How to Save on a Rainy Day: Buy a Home Barrel

Our friends at Sustainable Works sent over the following note about their ongoing rainwater program. If you’re looking for a barrel, check it out.

The City of Santa Monica and Sustainable Works have teamed up to encourage Santa Monica residents and others to take advantage of rainwater rebates. Stormwater runoff is the largest source of pollution to the Bay.  Every time it rains trash, cigarette butts, chemicals, feces, and other toxins are emptied directly into our waterways.

Installing a rain barrel can drastically reduce the amount of urban runoff and it’s a way to capture free water (yes free!) falling from the sky.  Rainwater can be used to water plants, wash cars, clean pets or shampoo your hair.  Rainwater is a much cleaner option for plants and gardens because it does not contain the amount of chlorine and other substances found in city water.   

The recent rainfall is good news for those with rainwater harvesting systems, a time-tested method that provides more of an opportunity to collect rainwater than many would think. Just one inch of rain on 1000 sq. ft. of roof area generates 600 gallons of water… enough to fill twelve 50-gallon barrels.

Sustainable Works is using Rain Reserve’s Build-a-Barrel, a sleek, modern rain barrel that is available in sizes ranging from 50-100 gallons and can double as a bench or container garden. The Build-A-Barrel system eliminates mosquito and overflow problems.

For Santa Monica residents, the cost of the barrel is free, after the $200 rebate, available through the city. (Rebates can cover the cost of up to eight 50-gallon rain barrels, two per downspout, which can add up to $1600). Rebates start at $75 for residents in other participating SoCal Water$mart districts.

For more information or to purchase a barrel, please contact Nina Furukawa with RainReserve at 310-922-2060.