Rain Barrel Water Conservation

May 06, 2008 08:47 am

— HAMPSTEAD – The Hampstead Garden Club is pleased to announce that it has teamed up with The New England Rain Barrel Company to offer residents rain barrels as a way to conserve water and help the environment.
A rain barrel collects water from the roof when it rains and stores it for use during dry conditions and when water ban restrictions are in place. For a limited time, the rain barrels may be purchased by Hampstead and area residents for $75.00 each, a 25% discount off the retail price of $99.00. In addition, $7.00 from each barrel sold will be donated to The Hampstead Garden Club, to be used for maintenance of the various gardens it maintains around the town.
The average homeowner uses approximately 40 percent of water for outdoor use. A one inch rainfall on a 1,200 square foot roof will yield more than 700 gallons of water. Using a rain barrel is an excellent way to conserve some of this water. A quarter inch run-off from an average roof will easily fill the barrel. If you have 5 storms a season, that equals 275 gallons of free water.
The rain barrels are made from 55 gallon, blue plastic, recycled containers. The top does not come off, so no children or pets can get in the barrel. It has a six inch diameter inlet opening covered with a screened louver to keep out insects and debris. The barrels have two brass spigots; one to allow connection of a hose for watering, and one for overflow. A hose can be connected to the overflow spigot to redirect the water away from your home. It even comes with a 5-foot hose with a shutoff valve. Multiple barrels can be joined together for additional capacity.
The company will be taking orders through June 11, and has scheduled a general delivery of the rain barrels on Wed., June 18, at the intersection of Main Street and East Derry Road, opposite Ordway Park, from 4:00 through 7:00 p.m. If you are interested in ordering a rain barrel, call The New England Rain Barrel Company at 877-977-3135 or order online at www.nerainbarrel.com. Click on “Shop Online” and then “Hampstead” in the New Hampshire list, which will bring you to the ordering page specific to the Garden Club.