Unless you live in a community that allows irrigation meters and you’ve had one installed, watering your lawn and outdoor plants can be a real expense in the summer. The average household that irrigates their lawn goes through many thousands of gallons of extra water every year, often costing them several hundred dollars.
But have you considered some ways that you can collect water for use in outdoor irrigation? That is, free water that you don’t have to pay for (and no, we’re not talking about stealing water out of your neighbor’s spigot!). Rainwater that runs off our roofs and down through downspouts is one of the best and most under-utilized sources of free water for outdoor irrigation.
One great way of collecting rainwater from your downspouts is free: just place a bucket under the downspout. This method isn’t perfect; your bucket will likely run over, especially if you’re getting anything more than a very light rain. Another option that is a little more expensive but will allow you to collect more water is a rain barrel. Rain barrels are usually very large drums that are designed to connect to your downspout and hold 50 to 100 gallons of water. Often times, a rain barrel is also fitted with a spigot at the bottom so you can easily fill your watering can, or even hook up a garden hose to distribute the water as it’s needed.
One last water saving summer tip: Do you have kids that play in a child-sized inflatable pool in the backyard? When they’re done in the pool, don’t just dump the water out on the lawn. Use it for watering your plants!
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