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A rain barrel (water butt in the UK) is a form of rainwater tank, commonly a plastic 208 liter (55-gallon barrel) or container of similar capacity. It is used to collect rainwater either to be used during periods of drought or to reduce overall water consumption from municipal supplies. The water collected is rarely used as drinking water but instead is employed for gardening purposes, and sometimes for flushing toilets. Rainwater is not potable due to the potential presence of contaminants from roofing materials. Image File history File links Acap. ... A rainwater tank is a water tank which is used to collect and store rainwater runoff, typically from rooftops. ... The liter (spelled liter in American English and litre in Commonwealth English) is a unit of volume. ... A typical drum A 44 gallon drum (known as a 55 gallon drum in the United States) is a cylindrical metal container (drum) with a nominal capacity of 44 imperial gallons, 55 U.S. gallons or 205 litre. ... Fields outside Benambra, Victoria suffering from drought conditions A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. ... Drinking water Mineral Water Drinking water is water that is intended to be ingested by humans. ... A gardener Gardening is the practice of growing flowering plants, vegetables, and fruits. ...

Advantages

Widespread use of rain barrels reduces the amount of rainwater reaching the ground in a particular area and draining into streams and storm drains, and hence reduces erosion, sedimentation and pollution, and prevents storm water drainage systems being overwhelmed. Rain barrels additionally provide free, soft water for use in watering plants which reduces the strain on municipal water systems. Soft water is the term used to describe types of water that contain few or no calcium or magnesium ions. ...

Environmentally-conscious communities encourage rain barrel use and some provide discounted rain barrels to their citizens in order to take advantage of the resulting reduction in storm water runoff.

Colorado law

In the State of Colorado, USA, the installation of rainwater collection barrels is an offense. This is a consequence of the system of water rights in the state; the movement and holding of rainwater is inextricably linked with ownership of water rights and is enshrined in the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The use of water in Colorado and other western states is governed by what is known as the prior appropriation doctrine. This system of water allocation controls who uses how much water, the types of uses allowed, and when those waters can be used. This is often referred to as the priority system or "first in time, first in right." Since 100% of the water that arrives in the State has been allocated to 'senior water right holders' since the 1850s, the rainwater that falls on roof of the average homeowner is generally owned by someone else. Catching this water in a barrel stops it from running into a stream, where it is already owned as a water right. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Official language(s) English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Largest metro area Denver-Aurora Metro Area Area  Ranked 8th  - Total 104,185 sq mi (269,837 km²)  - Width 280 miles (451 km)  - Length 380 miles (612 km)  - % water 0. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Calculating rainwater collection

Rainwater collection from roofs can be calculated using the following formulas:

• 1 inch of rain on a 1000 square feet roof yields 623 gallons of water; or
• 1 millimeter of rain on a 1 square meter surface yields 1 litre of water.

See also

• Cistern
• Rainwater harvesting
• Sustainable living
• Water tank

// Getting water out of a cistern A cistern (Middle English cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista, box, from Greek kistê, basket) is a receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. ... View of a Johad at village Thathawata View of a stepwell at Fatehpur,Shekhawati. ... Sustainable living might best be defined as a lifestyle that could, hypothetically, be sustained unmodified for many generations without exhausting any natural resources. ... Chemical, Elevated, Hydropneumatic and Ground Storage Water Tanks shown together in one installation. ...

External links

• Water harvesting in Colorado

Building water barrels

• Build your own water barrel
• Building a water barrel system
• Example and instructions for closed barrel system
• Constructing residential rain barrel systems--both closed and open
• Rain barrel construction - Great Lakes Green Initiative

Initiatives

• Rain Barrel Initiative in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Waterwise - Reducing Water in the UK house