What is a rain barrel?
A rain barrel collects and stores rainwater from your roof so it can be used during periods of limited rainfall to:
- water your lawn, garden, or indoor plants,
- wash your car, boat, dog, or muddy shoes; and,
- fill your birdbaths.
Features - A rain barrel has an opening in the top to allow water from your downspout; a screened lid to keep out mosquitoes, leaves, and debris; an overflow hose to direct excess water away from the house’s foundation; and often has a spigot to attach a hose to your rain barrel.
What does the rebate cover?
The JCSA rain barrel rebate can be used to purchase the rain barrel model/s of your choosing. The JCSA does not endorse specific brands, products, or dealers. Rain barrels generally cost $80 to $190 apiece.
If you choose to build your own rain barrel/s, the rebate can be used for materials. Materials for rain barrel construction tend to cost $15 to $30. See Where can I buy containers and other parts in order to make my own rain barrels?
JCSA will refund the purchase price of up to four rain barrels or the materials to build them, with a maximum of $50 per rain barrel. Rain barrels or materials must be purchased on or after December 1, 2007.
To receive rebate, send completed rebate form and copy of receipt from purchase of rain barrel/s or material/s to JCSA. See Rain Barrel Guide & Rebate for rebate and details.
What are some benefits of rain barrels?
Ensuring Human Health - The EPA reports that depleting groundwater aquifers, such as James City County’s, can put water supplies, human health, and the environment at serious risk. Lower water levels can lead to higher concentrations of natural contaminants, such as radon and arsenic. Using water more efficiently helps maintain supplies at safe levels, protecting human health and the environment.
Reducing Municipal Water Demand - Using rainwater instead of potable water for landscaping needs frees up municipal water for necessities such as firefighting during the peak summer months, when reserves are low. Reducing our demand during peak months mitigates the need to add water infrastructure such as wells and storage tanks.
   In order to save additional water, consider landscaping techniques from our Let’s Be Water Smart program (www.bewatersmart.org) including mulching and proper plant selection, low flow toilets (look for the EPA’s new WaterSense rating system), or a rain sensor for your irrigation system.
Reducing Stormwater Runoff - As land is developed for homes and businesses, more land is covered by impervious surfaces such as parking lots, driveways, and buildings, so rainwater cannot slowly percolate into the soil and instead rushes into our waterways. Rain barrels divert stormwater which would carry pollution and debris such as pet waste, motor oil, fertilizer and pesticide runoff, litter, and sediment into our lakes and streams. This pollution and the enormous volume of stormwater that is swiftly propelled into our waterways after storm events can increase flooding, erode streambeds, damage stream and lake life, and increase fecal coliform bacteria levels, making our waterways unsuitable for work and play. Rain barrels are the first step to healthy streams, lakes, and rivers.
Although stormwater is meant to route entirely to our storm system, some finds its way into our sewers. This can lead to wastewater backups in our homes and businesses after heavy storms. By using rain barrels, we can reduce stormwater flow into our sanitary sewer system and keep wastewater out of our homes.
- Rain barrels should be used in conjunction with other stormwater management and low impact development features, such as green roofs, rain gardens, porous pavement, and proper retention pond maintenance.
Increasing Groundwater Recharge - Instead of becoming an issue for stormwater management, rainwater is used to water your lawn and garden, and then slowly percolates into the soil where it recharges our precious groundwater supply. James City Service Authority’s water supply comes from groundwater, and our supply is slowly shrinking. Rain barrels are part of the solution.
Happier Plants - Rainwater is better for your plants than tap water because it lacks chlorine and fluoride. Naturally soft and mildly acidic, rainwater helps plants grow and absorb important minerals from the soil.
Ease & Flexibility - Rain barrels are inexpensive and easy to build and install. As water storage needs change, rain barrels can be easily added and linked.
Promoting a Conscientious Culture - One of the best reasons to start harvesting rainwater with rain barrels is that you will help to spread the culture of rainwater collection and in turn help your larger community and the environment.
What are some things I’ll need to consider before installing a rain barrel?
Landscaping & Washing Needs - Most rain barrels hold 50 gallons, and can be connected end to end. To estimate your landscape water needs, subtract your winter water from your summer water usage.
Water Catchment Potential - One inch of rain on 1,000 horizontal square feet of roof yields 600 gallons of rainwater!
James City County averages 47 inches of rainfall per year. That’s 28,200 gallons of rainwater on the same roof. Increase storage capacity by purchasing multiple rain barrels and linking them in series. If you install rain barrel/s and later find that you need to increase storage capacity, you can buy more rain barrels and link them in series with your existing rain barrels.
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| Rain barrels in series to increase catchment potential, courtesy of Clean Virginia Waterways. |
Cost - Finished rain barrels run $80 to $190 for 50-65 gallons of storage. Constructing a rain barrel yourself should cost only $15 to $30. Typically, a dollar per gallon of storage is the rule of thumb for pricing larger water cisterns.
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| Close-up on hose connection between rain barrels in series, courtesy of Clean Virginia Waterways. |
Space - Check that you have room for a rain barrel near your downspout. Your rain barrel will need a flat, stable surface to sit upon.
Care - Use water within a week or two to discourage algal growth. Hose out barrel twice each summer to remove debris. Keep a screen on your rain barrels to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. If mosquitoes remain a problem, mosquito dunks can effectively, safely, and inexpensively kill larvae. Rain barrels will need to be brought inside during the winter.
Safety - Everyone loves water – including children. Be sure to buy or make a child-proof rain barrel.
Water Quality - Porous or rough roofing materials (such as asphalt rolled roofing or shingles) tend to hold particulates, such as heavy metals from air pollution, and bird feces. Wood shakes may leach wood preservatives containing heavy metals, and asphalt roofing may leach petrochemicals. Do not use rain barrel water for cooking or drinking. Rain barrel water is considered safe for plants except from roofs treated with moss killer. If moss killer has been used on your roof, let a few rain events bypass the barrel after moss killer application, before collecting water.
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| Oak barrelsand those converted intor rain barrels available at Charlie’s Antiques and Reproductions at
7766 Richmond Road
for conversion into rain barrels |
Will rain barrels match my traditional or colonial decor?
Oak barrels and those converted into rain barrels available at Charlie’s Antiques and Reproductions at 7766 Richmond Road.
Caption to the right:
How do I calculate my roof’s catchment potential?
Fill in the blanks to find out how much water you can catch!
Rain caught (gallons) ______ = (inches of rain) ______ x (0.6) x (horizontal square footage of your roof that drains into rain barrel) ______
To determine horizontal square footage of your roof that drains into rain barrel, imagine your house as viewed from above. Ignore the slant of the roofline and calculate area based on horizontal length and width of the edge of the roof, on a plane parallel to the ground. This is the “horizontal area” of your roof. Calculate horizontal area, not area along the surface of the roof, because the catchment calculation relies on amount of rainfall, as measured in inches up from the ground. An inch of rainfall will collect the same amount of rainwater in your rain barrel regardless of whether you have a steep or shallow slant to your roof.
Remember that rain from the entire roof will not drain into the downspout attached to your rain barrel. Only a portion of the roof will be sloped so that water drains to your rain barrel, so only include the relevant horizontal area.
Example of calculations:
To determine horizontal square footage of your roof that drains into each rain barrel:
Rain Barrel 1
In the above diagram, the horizontal area that drains into Rain Barrel 1 is 150 square feet (10 feet x 15 feet, in RED above) + 50 square feet ({10 feet x 10 feet} / 2 to find the triangular area, in ORANGE above).
150 square feet + 50 square feet = 200 square feet
Therefore, 2,000 square feet of horizontal area drain into Rain Barrel 1.
Rain Barrel 2
Also in the above diagram, the horizontal area that drains into Rain Barrel 2 is 300 square feet (30 feet x 10 feet, in BLUE above) + 50 square feet ({10 feet x 10 feet} / 2 to find the triangular area, in GREEN above)
300 square feet + 50 square feet = 350 square feet
Therefore, 350 square feet of horizontal area drain into Rain Barrel 2.
Now, to determine how much rainwater you can potentially catch in each rain barrel after a 1-inch rainfall:
Rain Barrel 1
1 inch of rainfall x (0.6) x (200 square feet, from calculations above) = 120 gallons
In Rain Barrel 1, you can catch 120 gallons of water after just 1 inch of rainfall. You may be limited by the storage capacity of your rain barrel. Most rain barrels hold only 50 gallons. Consider linking multiple rain barrels.
Rain Barrel 2
1 inch of rainfall x (0.6) x (350 square feet, from calculations above) = 210 gallons
In Rain Barrel 2, you can catch 210 gallons of water after just 1 inch of rainfall! Again, consider linking multiple rain barrels.
Where do I buy one locally?
Check with your local hardware and gardening stores or try the list below.* It is accurate to the best of our knowledge, but availability is subject to change.
Ace Peninsula Hardware sells recycled plastic rain barrels.
4511 John Tyler Highway
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
(757) 220-9362
Be the Bay sells rain barrels made from recycled, locally-used white oak wine barrels with brass spigots. Ten percent of profits go to Chesapeake Bay restoration projects. Free delivery within local area.
Chesapeake Environmental Communications, Inc.
PO Box 1295
Gloucester Point, VA 23062
(804) 832-0630
Charlie’s Antiques and Reproductions may have oak barrels, once used in whiskey and wine production and recently used on the set of the John Adams mini-series. Staff members have constructed a rain barrel, and may be able to provide useful advice.
7766 Richmond Road
Toano, VA 23168
(757) 566-8300
Cookes Gardens and Landscaping carries recycled, plastic, 60-gallon rain barrels, and can provide rain barrel installation.
1826 Jamestown Road
Williamsburg, VA 23185
(757) 220-0099
Jamestown Feed and Seed offers 55-gallon, black plastic rain barrels fitted with a screen on top, a brass spigot, and overflow tubing.
7348 Richmond Road
Williamsburg VA 23188
757-564-8528
Homestead Garden Center sells 50-gallon, durable, UV-stable polyethylene rain barrels.
4191 Rochambeau Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23188
(757) 566-0404
Let It Grow, Inc., carries rain barrels made from 60-gallon, recycled, oak wine barrels, complete with all hardware and fittings needed to connect one to a normal-sized downspout.
3279-A Lake Powell Road
Williamsburg, VA 23185
(757) 220-0606
Lynnhaven River Now is a river restoration project in Virginia Beach that sells rain barrels because they are an easy way for homeowners to reduce runoff from their properties. The organization takes orders and has rain barrels available within about a week for delivery or pickup from their office in Virginia Beach.
1608 Pleasure House Road, Suite 108
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
(757) 962-5398
Mike' Rain Barrels carries food grade, recycled, 56-gallon rain barrels.
4844 Texas Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23513
(757) 761-1553
Sam's Club carries wooden rain barrels made from used whiskey barrels and fitted with brass spigots.
12407 Jefferson Avenue
Newport News, VA 23602
(757) 875-0243
Document in above link provided by Mike's Rain Barrels.
*The JCSA does not endorse specific brands, products, or dealers. List is in alphabetical order and does not denote preference. If you are a local dealer that offers rain barrels and you are not on our list, or if you notice that our list is otherwise out of date, please let us know. JCSA reserves the right to control web content.
Where do I buy one online?
Aaron's Rain Barrels & More sells rain barrels including rustic oak whiskey barrel and whiskey barrel with rain chain.
Aquabarrel sells rain barrels as well as kits with instructions in case you already have a barrel. (Please check barrel specifications.)
Friends of the Rappahannock volunteers build and sell rain barrels to raise funds for their river conservation work. Because they reuse existing plastic barrels, their barrels conserve fossil fuels and have a very low carbon footprint. Please note that the group does not ship their rain barrels. They can be picked up at the Friends of the Rappahannock office in
Fredericksburg.
Gardener’s Supply Company sells various rain barrels (including oak and ‘pop-up,’ soft-material rain barrels) and accessories such as downspout diverters and linking kits.
GardenSuperMart sells two rain barrels that combine the elegant appearance of ceramic and the longevity and lightweight durability of modern plastic. One model comes with a crown planter for discrete water collection.
Growers Supply, a division of FarmTek, sells a rain barrel that automatically re-routes water back to the house drainage system when barrel is full.
Rain Barrels and More, a division of Fireside Gallery, Inc., has been manufacturing rain barrels from recycled plastic food-grade and white oak barrels for over eight years. By recycling these barrels, they have saved hundreds of tons of discarded plastic from being dumped in our already over-stressed landfills. They have supplied many cities and conservation organizations with thousands of rain barrels over the last eight years. They also sell direct to individuals through their website.
Rain Water Solutions, Inc., provides 65 gallon rain barrels of 100 percent recycled plastic manufactured in Smithfield, North Carolina.
RiverSides is a non-profit source water protection agency based in
Toronto
that sells high-quality, 132-gallon rain barrels. Discounts are granted for bulk orders. All proceeds fund RiverSides’ community programs.
Note: The JCSA does not endorse specific brands, products, or dealers. List is in alphabetical order and does not denote preference. If you are an online dealer that offers rain barrels and you are not on our list, or if you notice that our list is otherwise out of date, please let us know. JCSA reserves the right to control web content.
How do I make one?
A wealth of instructions can be found online! Rain barrels are cheap and quick to make. Use an online search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, or others to search make rain barrel or try the links below*:
Please Note: Links noted .pdf above require Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free program available at www.adobe.com
*The JCSA does not endorse specific rain barrel designs, websites, dealers, or organizations. These sites have not been reviewed by JCSA for content, so use at your own risk. List is in alphabetical order, and does not denote preference. If you have a website that contains rain barrel instructions and you are not on our list, or if you notice that our list is otherwise out of date, please let us know. JCSA reserves the right to control web content.
Where can I buy containers and other parts in order to make my own rain barrels?
If you’re building your own rain barrel, try local food and beverage distributors and discount superstores for containers. Be sure to use a container that was made to hold liquid and has not contained dangerous chemicals. A trash can will not withstand the pressure of the water for long.
For parts such as faucets, screens, washers, and lock nuts to combine with your barrel, try local hardware stores or Aquabarrel for a parts kit. See Aquabarrel for kit details.
Local sources of appropriate barrels that may be available for conversion into rain barrels* (subject to availability):
Charlie’s Antiques and Reproductions may have oak barrels, once used in whiskey and wine production and recently used on the set of the John Adams mini-series. Staff members have constructed a rain barrel, and may be able to provide useful advice.
7766 Richmond Road
Toano, VA 23168
(757) 566-8300
G. I. Joe’s Military Surplus sells 55-gallon plastic barrels, once used to hold spices.
2330 Route. 17 (George Washington Memorial Highway)
Yorktown, VA 23693
(757) 867-8497
The Williamsburg Winery may have a small supply of used wine barrels available late fall or early winter
5800 Wessex Hundred
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
(757) 229-0999
wine@wmbgwine.com
Wal-Mart occasionally carries used whiskey barrels. They have in the past carried them in the spring.
731 East Rochambeau Road
Williamsburg, VA 23188
(757) 220-2772
*The JCSA does not endorse specific stores, brands, products, or materials. Use barrels and other materials at your own risk. If you are a local retailer that offers rain barrels and you are not on our list, or if you notice that our list is otherwise out of date, please let us know. JCSA reserves the right to control web content.
What else can I do to conserve municipal water?
In order to save additional water:
- Consider landscaping techniques from our Let’s Be Water Smart program including lawn care calendars, guides, suggested plants, and water-thrifty tips under “Resources."
- If you plan to install a new toilet, make it a high-efficiency toilet! Look for the EPA’s new WaterSense label and visit their website when shopping for high-efficiency toilets, landscape irrigation services, irrigation control technologies, showerheads, and more!
- Install a rain sensor for your home irrigation system if you do not have one. (Check our rain sensor rebate to see if you are eligible.)
- Investigate ET-based controllers for your home irrigation system – a hands-off, hassle-free option for the ideal level of irrigation.
What else can I do to reduce runoff and protect my local waterways?
Rain barrels should be used in conjunction with other stormwater management and low impact development features, such as green roofs, rain gardens, porous pavement, and proper retention pond maintenance.
See our PRIDE (Protecting Resources in Delicate Environments) website for information about:
- Turf Love, a partner program with the Virginia Cooperative Extension
 Master Gardener volunteers to teach homeowners how to produce healthy turf while reducing the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides,
- Simple tips to protect our waterways, and
- A primer on rain gardens (.pdf), which are gardens developed in low-lying areas where drainage collects, so that your stormwater runoff helps your garden grow instead of hurting your local waterways.
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