collecting and storing your rainwater is not a new idea, but it has begun to gain favor in green building industry. By applying large underground storage tanks to a conventional aluminum or vinyl gutter system, throw in an electric sump pump and hook it all up to your lawn sprinkler system.
Unfortunately, not all of us can afford the high price of putting together a project that costs somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000. By defraying the costs with your own free labor and a few junkyard items that would make Sanford and son proud, you can create your own simple rainwater collector and storage system for a whole lot cheaper.
A search on Google for "rainwater barrels" produced some pretty good selections. One of the better places had a few over priced rain barrels. These big ole ugly beasts of plastic were meant to be attached to a gutter downspout. Now who would want this obnoxious giant on a corner of your home? The insult is they ask you for $70 to leave the hideous hoarder of H2O on your porch!
Upon further searching we find that there are several other models in which you can bury underground. These rainwater collectors cost about $300 a piece and require you to rent a backhoe to dig out a huge hole for this gigantic plastic underground lake. This doesn’t include the electric water pump to get out the water.
You don’t need all of that expensive equipment and fancy gear. You don’t even need a gutter system! (Although it does help.)
By purchasing a wood barrel for around $35 to $50, you can easily store water underground. If you’re handy, you might even be able to make one yourself. Bury the entire wood barrel underground, leaving the top flush with the surface of the soil. After a good rain, the barrel will sink in the hole with the weight of the water, pushing it below ground allowing more water to run into the barrel when it rains.
Another cheap but not so permanent idea is to use metal barrels. At almost any feed store you can buy empty 50 gallon drums. For around $5 to $10 each, it’s hard not to use one of these recycled feed barrels. The only drawback: it’s going to rust in 6 months to a year and you’ll have to replace it.
So how can you get the water out from these cheap barrels? You need a pump. For about $10 you can get a very small fountain pump at most home improvement centers. While not a lot of water comes out at once, if you pump it into a watering can, in a few minutes you’ll have plenty of water for your thirstiest of garden plants!
If you’re not that patient, a larger sump pump can be bought for a larger price. The more water you want pumped per minute the more it costs. If you’re on a budget, just stick with the cheap and slow pump. Slow and steady wins the race!