Rain Barrels

Catch the rain that would have washed away! The City of Bremerton is pleased to promote the use of rain barrels.

View directions on how to make rain barrels (PDF). 

Stormwater Infiltration Benefits

  • Rooftops are impervious surfaces that contribute excess runoff (along with roads, parking lots, driveways and even compacted soils). Rain barrels help slow runoff and encourage infiltration.
  • Even an additional 10% of impervious area alters the natural rainfall runoff cycle and has the potential to damage sensitive ecosystems.
  • Infiltration, allowing the water to soak into nearby soils, will recharge groundwater supplies and return the water to a more natural cycle.

Water Conservation

  • Use water your garden with free water collected from your roof. 
  • Water usage in Bremerton increases dramatically in the summer due to the increase in outdoor water use on lawn and gardens. Rain barrels can help reduce your water usage, especially in the early irrigation and planting season when intermittent rainfall is still available to refill barrels. 
  • The Puget Sound region experiences natural summer droughts where only 20% of the annual rainfall occurs from May to September.
  • By reducing your demand from established water supplies during the drier months you are helping the environment and salmon.

Important: Do not use rain barrels for drinking, cooking or bathing.

Tips

  • Use a 55-gallon food grade quality recycled barrel.
  • Install an overflow at the top. This is an important feature. A full barrel has the potential to spill additional water over the top and may cause localized erosion.
  • Consider attaching the overflow to the downspout with a valve. Simply turn the valve off when the barrel is full and redirecting the runoff back into the downspout.
  • Keep the lid secure so children or animals cannot fall into the barrel.
  • Disconnect the barrel during the winter to avoid constant overflow during the rainiest months. Attach it in the early spring to fill it for use.
  • If a moss killer has been used on the roof let a couple of rainfall events go by before collecting the roof runoff.
  • Elevate your rain barrel slightly on blocks to make access to the spigot easier.
  • The screened louver vent will prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your barrel.
  • Consider joining multiple barrels for additional capacity!
  • Rainwater is great for plants. Rainwater is usually soft and free of dissolved minerals. This untreated water is great for your garden and lawn.
  • Use your rain barrel in areas where you may not have a convenient spigot. Placing a rain barrel near your compost pile can make it more convenient to keep the compost as damp as a wrung-out sponge, promoting the composting process during the drier months.

Managing Your Rain Barrel During the Growing Season & Winter

Make Use of Rainfall Early in the Growing Season

During the growing season, more rainfall events occur during April to June, just when you are establishing your vegetable garden and working in perennial beds. A waterwise approach is to water annuals and perennials with rain barrel water and mulch heavily to retain moisture during the drier months of July and August. Rain showers can occur in July and August to refill the barrels, but they are much less frequent.

Manage Heavy Rains

It is essential to consider impact of heavy winter rains on your drainage system. An overfull rain barrel has the potential to erode your home's foundation. In all cases your rain barrel should have an overflow spigot near the top on the side. Management ideas include:

  • Connect a hose to the overflow spigot and direct this away from your foundation, a minimum of 2 feet for a crawlspace, and 6 feet for basements.
  • Disconnect the rain barrel from the downspout and return the system to its original configuration.
  • Leave the outlet faucet open and set a splash block under it. Now the rain barrel is an extension of the downspout drainage system. Remember to close the faucet when you desire to fill the rain barrel.
  • Whatever you solution, design the overflow system to encourage infiltration of the water into the ground.
  • Do not send overflow across parking areas, driveways, septic drainfields, or bare soil. Keep pollutants out of streams and Puget Sound.