What's so tough about building a rain barrel? You could put a bucket under a downspout but if you want to do more than that, this guide is for you. Most people think it's time they tried to do their part at lowering their monthly utility bills or curbing climate change, but they suspect that their dream of building a large rain barrel is more than they can handle. In some cases, this may be true. However, if you have already accomplished other own do-it-yourself projects, this one may not be as difficult as and more affordable than you imagine. This down-to-earth guide can show you just how possible such a project can be. With simple step-by-step instructions, seventy-eight clear illustrations, and tips on lowering your water usage, you may fulfill your dream of harvesting rain water sooner than you think. Both simple rain barrels and expandable cisterns are covered so you can start small and grow your system to meet your changing needs. Don't let your valuable rain water go down the drain! Harvest it now and your plants will love you for doing so. -Simple and straight forward. Nothing very technical. The calculations were presented well. I realized that the average rain that fell on my 1000sf roof was 2000 gallons per month. Now I'm looking for barrels.
About the Author: I worked at Bell Telephone Laboratories for over twenty years with some of the finest minds in the world. Bell Labs--the company that invented the transistor--committed itself to going green decades before it became popular and I was one of its strongest supporters. As a senior technical editor in this NASA-like bleeding-edge environment, my well-rounded approach to writing is down-to-earth, easy to understand, and can help you solve everyday problems. I write about the things I know. I have published over ten Do It Yourself books after personally testing each subject. Typically designed for the individual trying to evaluate a topic, each book brings insights others may overlook or be more difficult to interpret. Periodically updated, these guides keep pace with technological changes, current wisdom, and user feedback. Living in an extremely green home in central Florida, my modest house uses wind, rain, and solar technologies for sources of electricity, water, and hot water. My goal is to get as close to being completely off the grid in a typical suburban home as possible.