Many Massachusetts towns and cities distribute rain barrels to residents through annual sales. Check with your municipality to see if there is a rain barrel sale planned and for details on how to participate. Or check the websites of the following vendors on state contract for information on sales planned in Massachusetts communities and how to participate. If no barrels are available in your community, try a neighboring community or consider purchasing a barrel directly from the vendor.
You can also check the following Massachusetts businesses that make rain barrels, or search for a rain barrel on-line:
- Boston Building Resources, 100 Terrace St, Boston, MA, 617-442-2262, www.bbmc.com (click on "Products for the Yard").
- Aaron's Rain Barrels, P.O. Box 1429, Leominster, MA, 978-790-1816.
How to make your own rain barrel:
Obtain a container with a cover or lid, such as a 55-gallon drum made of heavy duty plastic. Barrels previously used to ship food products are ideal. Do not use a barrel that contained toxic chemicals. The barrel should not be transparent or translucent, which can promote algae growth. Thoroughly wash out any container that is being reused with a mixture of 1/8 cup of bleach and 5 gallons of water.
If there is not already an opening in the lid, cut a round opening using a jigsaw. Install a skimmer basket, like those used in swimming pools, to filter out leaves and other debris. Additionally, you should cover the opening with fiberglass window screen in order to keep out mosquitoes. Make sure the barrel is covered at all times to keep children and animals from falling in.
Install a 3/4 inch hose spigot. This should be attached to side of the barrel a few inches up from the bottom, providing space for any sediment to collect and keeping the drain clear. You can fill watering cans directly from the spigot, or connect a soaker hose for watering a garden.
Install an overflow drain fitting on the side of the barrel near the top, and attach an overflow hose to the fitting. This is to allow excess water to drain away from the foundation, to water plants or to fill another barrel. (You can place the overflow hose into the opening of another barrel, increasing the volume of rain water you can collect and store). The last barrel in the series should have an overflow hose long enough to direct excess rain water away from the foundation.