As our name suggests, we at Pro Gutter Services have extensive experience in the gutter industry, and we want to help you get the best results from your gutters. The purpose of gutters is to channel rain water away from your home and prevent it from damaging your roof, siding, or foundation. In most cases, the water is simply left to soak into the ground at a safe distance away from your building, but our team can also offer a way to save this water so you can put it to use.
We can add rain water barrels to your gutter system—the barrels will collect the water so you can use it to irrigate your landscaping later. In this article, we’ll go over a few guidelines on how to use rain water barrels correctly.
- Don’t Drink the Water – The first thing you should know about using rain water barrels is not to drink the water. As the rain flows over your roof and through your gutters, it will pick up dirt particles, bacteria, and other contaminants that make it unsafe to drink. However, you can safely use it for other applications as long as you follow the proper guidelines.
- Follow Irrigation Guidelines – If you plan to use the water in your rain barrel to water edible crops, such as vegetables or herbs, we recommend pouring the water on the soil, not the plants themselves. This will reduce the risk of contamination while ensuring your plants get plenty of water. If you will not be eating the plants in question, it’s okay to pour the water directly on the greenery.
- Other Applications – You can also use your rain water barrels’ contents to do things like wash your car or even to fill a toilet in a pinch. Essentially, if it’s safe to use greywater for a given purpose, it’s safe to use your rain barrel water.