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Rain Barrels Help Homeowners Go Green
Drum Helps Residents Conserve Water

WCVB-TV 5, April 24, 2007, 4:07pm EDT

BOSTON -- The average homeowner uses approximately 40 percent of water for outdoor use -- from washing your car to watering your garden and lawn.

NewsCenter 5's David Brown reported that there's a way you can not only cut down on your water use but help the environment along the way.

Jennifer Kaplan said that she is environmentally conscious and always one to look for new ways to help the earth. She composts to get rid of household waste and fertilizes her garden. Now, she said that she relies on a big blue barrel to help out her green thumb."

I really care about the environment, and any way I can save resources -- our natural resources, and water is a huge one. We take it for granted in this country," she said. "I really feel that anything I can do to help the environment is important."

A 55-gallon drum gets water during every storm. Water runs off Kaplan's roof, down her spouts and into the drum. A 1-inch rainstorm provides enough water to fill the drum 12 times. It not only conserves water but in the dry summer months, it allows homeowners to water freely.

"Before the barrels get filled with water and you water your garden, this is where it all starts. This is where the thousands of recycled blue barrels get ready for their green owners," New England Rain Barrel Co. founder and owner Jack Freele said.

The rain barrels are made by the New England Rain Barrel Co. What was once a barrel for the food industry, now with a couple of quick adaptations, including a spigot, it turns into an environmentally friendly mega watering can.

Freele said that he is on a mission to save people money while also saving the planet.

"Their water bills go down. They feel like they are doing something good for the environment," he said. "They just feel good about having a rain barrel."

Kaplan said that she has ordered another rain barrel. The program started six years ago with 25 and now numbers in the thousands.