Go Green at Home
Rain Barrel
Rain barrels harvest rain water from your roof and downspouts.
Harvesting Rainwater
You can use water collected in rain barrels to water your vegetables, lawn, and flowers while reducing your utility bills. Depending on your roof surface area, you can collect a significant amount of rainfall using rain barrels. Estimates indicate during a one-inch rain event, one downspout delivers 12 gallons of water per minute and that one rain barrel will capture 1,300 gallons of water throughout the year.
Every time it rains, water gushes from your downspouts across your lawn into local streets. Along the way the rainwater picks up pesticides, sediment, nutrients, and other pollution before flowing into local storm drains. Once in the storm drain system, polluted runoff is carried directly to the Wabash River.
Within portions of Greater Lafayette, polluted runoff combines with wastewater and flows untreated into the Wabash River during combined sewer overflows. Installation of a rain barrel can reduce the flow of polluted runoff from your property and reduce the likelihood of a combined sewer overflow. The more water you retain on site, the less water flows across the land surface, resulting in less sediment and nutrient polluted rainwater flowing directly into the Wabash River.
Local Rain Barrel Sources:
Buying from the City Government
If you are a resident of either Lafayette or West Lafayette, you can purchase 55-gallon rain barrels at a discount from your city. If you are a resident of Tippecanoe County outside of either city limits, you may still purchase your rain barrel through either city but will not receive the discount.
To purchase a barrel and diverter from the City of Lafayette, contact Lafayette Renew (765-807-1800).
To purchase a barrel and diverter from the City of West Lafayette, contact their waste water treatment plant: (765) 775-5145.
Rain Barrel Re-Homing Program
We are finding new homes for rain barrels in Tippecanoe County.
Are you a homeowner or business looking to find a new home for unused rain
barrels or are you interested in trying one out yourself?
Contact Amanda Estes to either re-home a rain barrel you currently own, or to check the availability of rain barrels that need a new home: aestes@lafayette.in.gov
Buying from a retailer
Rain barrels are also available at hardware stores and online in various shapes, sizes, and designs.
Some companies offer much larger rain barrels and cisterns, capable of holding hundreds of gallons of rainwater.
Rain Barrel Maintenance
Rain barrels are easy to install, but they do require some maintenance.
Spring
- Install or reconnect rain barrel to diverter after the last heavy frost.
- Be sure there is an overflow hose to accommodate heavy spring rains.
- If your barrel is full, empty it before the next rainfall.
Summer
- As needed: remove any leaves, twigs or other debris from the top of the rain barrel.
- Check fittings to ensure there is no leaking.
- Be sure the diverter is not clogged and functioning correctly.
- If your barrel is full, empty it before the next rainfall.
Fall
- Disconnect rain barrel from diverter before the first heavy frost.
- Drain the barrel and clean it out.
- Store inside a garage or storage shed, or flip upside down and secure it against an exterior wall.
- Open all the spigots to prevent any water from freezing inside and cracking the plastic.
Illustrated Rain Barrel Installation Guide
Rain Barrel Installation Video
Illustrated Rain Barrel Winterization Guide
Landscape Architecture: Rain water harvesting
