Rain water harvesting through rain barrels

Rain barrels are tanks used to collect and store rain water which can be used to serve a number of purposes. The primary use of the collected rain water can be for gardening (which accounts for 40% of the total water used by any household), washing cars, in washing machines and in exceptional circumstances after proper filtering for drinking as well. The rain water collected through these barrels would otherwise be lost to run offs and diverted to storm drains and streams. With the use of rain barrels not only would you be conserving the environment but also saving your money.
The design of a rain barrel is simple yet efficient. It comprises of 20 to 100 Gallon Tank, a vinyl hose, PVC couplings and a screen to keep insects and other debris out. It has to be kept in a convenient location under a gutter where the rain Water can be drained into it easily.
A rain barrel can be bought in the market where it is easily available. A rain barrel with easy and minimal installation is suitable and preferable for people lacking required technical skills. Rain barrels are available at various rates due to different designs, capacity, material used, style and brand etc. There are various models available which should be seen before a choice is made. Different designs and models are present in gardening catalogues as well. Use of different materials such as wood or plastic etc would alter the cost substantially. Heavy duty material is preferable for longer life as well as efficiency though the price might be higher. The existence of online sellers increases easy availability of rain barrels. The average price of rain barrels ranges from $100 to $350.
With an efficiency of 70 to 90% rain barrels are very useful. 600 gallons of water can be collected from an area of 1000 Sq feet for every inch of rain. The placement of rain barrels can also vary efficiency and thus is important. It should be placed in such a location so that transfer for use in gardens etc, is easily possible. It should also have a heavy duty overflow pipe which drains water away from the building when there is heavy rain.
In todays world where conservation of the environment and natural resources is the talk of the town, harvesting rain water through rain barrels is a grass root level plan for water conservation. The water if not conserved would be wasted in run offs (which also causes river, stream etc. pollution), is used for various purposes which accounts for a large part of the water usage by a household. The use of these rain barrels would reduce pressure on the water table and tap water supply. Rain water is considered more beneficial for gardening purposes as well as it does not contain chemicals found in regular water supply.
It is observable that a rain barrel requires more than just a barrel for functioning. Analyzing and estimating cost for constructing a rain barrel, it would be around $120 while purchasing the same off the market would set you back by around $200. Comparing the efficiency of a professionally made barrel with a homemade one would be imprudent as the increased efficiency of a purchased barrel would be obvious. There could be problems in making of a barrel by hand which could decrease efficiency. The price of tools used for construction of the barrel would be separate and thus adding those to the cost would put it at par with the one purchased in terms of cost. It is easily settled that purchasing rain barrels over constructing one is favorable.