Can use of Rain Barrels reduce water consumption costs

Rain barrels are used to collect and store the rain water from your roof that is usually lost to runoff, streams or sewers. Rain barrels generally consist of a 55 gallon drum, a vinyl hose, PVC couplings and a screen grate. They can be placed below the gutter down spot of your home and collect water during the rains.
Rain barrels are efficient for the purpose of water harvesting and conservation. Use of rain barrels can help in tackling the problem of water shortage and cut down the costs of water consumption. Throughout heavy rains, if used properly one can store as much as an entire barrel full of water. Rain water collected on your roof can be collected in a rain barrel and put to good use. The collected rain water can be employed in maintaining your garden and flowers or washing cars or windows. In a given year one can save up water enough to last one whole summer depending on the number of rain barrels that are put to use. During peak summer months, a rain barrel can collect about 1,300 gallons of rain water.
The benefits of using rain barrels not only include the cost cutting on water expenditure. The water collected is soft water and is excellent for garden use. Rain water is also very good for washing cars since it contains no dissolved minerals like chlorine, calcium or lime. The use of rain barrels is apposite in places where a convenient spout is not located. In dry periods when water is in short supply, rain barrels make for a good provision of water. The environmental benefit of using rain barrels is undeniable as they efficiently conserve rain water which is the most easily available sources of natural water.
Care has to be taken that rain barrels should be kept covered with a secure lid so that children or pets do not fall into it. Also, the water in the rain barrels should not be used for cooking, drinking or bathing. In case any kind or spray or medicine is used on the roof, then the barrel should not be used in the first few rains. The rain barrels should be kept a little elevated to make the spigot easily accessible. For more hoarding ability, more than one barrel can be used. They can be joint together to be able to hold more rain water.
Rain barrels can be constructed at home but the equipments require technical skills besides being expensive. Not only is the process lengthy and time consuming, but it also requires a lot of skill to get all the parts right. Contrastingly, it is easier to buy ready made rain barrels as they are readily available and spares one the time and energy required to make one.