Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Why save rain?
2. How much rain falls off my roof and how much can I harvest?
3. Is saving water in a few barrels really going to make a difference?
4. What kind of water pressure can I expect from a Rain Barrel?
5. How quickly will my Rain Barrel fill up?
6. Can I leave the Rain Barrel out during the winter?
7. Can I use my rain water to water my lawn?
8. Can I hook a pump to my Rain Harvesting System?
9. What do I need to know about maintaining my Rain Barrel?
10. What is the best method to Draw-Out the collected rain water from my Barrel?
11. Why is it important to manage my stormwater?
12. What are some of the ways to manage stormwater on my property?
13. How do I winterize my drip irrigation Kit?
14. Is bleach a good choice in keeping the water in my barrels sanitized?
15. What is the best way to clean the interior of my rain barrels?
16. Does the size of the rain container matter, when measuring pressure?
17. What is the difference between Food Grade and Food Safe plastic barrels?
18. Can harmful chemicals leach from these barrels into my stored products?

1. Why save rain?
It's a good idea that is beneficial for the environment. It helps ease Portland's stormwater overflow problems, decreases demand on municipal water, and helps to prevent rain from becoming polluted stormwater. Rain itself does not contain chemicals added by the city system, or leaching from old pipes but is naturally soft, oxygenated and pH neutral.

2. How much rain falls off my roof and how much can I harvest?
Here in Portland we do not suffer from lack of rainwater. If it rains 1 inch in one day, a 1000 sq. ft. roof will yield 600 gals., of water. To calculate how much water your roof will produce, multiply the square footage of your roof by 600 and divide by 1000. As for harvesting the rainwater, that depends on how many downspouts you connect to and how large a system you have room for under each one.

3. Is saving water in a few barrels really going to make a difference?
You have to think about the big picture here. If 1/2 of everyone in Portland collected and used a single barrel of water, we would have conserved upwards of 15 million gallons. Each and every barrel contributes some impact on stormwater runoff especially if you incorporate rain gardens with your barrels and manage the water coming from your downspouts.

4. What kind of water pressure can I expect from a Rain Barrel?
The higher the elevation, the greater the water pressure will be at its lowest point. Each foot in elevation change is equal to 0.433 PSI (pounds per square inch) of water pressure. So, if you place your barrel on a 3 ft. stand and your barrel is full, you will have 2.598 PSI of water pressure. To keep that level of pressure, the base of your barrel needs to be 2-3 ft higher than the highest point of your garden. Examples when using drip irrigation: If your plants are on the ground, your barrel should be elevated 2 ft. or more. If your plants are in a 1 ft. raised garden bed, your barrel should be elevated 3 ft. or more, 4 ft. or more with 2 ft. raised beds and so on.

5. How quickly will my Rain Barrel fill up?
Pretty darn quick! A half inch of rain collected from just a 200 sq. ft. (10 ft. x 20 ft.) section of roof will fill a 60 gallon rain barrel in one day.

6. Can I leave the Rain Barrel out during the winter?
Yes, but we suggest that you empty the barrel during a cold snap. The barrel is fairly durable, being made from high density polyethylene, but the brass spigot and/or the PVC plumbing will not hold up to freezing weather very well and more than likely will crack.

7. Can I use my rain water to water my lawn?
Sure, but you will need a large capacity rain harvesting system and a large surface area to capture the rain. A typical lawn requires about 3,000 gallons a month. However, rain barrels should be used to augment your watering needs. I recommend, before going with big tanks to water your lawn, you look at ways to reduce your outdoor water consumption. Planting native vegetation and drought hearty plants, while also using drip irrigation, will greatly reduce your water consumption.

8. Can I hook up a pump to my Rain Harvesting System?
Yes you can, but we don't recommend it for a 55-60 gal. rain barrel. Home improvement stores sell transfer pumps that require an electrical outlet that can move 8 plus gal. of water a minute. Since your Rain Barrel holds 55-60 gal. of water, you will only have about 7-8 minutes of watering. Why not use drip irrigation and use your water wisely.

9. What do I need to know about maintaining my Rain Barrel?
Before and after you set up your rain barrel, make sure that your gutters are fairly clean. Leaves and pine needles won't clog the diverter but decomposed organic matter will. How well you maintain your gutters affects the degree of performance of your system as well as reflecting on how often you should clean the inside of your barrel. We suggest every 2-3 years, using a solution of 2 tsp. of vinegar, 2 tsp. of Dawn liquid soap, and 2 tsp. of Hydrogen Peroxide per gallon of water. You can also use grapefruit seed extract to sanitize your rain barrel. (One drop per gallon, premixed in water.)

10. What is the best method to Draw-Out the collected Rain water from my Barrel?
That would be through drip irrigation. It is the most effective way to water, because the water is delivered right to the roots of the plants where it can be slowly absorbed into the soil. This reduces runoff and spreads the water out into the soil better promoting root growth. Water is also not lost due to evaporation. To ensure enough pressure to move the water through the drip system, the base of your barrel needs to be elevated at least two feet above the highest point in your garden, to maintain the pressure level when the barrel is less than full.

11. Why is it important to manage my stormwater?
When it rains, stormwater flows from roofs, roads, parking lots, and other hard surfaces. This stormwater runoff contributes to stream pollution and habitat destruction, and costs the city millions of dollars. By properly self-managing stormwater on your property, you help to mimic nature and reduce stormwater's damaging effects.

12. What are some of the ways to manage stormwater on my property?
Direct the stormwater from disconnected downspouts and rain barrel overflows onto pervious areas, such as rain gardens, porous pavement, vegetated swales, filter strips and pocket wetlands.

13. How do I winterize my drip irrigation kit?
First, if you're using a timer, disconnect it and bring it indoors. Second, blow through the lines after removing the end piece. The tubing will not be damaged by freezing weather but fittings will crack if water is left in them. So elevate low spots! Third, put the end piece back on and plug the beginning of the mainline tubing. Do not leave lines open. As long as the tubing is not full of water, there should be no damage.

14. Is bleach a good choice in keeping the water in my barrels sanitized?
Yes, bleach is still the number one worldwide chemical of choice for sterilizing everything from shower stalls to surgical instruments. Bleach effectively kills bacteria and viruses, stops smells and then breaks down after a few days into little more than salt and water. A risk assessment report conducted by the European Union on Sodium Hypochlorite (common bleach) conducted under regulations EEC 793/93 concluded that this substance is safe for the environment in all its normal use.

Ratio of bleach per gallon of water: 16 drops

For long standing water, use 2 oz. (12 tsp.) of unscented bleach per 60 gallons or 8 oz. per 250 gallons. Regularly used water may be treated with 1/2 oz. of unscented bleach per 50 gal. or 2 oz. per 200 gallons once or twice a month.

We also recommend that you use a high quality water filter, such as Katadyn or Berkey, when filtering your rain water to provide the most sparkling clean water possible.

15. What is the best way to clean the interior of my rain barrels?
Make sure that your barrel is clean of debris, and rinse out if needed. 

Use 2 tsp. of Hydrogen Peroxide, 2 tsp. of vinegar, and 2 tsp. of Dawn detergent per gallon of water. Pour solution into barrel and secure the bung caps. Coat the inside walls by rolling the barrel back and fourth on its side. Let stand for a few minutes, remove the bung caps, then rinse it out. We also recommend that you use a high quality water filter, such as Katadyn or Berkey, when filtering your rain water to provide the most sparkling clean water possible.

Benefits of using Hydrogen Peroxide: No chlorine bleach fumes to deal with and the components break down into water and hydrogen, which is beneficial to all plants.

Our recommendation to use Dawn detergent is simply because of its ability to break down oil-based properties which often seep out of asphalt roofs and coagulate over time in the bottom of the barrel. 

16. Does the size of the rain container matter, when measuring pressure?
No, it does not. It's the height of the water level in the rain container that determines the amount of pressure below, not the quantity of water stored. So, if you had a 5000 gal. water tank and a 5 gal. bucket with the water levels at the same height, you would get the same pressure from both.

17. What is the difference between Food Grade and Food Safe plastic barrels?
One reason these designations might confuse you is that both barrel types are made from high density polyethylene (HDPE), a material designated as "food safe" by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Food Safe means that it's safe for you to consume food and water products that have come in contact with food safe HDPE. Food safe HDPE is okay for a variety of uses, such as cutting boards for food preparation, playground equipment, barrels for rain water collection, and yes, even for chemical containers. The versatility of polyethylene has made it one of the world's most popular plastics.

New Food Grade plastic, on the other hand, is certified as acceptable for the long term storage of food and liquids. Once the barrel has been used, that certification is no longer approved as such, which is why you will never see the words "Food Grade" embedded into the plastic of a 55-60 gallon barrel.

18. Can harmful chemicals leach from these barrels into my stored products?
If you're concerned about harmful chemicals leaching into your stored products, I suggest you purchase white barrels, as the white pigment used in manufacturing such barrels is titanium dioxide, found in many food products as well as sunscreens and toothpaste.