My doubt about rain barrels just got wrecked by last week's storm

I always thought rain barrels were more trouble than they're worth, but after that 3-inch downpour last Tuesday in Decatur, I watched my neighbor's setup collect over 50 gallons while my garden flooded. He showed me how his simple setup with a $30 spigot and screen kept the water clean for his raised beds. Has anyone else had a surprising win with a simple rainwater setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

maxpalmer4d ago

Whoa wait. 50 gallons in one storm? That's insane. I've been rolling my eyes at those barrel setups for years. Maybe I've been the dummy this whole time. Guess I gotta rethink my whole approach to gutters now.

west.claire3d agoMost Upvoted

@maxpalmer I've got three 55 gallon barrels daisy-chained off my garage and they fill up in a single heavy downpour. It's wild how much water comes off a roof.